2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
United States Marine Corps · Public domain · source
Unit name	2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Caption	Emblem of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Dates	29 July 1941–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Role	Aviation combat element
Size	Wing
Garrison	Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Nickname	2nd MAW
Motto	Si vis pacem para bellum
Commander	Major General David A. Ottignon

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the principal aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force, headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and providing fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tiltrotor capabilities in support of United States Marine Corps expeditionary operations. The wing traces its lineage to pre‑World War II aviation units and has participated in major conflicts including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. 2nd MAW integrates tactical aviation with Marine Air-Ground Task Force concepts and coordinates with joint and coalition partners such as United States Navy, United States Air Force, and NATO components.

History

2nd MAW was activated during the buildup to World War II and initially organized to support Pacific Theater operations, drawing personnel and aircraft from East Coast bases including Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. During World War II elements of the wing supported campaigns that connected to theaters like the Battle of Guadalcanal and logistics hubs such as Pearl Harbor, later transitioning through the postwar drawdown tied to policies from the National Security Act of 1947. In the Korean War and Vietnam War eras, 2nd MAW elements deployed to forward operating areas in coordination with units from 1st Marine Division and 3rd Marine Division, while Cold War contingency operations involved integration with United States Sixth Fleet and NATO exercises such as Operation Reforger. In the 1990s and 2000s, 2nd MAW supported operations in the Gulf War and the Global War on Terrorism, generating squadrons for Operation Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, and participating in humanitarian missions alongside organizations like United Nations agencies and U.S. Southern Command humanitarian responses.

Organization and Units

2nd MAW is organized under a wing headquarters with subordinate groups: Marine Aircraft Group 14, Marine Aircraft Group 26, Marine Aircraft Group 29, Marine Aircraft Group 31, and Marine Air Control Group 28, each containing squadrons such as VMFA, VMAQ, HMH, HMLA, and VMM designations. Units assigned to the wing have included squadrons like VMFA-251, VMFA-312, VMA-542, HMLA-267, and VMM-262, while support elements include Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 and Marine Wing Support Squadron 272. 2nd MAW coordinates with higher echelons including II Marine Expeditionary Force and adjacent commands such as Marine Forces Command and Fleet Marine Force Atlantic for logistics, aviation maintenance, and operational tasking.

Aircraft and Equipment

The wing fields a mix of aircraft types across fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tiltrotor platforms, including the F/A-18 Hornet variants operated by VMFA squadrons, the AV-8B Harrier II historically assigned to VMA units, the F-35 Lightning II as a modern replacement, the EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler electronic attack platforms, the CH-53E Super Stallion and CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters, the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor operated by VMM squadrons, and attack/utility helicopters such as the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom in HMLA units. Aviation support equipment includes maintenance systems from Defense Logistics Agency contracting, avionics suites interoperable with Link 16, and survivability systems compatible with Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System and countermeasures networks.

Operations and Deployments

2nd MAW has executed expeditionary deployments aboard amphibious assault ships like USS Wasp (LHD-1) and USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), participated in carrier interoperability alongside USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), and supported air operations from expeditionary airfields during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The wing has contributed to NATO exercises such as Operation Allied Force coordination, supported humanitarian relief after events like Hurricane Katrina and Haiti earthquake (2010), and participated in multinational training with partners including United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany air and maritime forces. 2nd MAW also conducts Forward Arming and Refueling Point operations with Marine Expeditionary Units and integrates with joint commands during contingency responses directed by United States Central Command and United States Northern Command.

Training and Readiness

Training for 2nd MAW encompasses unit-level flight qualifications at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, carrier qualification with United States Navy carrier strike groups, and expeditionary training at ranges such as Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. Aircrew and maintainers attend formal schools including Naval Air Training Command pipelines, Naval Aviation Maintenance Program courses, and professional military education at institutions like Marine Corps University and Air University. Readiness metrics align with combatant command tasking, predeployment workups with II Marine Expeditionary Force, and participation in large-scale exercises such as Exercise Trident Juncture and Bold Alligator.

Honors and Notable Commanders

2nd MAW units and personnel have received unit and individual awards including Presidential Unit Citations, Navy Unit Commendations, and campaign streamers from World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War campaigns, as well as service awards for operations in Southwest Asia and the Global War on Terrorism. Notable commanders and leaders associated with the wing include senior Marine aviators who advanced to flag rank and joint billets, participating alongside leaders from United States Marine Corps Aviation history and joint service partners in planning and operations that shaped doctrines such as Marine Aviation Logistics and the Marine Air-Ground Task Force construct. Category:United States Marine Corps aircraft wings