List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
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This is a list of all of the active squadrons that exist in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
, sorted by type. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current designation. :''To see
Marine Aviation Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...
units sorted by command hierarchy, see aviation combat element.''


Squadron designations

The basic tactical and administrative unit of
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
aviation is the squadron.
Fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...
squadrons (heavier than air) and tiltrotor squadrons are denoted by the letter "V", which comes from the Spanish verb "volar" (to fly).
Rotary wing A rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotary wings or rotor blades, which generate lift by rotating around a vertical mast. Several rotor blades mounted on a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The Internati ...
(
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
) squadrons use "H." Marine squadrons are always noted by the second letter "M." Squadron numbering is not linear as some were numbered in ascending order and others took numbers from the wing or the ship to which they were assigned. From 1920 to 1941, Marine flying squadrons were identified by one digit numbers. This changed on July 1, 1941, when all existing squadrons were redesignated to a three-digit system. The first two numbers were supposed to identify the squadrons parent group but with the rapid expansion during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and frequent transfer of squadrons this system fell apart.


Rotary-wing aircraft


Marine Helicopter Squadron

The squadron is responsible for the helicopter transportation of the
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
,
vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
,
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
members and VIPs. In addition to its VIP transport role, it is also tasked with operational test and evaluation (OT&E) of new flight systems for Marine Corps helicopters. The squadron flies the VH-3D Sea King the VH-60N Whitehawk, and the MV-22 Osprey. These were due to be replaced by the
VH-71 Kestrel The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for vario ...
, however that program was cancelled in April 2009. Lastly, HMX-1 provides support to training at The Basic School, providing aerial insertion for various training events, as well as MAGTF Air component orientation to the student officers.


Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons

Heavy helicopter squadrons were first formed in 1966 when the Marine Corps began flying the heavy lift
CH-53 Sea Stallion The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It was originally developed in response to a request from the United States N ...
during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Each squadron is equipped with sixteen
CH-53E Super Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
helicopters. Their primary role is moving cargo and equipment with the secondary role of transferring troops ashore in an
amphibious assault Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...
. The CH-53Es are the most powerful helicopter in the U.S. military inventory today. As part of the current reorganization of the Corps, HMH-462 will be decommissioned by 2030.


Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron

The squadron trains newly designated (i.e., winged)
Naval Aviators A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...
, conversion pilots, refresher pilots, and enlisted aircrew on the
CH-53E Super Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
.


Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons

The Marine Corps’ light attack squadrons are composite squadrons made up of 18
AH-1Z Viper The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also ca ...
s and 9
UH-1Y Venom The Bell UH-1Y VenomDoD 4120-15L, ''Model Desi ...
s. The primary missions of the Viper is
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
,
forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
,
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
and armed escort, while the Huey provides airborne
command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...
, utility support, supporting arms coordination and
medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
. The
H-1 upgrade program The H-1 upgrade program is the United States Marine Corps's program to develop the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom military helicopters to replace its aging fleets of AH-1W SuperCobras and UH-1N Twin Hueys. The contract was awarded in 1996 to Bell Hel ...
will see both the AH-1 and UH-1 get greater power, improved avionics and an 85% commonality of parts. The transition to the UH-1Y was completed in August 2014 when HMLA-773 flew the UH-1N for the last time. Due to the need for more light attack squadrons, the Marine Corps began adding new squadrons in 2008.
HMLA-469 Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 (HMLA-469) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1 SuperCobra and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron was headquartered at Ma ...
is the newest squadron. However, as part of the re-organization of the corps, HMLA-469 and HMLA-367 will be de-activated by 2030.


Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron

The squadron trains newly designated (i.e., winged)
Naval Aviators A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...
, conversion pilots, refresher pilots, and enlisted aircrew on the
UH-1Y Venom The Bell UH-1Y VenomDoD 4120-15L, ''Model Desi ...
, and the
AH-1Z Viper The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also ca ...
.


Tiltrotor Aircraft A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a tran ...


Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons

Marine tiltrotor squadrons are new units operating the
MV-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...
with their main mission being
assault support Assault Support is one of the six functions of United States Marine Corps aviation and comprises those actions required to airlift personnel, supplies or equipment into or within a battle area by helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. It provides th ...
. The Osprey offers twice the speed, five times the range, and can fly more than twice as high as the helicopters they are replacing. As the Marine Corps’ number one aviation acquisition priority, the Osprey replaced the aging fleet of
CH-46 Sea Knight The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines. It was designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol's acquisition by Boeing. Development of th ...
helicopters and is a cornerstone of the capstone concept of
Expeditionary maneuver warfare Expeditionary maneuver warfare (EMW) is the current concept that guides how the United States Marine Corps organizes, deploys and employs its forces. Utilizing maneuver warfare and the Marine Corps' expeditionary heritage, EMW emphasizes strategi ...
. As of October 2017, the Marine Corps has 16 Fully Operationally Capable (FOC) MV-22 squadrons.
VMM-268 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 transport. The squadron, known as the "Red Dragons", is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under ...
,
VMM-364 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 (VMM-364) is a United States Marine Corps medium-lift tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Ospreys. The squadron, known as the "Purple Foxes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Californi ...
, and
VMM-164 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (VMM-164), is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron operating the MV-22B Osprey. Known as the ''Knightriders'', they fall under the command Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircr ...
reached FOC in FY16. The two newest Osprey squadrons, VMM-362 and VMM-212, will stand up in FY18 and FY19 respectively, completing the Marine Corps' transition to 18 active component MV-22 squadrons. Each squadron operates 12 aircraft.


Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron

The squadron provides new and conversion training to Marine Corps, Navy, and
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
pilots and units in the use and maintenance of the Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.


Fixed-Wing Aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...


Marine Attack Squadrons

After World War II, the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
decided to combine all of the functions of the
scout bomber A scout plane is type of surveillance aircraft, usually of single-engined, two or three seats, shipborne type, and used for the purpose of discovering an enemy position and directing artillery. Therefore, a scout plane is essentially a small na ...
,
torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
and bomber torpedo communities into the ''Attack'' designation. On July 22, 1946, it released ''Bulletin No. 46-1543'', which authorized the formation of attack squadrons; however, the Marine Corps did not form any until 1952. Today, Marine attack squadrons fly the
AV-8B Harrier II The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primari ...
and are tasked with providing
close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
,
air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...
,
surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
and escort of helicopters. Because the
STOVL A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The ...
Harrier can operate from
amphibious assault ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...
s, expeditionary airfields and tactical remote landing sites, it provides commanders with more flexibility in providing air support. The Harrier is due to be replaced by the F-35B, the STOVL version of the
F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide ele ...
. This transition began in 2016 when VMA-211 exchanged its Harriers for the F-35B and became VMFA-211.


Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons

The Marine Corps' VMFA squadrons fly the
F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
and
F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide ele ...
. Their primary mission is to attack and destroy surface targets, day or night, under all weather conditions; conduct multi-sensor imagery
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
; provide supporting arms coordination; and intercept and
destroy Destroy may refer to: * Destroy (album), ''Destroy'' (album), a 2004 album by Ektomorf * Destroy!, a Minneapolis Crust punk band * ''Destroy!!'', a comic book by Scott McCloud See also

* Destroyer (disambiguation) * Destruction (disambiguat ...
enemy aircraft in all weather conditions. The current F/A-18s saw their first action in
Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
after replacing the venerable
A-6 Intruder The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace and operated by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. It was designed in response to a 1957 ...
. Each Hornet squadron operates 12 aircraft and each F-35 squadron will operates 10 aircraft.


Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadrons

VMFAT-101 trains newly designated (i.e., winged)
Naval Aviators A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It inc ...
to fly the
F/A-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
while VMFAT-501 and 502 train new and transitioning pilots to fly the
F-35B Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...
.


