Marine Aircraft Group 13 is a

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 unit 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 ...

that is currently composed of one

McDonnell Douglas 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 ...

squadron, three

Lockheed Martin 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 ...

squadrons, an

unmanned aerial vehicle 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 controller ...

squadron, a maintenance and logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. The group falls under the command of the

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (abbreviated as 3rd MAW) is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, California and provides the aviation combat el ...

and the

I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It is ...

Mission

Provide air support to

Marine Air-Ground Task Force Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...

commanders.

Subordinate units

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 ...

Squadrons * VMFA-122 "Flying Leathernecks" * VMFA-211 "Wake Island Avengers" * VMFA-214 "Black Sheep" * VMFA-225 "Vikings" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron * VMU-1 Aviation Logistics Squadron * MALS-13 Marine Wing Support Squadron * MWSS-371 “Sandsharks”

History

World War II

Marine Aircraft Group 13 was activated 1 March 1942, in San Diego, California. A week later the group's forward echelon was en route to Samoa. The first planes from MAG-13 arrived at Pago Pago International Airport#Tafuna Airfield, Tutuila on 2 April 1942 at which point they assumed responsibility for the air defense of American Samoa. In these early days of the war, before the victories at Battle of Midway, Midway and Guadalcanal Campaign, Guadalcanal, Samoa was seen as very vulnerable and open to attack by the Japanese. MAG-13 pilots were mostly untrained and each MAG-13 squadron was also instructed to organize as an infantry company should the need to defend the islands ever arise.#Sherrod, Sherrod (1952), pp. 216–217. By 27 May part of the group was based out of Funafuti International Airport, Funafuti and on 15 December another element moved to Nanumea Airfield, Nanumea. Squadrons from the group operated out of Wallis Islands, Wallis, Nukufetau Airfield, Nukufetau, Tarawa and Makin Atoll before the entire group was consolidated on Majuro Airfield, Majuro in April 1944. From there they participated in the campaign to neutralize by-passed Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands. The group remained on Majuro until the end of the war.#Sherrod, Sherrod (1952), p. 444. MAG-13 returned to the west coast in October 1945 and were deactivated shortly thereafter.#Rottman, Rottman (2002), p. 435.

Post World War II years

Reformed in March 1951, the MAG moved to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in early 1952 with two fighter squadrons and Marine Air Control Squadron 2. Aviation units based at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro were rotated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay every six months for training until April 1954. On 1 May 1956, the 1st Marine Brigade assumed its title in lieu of the 1st Provisional Marine Air Ground Task Force designation, and MAG-13 provided the air support for the unique organization. It gained the distinction of being the only composite Marine Aircraft Group, composed of fighter, attack and helicopter squadrons, supporting the ground arm of the brigade.

Vietnam War

In June 1965, MAG-13 became a unit of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, where it operated until September 1966 when it deployed to South Vietnam. Based out of Chu Lai Air Base, MAG-13 supported the III MEF, III Marine Amphibious Force and other forces in I Corps (South Vietnam), I Corps and II Corps (South Vietnam), II Corps tactical zones, Laos, North Vietnam and Cambodia. Initially the Group consisted of VMFA-314, VMFA-323 and VMFA-542 all operating F-4 Phantom, F-4B Phantoms. In December 1965, VMFA-542 was replaced with VMFA-115 while VMFA-232 and VMFA-334 arrived in early 1969 with the new F-4J's. This was the structure that remained through most of 1969. MAG-13 headquarters left South Vietnam in September 1970 and returned to MCAS El Toro in October of that same year. TA-4F H-MS-13 1975

1980s to present

The Group moved to

on 1 October 1987.

Global War on Terror

In early January 2003 Marine Aircraft Group 13 deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With 60 Harriers operating from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) and 16 from Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, Harriers of Marine Aircraft Group 13 flew over 2,000 sorties, over 3,000 flight hours and expended over 750,000 pounds of ordnance in support of

. Between 2003 and 2007 all four VMA squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 13 made multiple deployments to Al Asad Airbase, Al Asad Air Base to support coalition combat operations in Iraq. During this period, MAG-13 squadrons also deployed to Japan to support the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and provided Harrier detachments in support the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 11th, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 13th, and 15th Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU). In 2005, Marine Aircraft Group 13 squadrons upgraded the avionics and software systems of the AV-8B, enabling all weather precision strike capability. These warfighting enhancements were demonstrated in early 2006, when VMA-513 became the first Marine Harrier squadron to employ the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) in combat. Since September 2001, MAG-13 has amassed over 15,000 combat flight hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Unit awards

Since the beginning of World War II, the United States military has honored various units for extraordinary heroism or outstanding non-combat service. This information comes from the official Marine Aircraft Group 13 webpage and is certified by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * Visconage, Michael D. & Harris, Carroll N. "Third Marine Aircraft Wing – Operation Iraqi Freedom". Marine Corps Association, 2004. ;Web * {{3rdMAW United States Marine Corps aircraft groups Military units and formations in Arizona