Marine Aircraft Group 29

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Marine Aircraft Group 29 War Eagles
MAG-29 Insignia
Active	May 1, 1972
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Helicopter Aircraft Group
Role	Close air support Assault support Training
Part of	2nd Marine Aircraft Wing II Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station New River
Motto	Training, Attack, Assault
Battles/wars	Operation Desert Storm Operation Restore Hope Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom

Marine Aircraft Group 29 (MAG-29) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River that is currently composed of one Light Attack Squadron, and a maintenance and logistics squadron. This will change when MAG-29 takes over all deployed squadrons in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1 Mission
2 Subordinate units
3 History
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Mission

Provide air support to Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanders.

[edit] Subordinate units

Light Attack Squadron

HMLA-269

Maintenance Squadron

MALS-29

[edit] History

[edit] Early years & the 1980s

Marine Aircraft Group 29 was commissioned May 1, 1972 from Marine Helicopter Training Group 40 (MHTG-40) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, Jacksonville, North Carolina. MAG-29 was composed of Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (H&HS-29), Marine Air Base Squadron 29 (MABS-29), and Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 268 (HML-268). The squadrons were newly designated units awaiting assignment of personnel and material.

Four days after its activation, MAG-29 received its first aircraft, the UH-1N, directly from Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas. Eleven days later, the Group more than doubled in size with the addition of HML-167, HMA-269, and VMO-1 from Marine Aircraft Group 26.

During 1982, the first phases of the MAG-29/MAG-26 reorganization were completed with the composition of UH-1N and AH-1T aircraft in HML-167 and HMA-269, and transfer of HMM-162 and HMH-464 to MAG-29 from MAG-26. During 1983, MAG-29 received HMM-365 and HMM-263 to complete the MAG-29/MAG-26 reorganization.

[edit] 1990s

MAG-29 deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

During 1993, MAG-29 units supported United Nations Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia and Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise in the former Yugoslavia. During the summer of 1994, MAG-29 personnel and aircraft supported Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti. On June 7, 1995, Marines of HMM-263 successfully rescued downed U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady.

In 1999, MAG-29 saw yet another real world contingency in the deployment of HMM-365(REIN). As the ACE for the 26th MEU, HMM-365(REIN) supported numerous operations in the countries of Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia, Humanitarian Assistance in Turkey and participated in Operation Allied Force, Operation Allied Harbor, Joint Task Force shining Hope, Operation Noble Anvil, Operation Joint Guardian, and Operation Avid Response.

[edit] Global War on Terror

After 9/11 the MAG prepared for support operations in New York City and contingency operations overseas. HMM-365(REIN) was quickly deployed and ordered to be among the first troops into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. MAG-29 (REIN) was ordered to deploy in January 2003 to become the 3rd Rotary Wing MAG for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Group returned from Iraq in June 2003. In early 2006 MAG-29 began training to deploy in early 2007. MAG-29 is currently deployed to IRAQ in support of OIF 07-08. They are scheduled to return in early 2008.