Marine Fighter Training Squadron

VMFT-401 Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) is a United States Marine Corps Reserve fighter squadron flying the F-5N Tiger II. Known as the "Snipers", the squadron is the only adversary squadron in the Marine Corps, also is the first and onl ...
is the only
aggressor squadron An aggressor squadron or adversary squadron (in the US Navy and USMC) is a squadron that is trained to act as an opposing force in military wargames. Aggressor squadrons use enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures to give a realistic simulatio ...
in the Marine Corps. It flies the
F-5E Tiger II The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and the ...
and provides instruction to active and reserve squadrons through dissimilar adversary combat tactics. The squadron is based at
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Marine Corps Air Station Yuma or MCAS Yuma is a United States Marine Corps air station. It is the home of multiple squadrons of F-35B Lightning IIs of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1), Mari ...
, AZ and is assigned to
Marine Aircraft Group-41 Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18C squadron, one KC-130J squadron, one C-40 squadron, o ...
, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing,
Marine Forces Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned pe ...
.


Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadrons

VMGR squadrons operate the KC-130 Hercules tanker/transport. Their primary missions are aerial and rapid ground refuelling, transportation of personnel and cargo to include
MEDEVAC Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...
s and parachute insertions, flying the airborne version of the
Direct Air Support Center The Direct Air Support Center (DASC) is the principal United States Marine Corps aviation command and control system and the air control agency responsible for the direction of air operations directly supporting ground forces. It functions in a ...
(DASC) and emergency resupply into unimproved landing zones.


Marine Transport Squadron

VMR squadrons provide
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
support as well as movement of key personnel and critical logistics support around the world. They also provide movement of high priority passengers and cargo during wartime in support of operations and other critical commitments.


Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron

The squadron is a Marine Corps test and development unit. Its mission is to conduct operational testing and evaluation of Marine Corps fixed, tiltrotor, and rotary-wing aircraft. The unit was redesignated to VMX-1 (from VMX-22) on May 13, 2016.


Unmanned Aerial Systems


Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadrons

VMUs operate the
RQ-21 Blackjack The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, company name Integrator, is an American unmanned air vehicle designed and built by Boeing Insitu to meet a United States Navy requirement for a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS). It is a twin-boom, si ...
unmanned aerial system An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...
(UAS) which provides Marine ground forces with reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. They also provide artillery spotting and can assist in
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
operations. Due to the high operational tempo of the VMU squadrons in recent years, the Marine Corps stood up
VMU-3 Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the RQ-21 Blackjack that consists of approximately 200 Marines. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, ...
in 2008 and
VMU-4 Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 (VMU-4) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the Boeing_Insitu_RQ-21_Blackjack, RQ-21 Blackjack. It is the fourth UAV squadron in the Marine Corps ...
, a reserve unit, was activated in 2010 with the lineage of VMO-4.


See also

*
United States Marine Corps Aviation United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providing six ...
* Aviation combat element *
List of decommissioned United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons While other nations have Marine corps, Marines who are aviators, only the United States Marine Corps has its own dedicated aviation arm. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years so they are listed by their final ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons. Navy aircraft squadron (aviation), squadrons are composed of ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups This is a list of United States Marine Corps Aviation Groups (MAG, MACG, MATSG). Inactive groups are listed by their designation at the time they were decommissioned. Active Marine Aircraft Groups (MAG) MAGs consist of a MAG headquarters, a Mar ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aircraft wings This is a list of United States Marine Corps aircraft wings: Active Inactive See also * List of United States Marine Corps divisions * List of United States Marine Corps logistics groups Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of United Stat ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units This is a list of United States Marine Corps aviation support squadrons and other units, sorted by type. Active Marine Wing Headquarters Squadrons The Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron (MWHS) provides administrative and supply support for a Mari ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps battalions This is a list of current United States Marine Corps battalions, sorted by the mission they perform. __TOC__ Active units Ground Combat Element battalions The ground combat element (GCE) consists of those combat and combat support units whose ...


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Active United States Marine Corps Aircraft Squadrons * Aircraft squadrons Marine Corps aircraft squadrons