The1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of theUnited States Marine Corps that serves as theAviation Combat Element of theIII Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered atCamp Foster on the island ofOkinawa,Japan. Activated in 1940, the wing has seen heavy combat operations duringWorld War II, theKorean War, and theVietnam War.

1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st MAW insignia
Active	7 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	III Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ	Camp Foster
Nickname(s)	1st MAW
Engagements	World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal *Philippines campaign (1944–45) Korean War Vietnam War
Commanders
Commanding General	MajGen Marcus B. Annibale
Assistant Wing Commander	BGen Kelvin W. Gallman
Notable commanders	LtGenLouis E. Woods GenRoy S. Geiger LtGenJohn F. Goodman LtGenAlbert D. Cooley

Conduct air operations in support of theFleet Marine Forces to include offensive air support, antiair warfare, assault support, aerial reconnaissance including active and passive electronic countermeasures (ECM), and control of aircraft and missiles. As a collateral function, the Wing may participate as an integral component ofNaval Aviation in the execution of such other Navy functions as the Fleet Commander may direct.

As of January 2025 the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing consists of four subordinate groups, a headquarters squadron and a liaison unit:^[1]

• 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, atCamp Foster (Japan)^[1]
  • Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1 (MWHS-1), at Camp Foster
  • Marine Wing Liaison Kadena (MWLK), atKadena Air Base (Japan)
  • Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12), atMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (Japan)
  • Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24), atMarine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay (Hawaii)
  • Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36), atMarine Corps Air Station Futenma (Japan)
  • Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (Japan)

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 2 air wings with 32 operational squadrons. On the advice ofNavy and Marine advisors returning from observing the war in Europe these numbers were doubled very soon after. It was under this expansion program that the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was activated atMarine Corps Base Quantico,Virginia, on 7 July 1941. TheFirst Marine Aircraft Group which was the largesteast coast aviation unit in the Marines at the time, became its first component.^[2] Although a new wing, it is considered an unofficial descendant of theNorthern Bombing Group ofWorld War I.^[3]

Following theattacks on Pearl Harbor, the wing transferred toNaval Air Station San Diego,California, on 10 December 1941, and then toCamp Kearny on 31 December. The first deployment for 1st MAW came in August 1942 when forward elements of the Wing arrived onGuadalcanal and made up theCactus Air Force supporting the1st Marine Division during theBattle of Guadalcanal.^[4]

At the beginning of theKorean War, the initial deployment of Marines was a provisional brigade activated on 7 July 1950 — the1st Provisional Marine Brigade — formed from the1st Marine Division and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Its core consisted of two units — a regimental combat team from the5th Marine Regiment andMarine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). Their job was to provideclose air support, resupply, andMedevac for Marine ground forces.

In late-June 1952, 75 aircraft from 1st MAW participated in theattack on the Sui-ho Dam which were strikes aimed at the hydroelectric plants inNorth Korea.^[5] The Wing's Chief of StaffFrank Schwable was shot down in July 1952 and while a prisoner of war confessed to having participated in germ warfare. He was eventually cleared of all charges, but his case prompted a review of training and expectations of prisoners-of-war.^[6]

Two 1st MAW aircraft groups, MAG-33 andMAG-12, and the 1st Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion served during the course of the war. The wing flew 127,496 sorties of which over 40,000 wereclose air support and Marine helicopters evacuated more than 9,800 wounded personnel^[7][8]

From 6 March – 30 April 1963. TheVMF-114,VMA-542 andVMF-235 of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from Okinawa deployed toPingtung Air Base,Taiwan and withROC Air Force participated in "BLUE EAGLE" exercise. While on Taiwan these units were under the control ofUnited States Taiwan Defense Command.

From April 1962, whenHMM-362 flew into theMekong Delta to set up operations at theSóc Trăng Airfield, through April 1975, when helicopters ofHMM-164 evacuated the last Americans from theUS Embassy, Saigon. While early missions involved Marine helicopters providing logistical support forSouth Vietnam, this role quickly expanded when 1st MAW pilots and crewmen were called upon to perform their traditional role of providingclose air support forMarine combat units as American involvement in the war escalated.

Helicopters played an extensive role in air operations in Vietnam, as Marine pilots flewCH-34s and laterCH-46s andCH-53s to transport Marines into landing zones near suspected enemy concentrations, and to evacuate the wounded following combat engagements. Helicopters, supplemented byC-130 transports where there were landing strips, were also used to re-supply Marines in the field at remote outposts. Other Marine pilots flewUH-1E Hueys andAH-1 Cobras. Many of these choppers provided reconnaissance and armed air cover for combat air operations.

The buildup of American troops resulted in the deployment of the Marine Corps' attack and fighter aircraft including theDouglas A-4 and theMcDonnell F4B, as well as the maintenance, ordnance, and other support personnel necessary.

HMH 463 has deployed to support the Operation Enduring Freedom Mission in Afghanistan in 2009.

Fixed-wing aircraft

• F/A-18D Hornet
• F-35B Lightning II
• KC-130J Super Hercules

Rotary-wing aircraft

• AH-1Z Viper
• UH-1Y Venom
• CH-53E Super Stallion

Tiltrotor Aircraft

• MV-22B Osprey

UAVs

• MQ-9A Reaper

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing has been presented with the following awards:^[9]

• List of United States Marine Corps aircraft wings
• United States Marine Corps Aviation
• List of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Commanders

  This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.

Print

Web

• 1MAW official historyArchived 2019-10-30 at theWayback Machine
• First Marine Aircraft Wing Association - Vietnam Service, association of 1st MAW veterans who served in Vietnam
• "United States Marine Forces", inKorean War Order of Battle, Brown Mouse Publishing. URL accessed 27 December 2005.

• 1st MAW's official website