3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

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3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd MAW Insignia
Active	November 10, 1942
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Marine Aircraft Wing
Role	Conduct air operations in support of the Fleet Marine Forces
Part of	I Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Nickname	3rd MAW
Motto	"Bella Ac Pace Paratus" "Prepared in Peace and War"
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom * Operation Vigilant Resolve * Operation Phantom Fury

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fall under the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

1 Mission
2 Current force
- 2.1 Locations
- 2.2 Subordinate Units
3 History
4 Current aircraft in use
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Mission

Provide combat ready expeditionary aviation forces capable of short notice world wide deployment to Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), fleet and unified commanders.

[edit] Current force

[edit] Locations

Units of 3rd MAW are located in the western United States at the following bases:

[edit] Subordinate Units

[edit] History

[edit] World War II

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was commissioned on November 10, 1942, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina with a personnel roster of 13 officers, 25 enlisted men and one aircraft - a trainer.

The Wing's combat history began with the World War II deployment of a bomber squadron on December 3, 1943. A little more than a year later, the Wing deployed a night fighter squadron in support of the war effort.

On April 21, 1944, the 3rd MAW aircraft boarded three carriers for a voyage to Hawaii and arrived May 8, where it assumed the functions of Marine Air, Hawaii Area.

When the Japanese surrendered, 3d MAW was decommissioned and its personnel were assigned to other units. The wing also played an important, but behind-the-scenes, role during the war by training Marine pilots and support personnel for combat duty overseas.

[edit] 1950s

In 1952, as the Marine Corps again fought in the Far East, the Wing was reactivated at MCAS Cherry Point for the Korean War. The main portion of the wing began moving to the new Marine Corps Air Station Miami, the Marine Corps' first "flying field."

In September 1955, the wing left MCAS Miami for Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. 3rd MAW was rebuilt again, with the addition of Marine Aircraft Group 15, followed by Marine Aircraft Group 36 on September 5, 1955^[1], with its helicopter squadrons at the nearby Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, later renamed^[2] Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.

[edit] Vietnam War through the 1980s

Wing squadrons were detached and deployed to Vietnam as combat action in Southeast Asia flared. At the end of the Vietnam War several units were brought back to the United States and deactivated or redesignated, creating the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing as it is constituted today.

[edit] The Gulf War & the 1990s

The Wing saw action again as part of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), conducting operations in Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. After the end of hostilities, 3d MAW aircraft provided support in Operation Provide Comfort and Operation Southern Watch over Iraq. The wing was once more called into service in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope. In 1999, the 3rd MAW relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

[edit] Global War on Terror

The fall of 2001 would see the beginning of the War on Terrorism, and 3d MAW has since deployed several detachments in support of the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

In the fall of 2002 the wing began deploying to Kuwait to prepare for combat operations in Iraq. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing supported I MEF and coalition forces in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and continue to do so today.