| Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 | |
|---|---|
 VMFA-314 Insignia | |
| Active | 1 October 1943 – 30 April 1947 1 February 1952 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Fighter/Attack squadron |
| Role | SEAD Air Superiority Aerial Reconnaissance Close air support Land/Maritime Strike |
| Part of | Marine Aircraft Group 11 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Carrier Air Wing Nine |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Miramar |
| Nickname(s) | Black Knights Bob's Cats (World War II) |
| Motto(s) | ONCE A KNIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH |
| Tail Code | VW / NG |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Jeffrey C. Davis |
| Notable commanders | Homer S. Hill,Frank E. Petersen |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F4U Corsair F9F Panther F4D Skyray F-4 Phantom II F/A-18 Hornet F-35C Lightning II |
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) is aUnited States Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II squadron. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based atMarine Corps Air Station Miramar,California and falls under the command ofMarine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3d MAW), but deploys with theUS Navy'sCarrier Air Wing Nine (NG).
Marine Fighting Squadron 314 (VMF-314) was commissioned on October 1, 1943, atMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,North Carolina.[1] The squadron was originally given the nickname of, "Bob's Cats".[2] The squadron was assigned toMarine Aircraft Group 32 (MAG 32) flying theF4U Corsair and began training immediately for combat in theSouth Pacific. In February 1944, the squadron, along withVMF-324, was among the first units aboardMarine Corps Auxiliary Air Field Kinston.[3] The squadron departed MCAAF Kinston for thePacific theater and arrived atMarine Corps Air Station Ewa on June 18, 1944, and was reassigned toMarine Aircraft Group 23, 3rd MAW.[4] From there it deployed toMidway Atoll. VMF-314 returned to MCAS Ewa in December 1944 and remained there until April 1945. In May 1945 the squadron moved toIe Shima to take part in theBattle of Okinawa[4] as part ofMarine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22).[5] During the campaign, VMF-314 pilots were credited with 11 kills[6] and the squadron was awarded thePresidential Unit Citation.[7] After thesurrender of Japan, VMF-314 moved toKyūshū,Japan as part of theoccupation force. VMF-314 returned toMarine Corps Air Station El Toro in November 1945 and in March 1946 they arrived back at MCAS Cherry Point. For a short time, the squadron was reassigned toMarine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22),9th Marine Aircraft Wing but was later decommissioned on April 30, 1947.[2]
VMF-314 was recommissioned in 1952 atMCAS Miami,Florida and was assigned toMarine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing flying the latest version of the Corsair. That same year, the squadron transitioned to the newF9F Panther. The next three years saw VMF-314 deployed twice, first toRoosevelt Roads,Puerto Rico, and then toNaval Air Facility Atsugi,Japan for an 18-month tour. VMF-314 earned theKorean Service Medal for operations conducted between 11 September 1953 and 27 July 1954.[8] In 1955, VMF-314 returned from Japan and was assigned toMarine Aircraft Group 15, 3rd MAW, now stationed atMarine Corps Air Station El Toro,California.
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In 1957, the squadron received the newF4D Skyray and was designated VMF(AW)-314. During that same year, the squadron officially became the "Black Knights", was awarded the Commandant’s Aviation Efficiency Trophy. They were briefly deployed to NAF Atsugi, Japan and then throughout the Far East both on land, including Ping-tung,Taiwan in support of theRepublic of China against thecommunist China, as well as on board the fast attack carriersUSS Hancock andUSS Ticonderoga.
In 1961, the squadron became the first Marine squadron to transition to the newF-4B Phantom II and was designated VMFA-314. Between 1961 and 1964, the squadron deployed eight times. These included three separate carrier deployments and a single-flight aerial refueling mission spanning thePacific Ocean from MCAS El Toro toNaval Air Station Atsugi, Japan.
In 1965, VMFA-314 headed off on boardUSS Valley Forge for combat operations inSouth Vietnam. From 1965 to 1970, the squadron flew more than 25,000 combat hours out ofChu Lai Air Base andDa Nang Air Base, and employed more than 100 million pounds of ordnance in support of the Marine rifleman and other allied ground units. In 1968, they received theChief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award. In 1969, VMFA–314 was awarded the Hanson Trophy as the best Fighter Attack Squadron in the Marine Corps while under the command ofFrank E. Petersen. TheCommandant's Efficiency Trophy was awarded to the squadron in 1969 and again in 1970. In September 1970, VMFA-314 ended forty-nine months of deployed combat operations and received theMeritorious Unit Commendation for its outstanding performance.
In May 1982, the squadron’s last F-4 was transferred in preparation for transition to the newF/A-18A Hornet. In 1982, VMFA-314 received the first of its F/A-18s under the command of Lt Col P.B. Field, becoming the first tactical squadron in the Marine Corps and Navy to employ the Hornet.[9]
In 1985, VMFA-314 transferred toCarrier Air Wing 13 (CVW-13), and embarked on boardUSS Coral Sea for duty with theU.S. Sixth Fleet in theMediterranean Sea. They participated in Freedom of Navigation operations in the vicinity ofLibya and took part in combat operations in support ofOperation El Dorado Canyon in theGulf of Sidra and in Libya.
