| 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing | |
|---|---|
 2nd MAW Insignia | |
| Active | 10 July 1941–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Role | Conduct air operations in support of theFleet Marine Forces |
| Part of | II Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point |
| Nickname(s) | 2nd MAW |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding General | MajGenWilliam H. Swan |
| Assistant Wing Commander | Col Stephen J. Acosta |
| Notable commanders | Gen.Glenn M. Walters Lt.Gen.Francis P. Mulcahy Lt.Gen.Ralph K. Rottet Lt.Gen.George C. Axtell Maj.Gen.William L. McKittrick BGen. Alexander W. Kreiser Jr |
The2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) is the majoreast coast aviation unit of theUnited States Marine Corps and is headquartered inMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,North Carolina. The Wing provides theaviation combat element for theII Marine Expeditionary Force.
Conduct air operations in support of the Marine forces to includeOffensive air support,anti air warfare,assault support,aerial reconnaissance,electronic warfare, and control of aircraft and missiles. As a collateral function, the MAW may participate as an integral component ofnaval aviation in the execution of such other Navy functions as the Fleet Commander may direct.
Due to a re-organization withinMarine aviation, 2nd MAW expanded between 2007–2010.[1] In 2008,HMH-366 andHMLA-467 were commissioned in September and October, respectively. In 2010,VMFA-451 was recommissioned and re-designated as VMFAT-501 as theFleet Replacement Squadron for theF-35 Lightning II.
In late 1940,Congress authorized a naval air fleet of fifteen thousand aircraft. The Marine Corps was allotted a percentage of these planes to be formed into two air wings with thirty-two operational squadrons. On the advice ofNavy and Marine Corps advisors returning from observing the war in Europe these numbers were doubled very soon after. It was under this expansion program that the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing was commissioned inSan Diego, California on 10 July 1941.[2] Its first subordinate command wasMarine Air Group Two which was based atMarine Corps Air Station Ewa,Hawaii. This gave 2dMAW some of the oldest squadrons in Marine aviation[3]
Although the Hawaii-based squadrons sustained extensive damage during the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, 2dMAW contributed to 83South Pacific combat operations. Marines and aircraft from 2dMAW participated in major battles or campaigns atWake Island,Guadalcanal,Midway,Saipan,Tinian,Guam andOkinawa. 2dMAW served as the headquarters for theTactical Air Force, Tenth Army during the Battle of Okinawa.[4] During three months of combat over the skies ofOkinawa, squadrons from 2dMAW accounted for 484½ planes shot down helping to create 21 new Marine Corps aces.[5] Following thesurrender of Japan, 2dMAW retained its headquarters on Okinawa and sentMarine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) toYokosuka and other units toOmura andNagasaki.[6]
In April 1946, 2dMAW relocated to its present home atMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,North Carolina.
During theVietnam War, 2nd MAW supplied combat-ready units and personnel to operations in the Asian Theater.
In the 1980s, 2nd MAW units were active participants in exercises and operations around the globe, to include those inLebanon,Cuba,Grenada,Panama, and theDominican Republic.
The decade of the 1990s began withOperation Desert Shield andOperation Desert Storm. The millennium closed with 2nd MAW squadrons prosecuting and supportingNATO air strikes inKosovo andSerbia duringOperation Allied Force, and flying support duringOperation Northern Watch fromIncirlik, Turkey.
From 2000 through 2002,EA-6B Prowler squadrons deployed in support ofOperation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch andUnit Deployment Program rotations to Japan.AV-8B Harrier and helicopter squadrons deployed in support of the22nd,24th and26thMarine Expeditionary Units.F/A-18 Hornet squadrons deployed aboard theUSS Harry S. Truman withCarrier Air Wing 3; andMarine Wing Support Group 27 andMarine Air Control Group 28 deployed personnel in support of all exercises and operations in which 2nd MAW flying squadrons were participating.[citation needed]
In early 2001,VMFA-312 andVMAQ-3 participated in a joint combined strike againstIraq. This marked the first Marine Corps combat use of theJoint Standoff Weapon (JSOW).VMA-542 andHMM-261 flew combat missions overAfghanistan in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom and conducted humanitarian missions inDjibouti. The Marines of VMA-542 were among the first to employ theLITENING 2 targeting pod in combat.[citation needed]
In 2003, 2nd MAW deployed more than 7,700 Marines and Sailors in support of theOperation Iraqi Freedom,Operation Enduring Freedom, andJoint Task Force Horn of Africa. More than 200 tactical combat aircraft flew in support of these missions. They supported combat and contingency operations around the globe, with greater than 70 percent of thecommand and control, support group, and aircraft deployed simultaneously.[citation needed]
During the2003 invasion of Iraq, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing units flew over 7,800 combat sorties, expended over 3.9 million pounds of ordnance, carried over 10,000 troops and 6.2 million pounds of cargo, built five base camps, two expeditionary airfields (EAFs), ten forward area arming and refueling points (FARPS) and three forward operating bases (FOBs). 2nd MAW eventually headquartered atAl Asad Airbase to serve as theaviation combat element ofMulti-National Forces West for the remainder of theIraq War. In the fall of 2009, the wing headquarters turned this mission over toMarine Aircraft Group 26 and returned home.[7]
As American forces ended their missions in Iraq, 2dMAW continued to support theWar on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Units from 2dMAW rotated through Afghanistan on a regular basis until the Marine Corps finally withdrew in 2014.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.| Leadership |
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