Marine Aircraft Group 14
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marine Aircraft Group 14 | |
|---|---|
 MAG-14 Insignia |
|
| Active | N/A |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Fixed Wing |
| Role | Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance Electronic warfare |
| Part of | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing II Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point |
| Engagements | World War II * Battle of Guadalcanal * Battle of Santa Cruz * Naval Battle of Guadalcanal * Battle of Bougainville * Philippines campaign (1944–45) * Battle of Okinawa Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Kevin Vest |
Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, two KC-130 squadrons and a maintenance and logistics squadron.
Contents |
[edit] Mission
Conduct offensive air support, anti-air warfare, electronic warfare, 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.
[edit] Subordinate units
AV-8B Harrier squadrons
EA-6B Prowler squadrons
KC-130 Squadrons
Maintenance squadron
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Marine Aircraft Group 14 was formed at then Camp Kearny, California on March 1, 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 December 7, 1942 attack on Pearl Harbor[1]. They remained there training until they deployed for the Pacific Theater in October of 1942[2]. The Group soon arrived at Guadalcanal relieving Marine Aircraft Group 23 on October 16, 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 of 1942 they took part in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal and continued to fight in the skies over the island until April 4, 1943 when they were sent to Auckland, New Zealand to rest and refit.[3].
MAG-14 returned to the Solomon Islands in August of 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[4].
On February 15, 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[5].
By January 24, 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[6].
Following the war the Group returned to Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Oak Grove in February of 1946 and was deactivated[7].
[edit] Vietnam War
[edit] The Gulf War & the 1990s
During Operation Desert Storm, MAG-14 flew night combat missions deep into Iraq 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 of 1991.
In November of 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.
[edit] Global War on Terror
[edit] See also
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
[edit] References
- Notes
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- Bibliography
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945.’’. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
- Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press.
- Shettle Jr., M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-964-33882-3.
- Tillman, Barrett (2001). Corsair - The F4U in World War II and Korea. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-944-8.
- Web
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