Marine Aircraft Group 24

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Marine Aircraft Group 24

MAG-24 Insignia
Active March 1, 1942 - present
Country United States
Branch USMC
Type Rotary wing
Role Assault support
Part of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
III Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay
Engagements World War II
* Philippines campaign (1944–45)
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Joaquin F Malavet

Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay that is currently composed of three CH-53D Sea Stallion squadrons, a personnel support detachment and a maintenance and logistics squadron. They fall under the command of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Contents

[edit] Mission

Provide combat-ready, expeditionary aviation forces capable of short-notice, worldwide employment to a Marine Air Ground Task Force.

[edit] Subordinate units

[edit] Active

[edit] Inactive

  • VMSB-133 — Flying Eggbeaters
  • VMSB-236 — Black Panthers
  • VMSB-241 — Sons of Satan
  • VMSB-244 - Bombing Banshees
  • VMSB-341 — Torrid Turtles

[edit] History

[edit] World War II

Col Warren E. Sweetser, Jr., left, commanded MAG-24 in June 1945. His executive officer, LtCol John H. Earle, Jr., is on the right
Col Warren E. Sweetser, Jr., left, commanded MAG-24 in June 1945. His executive officer, LtCol John H. Earle, Jr., is on the right

Activated on March 1, 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii. During World War II, MAG-24 saw extensive action throughout the Pacific theater, and in particular in the campaigns to liberate the Philippines. Following the War, MAG-24 was deployed first to Northern China and then to Guam. In 1949, MAG-24 moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and remained there for the next twenty years.

[edit] 1960s through today

In April 1968, MAG-24 moved back to the Pacific and Kaneohe, Hawaii where it became the Marine Corps’ largest and only permanent composite Marine Aircraft Group. Starting in 1978, the MAG provided both fixed and rotary wing squadrons for six-month unit deployments to the Western Pacific. From October 1, 1986 to September 30, 1994, MAG-24 served as the Aviation Combat Element for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade. From August to December 1990, squadrons and personnel from MAG-24 deployed to Southwest Asia to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The last MAG-24 squadrons to return participated in Operation Sea Angel, the Bangladesh relief operation. During recent years all three tactical squadrons have deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) program and have provided aircraft to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The three squadrons have traveled the Pacific participating in exercises in Japan, Korea, and Thailand. In September 2004 a small detachment of CH-53Ds from HMH-463 joined HMM-265 as the Heavy lift portion of the 31st MEU Aviation Combat Element. This MEU detachment became the first CH-53Ds to participate in combat operations since Desert Storm, operating out of Al Asad Airbase, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. In early 2006, HMH-362 supported a Presidential visit to India by providing 5 aircraft to support the mission. Currently HMH-463 is operating out of MCAS Futenma Okinawa Japan.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Notes
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
Bibliography
  • Crowder, Michael J. (2000). United States Marine Corps Aviation Squadron Lineage, Insignia & History - Volume One - The Fighter Squadrons. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 1-56311-926-9.
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