Marine Aircraft Group 14
Encyclopedia
Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) is a United States Marine Corps
aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
, North Carolina
that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, one KC-130 squadron and a maintenance and logistics squadron.
, assault support, and air reconnaissance operations in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
or joint and coalition forces, and conduct fleet replacement program training in order to provide combat capable aircrews to operational squadrons.
EA-6B Prowler squadrons
KC-130 Squadron
Maintenance squadron
, California on 1 March 1942. The nucleus for the new aircraft group came from Marine Aircraft Group 11
which had just arrived from Marine Corps Air Station Quantico following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor
. They remained there training until they deployed for the Pacific Theater
in October 1942. The Group soon arrived at Guadalcanal
relieving Marine Aircraft Group 23 on 16 October 1942 to become part of the Cactus Air Force
. The group would take part in the Battle of Santa Cruz
just 10 days later. In November 1942 they took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
and continued to fight in the skies over the island until 4 April 1943 when they were sent to Auckland, New Zealand to rest and refit..
MAG-14 returned to the Solomon Islands
in August 1943 and set up the Fighter Command at Munda
. The next month part of the group was moved to Ondonga and later on more units were sent to Vella Lavella
. From these locations they supported the Marines and American and Allied soldiers during the Battle of New Georgia
and the Battle of Bougainville.
On 15 February 1944 New Zealand troops captured the Green Islands in Papua New Guinea. Less than two weeks later aircraft from MAG-14 were operating from the airstrip here known as Lagoon Field. From here, MAG-14 units would continue to keep pressure on the isolated Japanese garrisons of Rabaul
and Kavieng
.
By 24 January 1945, four fighter squadrons from MAG-14 were operating from Guiuan
in the northern Philippines
province of Eastern Samar
. During fighting in the Philippines the Group was responsible for covering convoys and supporting Army
and Filipino guerillas on the islands of Negros, Mindanao
, Cebu
and Leyte
.
Following the war the Group returned to Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Oak Grove in February of 1946 and was deactivated.
and Kuwait
and provided artillery destruction of the Iraqi Republican Guard. VMA-231
and VMA-542
provided more than 2,000 offensives in conjunction with delivering close to 4.5 million pounds of ordnance during January and February 1991.
In November 1999, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron-2
(VMU-2), which operates the RQ-2A Pioneer
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was reassigned from MAG-14 to Marine Air Control Group 28
(MACG-28) at the decision of the USMC Force Structure Planning Group.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, one KC-130 squadron and a maintenance and logistics squadron.
Mission
Conduct offensive air support, anti-air warfare, electronic warfareElectronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
, assault support, and air reconnaissance operations in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force 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 arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
or joint and coalition forces, and conduct fleet replacement program training in order to provide combat capable aircrews to operational squadrons.
Subordinate units
AV-8B Harrier squadrons- VMA-223VMA-223Marine Attack Squadron 223 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing...
- VMA-231VMA-231Marine Attack Squadron 231 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets and 1 TAV-8B trainer jet...
- VMA-542VMA-542Marine Attack Squadron 542 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing...
- VMAT-203VMAT-203Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 is a squadron in the United States Marine Corps that trains naval aviators to fly the AV-8B Harrier. Also known as the Hawks, the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd...
EA-6B Prowler squadrons
- VMAQ-1VMAQ-1Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1 is a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare squadron consisting of EA-6B Prowler jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine...
- VMAQ-2VMAQ-2Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 is a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare squadron consisting of EA-6B Prowler jets...
- VMAQ-3VMAQ-3Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 is one of four Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons in the United States Marine Corps. The squadron consists of five EA-6B Prowler jets and is tasked with conducting airborne electronic warfare...
- VMAQ-4VMAQ-4Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 is a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare squadron consisting of EA-6B Prowler jets...
KC-130 Squadron
- VMGR-252VMGR-252Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 is a United States Marine Corps KC-130J squadron. They are a part of Marine Aircraft Group 14 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and provide both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aerial refueling capabilities to support Fleet Marine Force air operations in...
Maintenance squadron
- MALS-14
World War II
Marine Aircraft Group 14 was formed at then Camp KearnyCamp Kearny
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base in San Diego, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946.-Establishment and early years:...
, California on 1 March 1942. The nucleus for the new aircraft group came from Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of three F/A-18C squadrons, three F/A-18D squadrons, one fleet readiness squadron, one KC-130 tactical aerial refueling squadron and a maintenance and...
which had just arrived from Marine Corps Air Station Quantico following the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. They remained there training until they deployed for the Pacific Theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
in October 1942. The Group soon arrived at Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
relieving Marine Aircraft Group 23 on 16 October 1942 to become part of the Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force refers to the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal from August 1942 until December 1942 during the early stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign, particularly those operating from Henderson Field...
. The group would take part in the Battle of Santa Cruz
Battle of Santa Cruz
The Battle of Santa Cruz may refer to:*1656 Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the Anglo-Spanish War in the Canary Islands, Spain...
just 10 days later. In November 1942 they took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
and continued to fight in the skies over the island until 4 April 1943 when they were sent to Auckland, New Zealand to rest and refit..
MAG-14 returned to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
in August 1943 and set up the Fighter Command at Munda
Munda (Solomon Islands)
Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, and consists of a number of villages...
. The next month part of the group was moved to Ondonga and later on more units were sent to Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Group...
. From these locations they supported the Marines and American and Allied soldiers during the Battle of New Georgia
Battle of New Georgia
The New Georgia Campaign was a series of battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied grand strategy in the South Pacific...
and the Battle of Bougainville.
On 15 February 1944 New Zealand troops captured the Green Islands in Papua New Guinea. Less than two weeks later aircraft from MAG-14 were operating from the airstrip here known as Lagoon Field. From here, MAG-14 units would continue to keep pressure on the isolated Japanese garrisons of Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
and Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
.
By 24 January 1945, four fighter squadrons from MAG-14 were operating from Guiuan
Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Guiuan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. As of year 2004, it has a population of 43,647 people in 7,618 households....
in the northern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
province of Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan.-Location:...
. During fighting in the Philippines the Group was responsible for covering convoys and supporting Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Filipino guerillas on the islands of Negros, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
.
Following the war the Group returned to Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Oak Grove in February of 1946 and was deactivated.
The Gulf War & the 1990s
During Operation Desert Storm, MAG-14 flew night combat missions deep into IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and provided artillery destruction of the Iraqi Republican Guard. VMA-231
VMA-231
Marine Attack Squadron 231 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets and 1 TAV-8B trainer jet...
and VMA-542
VMA-542
Marine Attack Squadron 542 is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV-8B Harrier jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing...
provided more than 2,000 offensives in conjunction with delivering close to 4.5 million pounds of ordnance during January and February 1991.
In November 1999, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron-2
VMU-2
Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 is an unmanned aerial vehicle squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the RQ-7 Shadow. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and provide aerial surveillance for the II Marine Expeditionary Force...
(VMU-2), which operates the RQ-2A Pioneer
RQ-2 Pioneer
-External links:*...
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was reassigned from MAG-14 to Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28
Marine Air Control Group 28 is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that is currently composed of 5 squadrons and a battalion that provide the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing with airspace coordination, air control, immediate air...
(MACG-28) at the decision of the USMC Force Structure Planning Group.
See also
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....