In the summer of 1990, while preparing to return to the Western Pacific, the squadron were rapidly deployed to thePersian Gulf and were the first Marine F/A-18 squadron to arrive inBahrain forOperation Desert Shield as part of Marine Air Group 70. For nearly six months the "Black Knights" maintained 24-hour-a-day Combat Air Patrols over the Persian Gulf.
On 16 January 1991, Operation Desert Shield shifted toOperation Desert Storm. The squadron flew over 1,500 hours and 814 combat sorties, more sorties than any otherNavy or Marine Corps squadron. Missions flown during the war included Escort, SEAD, Mig Sweep, and Strike. They returned from the Middle East in March 1991 without the loss of a single squadron member or aircraft.
In August 1992, VMFA-314 transferred toCarrier Air Wing 11 and in 1993 deployed to theIndian Ocean and Persian Gulf on board USSAbraham Lincoln. During the deployment the squadron participated inOperation Southern Watch, enforcing theU.N. "no-fly-zone" in southernIraq, and inOperation Continue Hope, providingclose air support to the13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (13th MEU) and22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) off the coast ofSomalia. The squadron returned from cruise in December 1993 and was reassigned toMarine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11).
In June 1994, VMFA-314 was one of the first MAG-11 squadrons to move from MCAS El Toro toMCAS Miramar. In February 1996, the squadron received new lot 18 F/A-18C aircraft. In 1997, VMFA-314 transferred toCarrier Air Wing 9 and deployed on an "Around the World" cruise on boardUSS Nimitz. During the deployment, the squadron again participated in Operation Southern Watch.
In January 2000, the squadron deployed aboardUSS John C. Stennis, with Carrier Air Wing Nine, for a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. While in the Gulf, the "Black Knights" flew contingency operations under combat conditions in support of U.N. Resolutions, delivering accurate air-to-ground ordnance under hostile fire.
VMFA-314 was called upon to deploy U.S. Marines and aircraft on board USSJohn C. Stennis in support ofOperation Noble Eagle. TheSeptember 11 attacks of 2001 caused the planned deployment on boardJohn C. Stennis to be accelerated by two months. Following a shortened at-sea period for FleetEx, VMFA-314 deployed on 12 November 2001 in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom. The squadron began flying combat sorties on 18 December 2001 and delivered over 69,000 pounds of ordnance in support of U.S. forces on the ground inAfghanistan. Midway into a six-month deployment, VMFA-314 was extended in theater an extra five weeks resulting in a monumental 265 deployed days over a year’s period including a 98-day straight at-sea period.
The squadron deployed to theIraq War in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom in March 2009. They were based atAl Asad Airbase and returned in September 2009.[10]
The Black Knights were the first U.S. Marine Squadron to conduct offensive operations against ISIS in support of Operation Inherent Resolve 2014.
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On 21 June 2019, the squadron retired the F/A-18A++ and began training on the F-35C.[11] VMFA-314 was the first Marine Corps squadron to transition to the F-35C receiving its first aircraft on 21 January 2020.[12]
On 3 January 2022, VMFA-314 departedNaval Base San Diego onboard theUSS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as part ofCarrier Air Wing Nine. VMFA-314 was the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron to deploy on an aircraft carrier.[13][12]
During their 2024 deployment as part of Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), VMFA-314 left MCAS Miramar for stationing in the South China Sea as part of their WESTPAC deployment. Shortly after their departure, Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3) was redirected to C5F within Central Command (CENTCOM) by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
For 4 continuous months, VMFA-314 participated in numerous missions supporting NAVCENT and CENTCOM operations, ultimately culminating in a series of strikes targeting military facilities deep within Houthi-controlled Yemen. These deep strikes marked the first combat employment of the F-35C Lightning II, affectionately known as the ‘Panther’.
The Marines and their Panthers employed 72,000 lbs of ordnance in 24hrs, once again solidifying the Black Knights’ legacy at the leading edge of Marine Corps Aviation.
Presidential Unit Citation, with two Bronze Stars
Navy Unit Commendation, with four Bronze Stars
Meritorious Unit Citation streamer, with one Bronze Star2015, 1968 Robert M. Hanson Marine Fighter Attack Squadron of the Year Award[14]
USMC Major John Trotti, who flew the F-4 Phantom while a pilot for the squadron during the Vietnam war, recounted his experiences in the memoirPhantom Over Vietnam.
The squadron was portrayed flyingF/A-18Cs and fighting against an alien invasion in the 1996 filmIndependence Day. The squadron was depicted as based inMCAS El Toro, although they had relocated toNAS Miramar two years prior.
TheF/A-18s shown in the movieThe Rock are marked with 314 livery, despite having "US Air Force" on the fuselage, and despite the USAF not actually operating that type of aircraft. This is because the movie used the same prop asIndependence Day.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Leadership |
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