Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38
| Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 | |
|---|---|
|
MWCS-38 Insignia | |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Aviation Command & Control |
| Role | Communications |
| Size | 625 Marines and one civilian |
| Part of |
Marine Air Control Group 38 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Miramar |
| Nickname | Red Lightning |
| Motto | "BOOM, RED LIGHTNING!" |
| Anniversaries | 1 September |
| Engagements |
Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom *2002-03 Pre-invasion of Iraq *2010-2014 COIN Operations in Helmand Province Afghanistan Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq *2004-2011 COIN Operations in Anbar Province |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Dom Ford |
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 (MWCS-38) is a United States Marine Corps communications squadron. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Mission
Provide expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element (ACE) of a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) - based on the Squadron's T/O mission statement as of 20 Sept 2013.
Subordinate units
- Headquarters Element
- Alpha Company
- Bravo Company
- Charlie Company (only used during wartime)
Tasks
- Provide for the effective command of subordinate elements.
- Assist in the systems planning and engineering of ACE communications; and install, operate, and maintain expeditionary communications for command and control of the MEF ACE.
- Provide operational System Control Centers, as required, to coordinate communication functions internally and externally to the ACE.
- Provide calibration and repair facility for all ground common Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) in the Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW).
- Provide maintenance support for Ground Common Communications Equipment in the MAW.
- Provide the digital backbone communications support for the ACE Command Element (CE), forward operating bases, and Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) agencies for up to two airfields per detachment.
- Provide tactical, automated switching, and telephone services for the ACE CE, and Tactical Air Command Center (TACC).
- Provide electronic message distribution for the ACE CE, primary MACCS agencies, and tenant units.
- Provide external, single-channel radio and radio retransmission communications support for ACE operations, as required.
- Provide deployed Wide Area Network, and deployed Local Area Network server support for the ACE CE, and primary MACCS agencies.
- Provide the Support Cryptographic Site (SCS), for all Ground Common and MACCS assigned Communication Security Equipment within the ACE.
- Plan and coordinate individual and unit training, as required to qualify subordinate detachments for tactical deployment and combat operations.
History
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 3 was activated on 1 September 1967 as part of Marine Wing Headquarters Group 3. The Squadron was redesignated to its current name on 1 July 1971. From August 1990 until March 1991 the squadron participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Elements of the squadron participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from December 1992 through March 1993. In October 2002 forward elements of MWCS-38 deployed to Al Jaber Air Base in the Kingdom of Kuwait under the guise of Exercise Internal Look and quickly established the initial C4 systems that would support the Third Marine Aircraft Wing during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In December 2002 the remainder of MWCS-38, under the command of LtCol Rodney Taplin, deployed to Kuwait. The Squadron was augmented by the bulk of MWCS-28, to include its commander, LtCol Kenyon Gill. From March of 2003 to October 2003 the combined MWCS-38/28 team established C4 nodes at airfields and air bases throughout Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this period the Squadron established a line-of-sight microwave terrestrial C4 network that spaned 391 miles from Al Jaber Kuwait to the outskirts of Baghdad - the largest network of its kind ever established on the battlefield or in training. This network supported expeditionary airfields, forward operating bases (FOBs) and forward arming and refueling points (FARPs) at Al Jaber, Ali Al Salem, TAA Coyote, Breach-point West, Jalibah, An Numanaya, Qualat Sikar and Salman Pak East. As MWCS-38 was redeploying back to the US in the late summer of 2003, it received orders that it would be redeploying to Iraq to support I MEF counter insurgency operations (COIN) in Anbar Province. As equipment was off-loaded in Los Angeles, it was brought back to Miramar where it underwent a quick maintenance period and was then promptly placed back on commercial shipping and sent back to Kuwait. Under the command of LtCol David Olszowy, the Squadron deployed with 3d MAW and I MEF back to Iraq in January 2004 and established two major communications nodes at Al Asad and Al Taquaddam Air Bases in Anbar Province. It established smaller nodes at Al Qaim, H3, Korean Village, Mudaysis and Iskandariyah. MWCS-38 rotated back to the US in summer of 2004 and then began conducting rotating deployments with MWCS-28 and MWCS-48 for several years to come, finally concluding combat deployments to Iraq when the US withdrew in 2011. During this time it was commanded by LtCol Paul Miller, LtCol Joel Schiro and LtCol David Rowe. MWCS-38 also supported multiple combat deployments to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2010 through 2014.During this time it was commanded by LtCol Wendy Garrity, LtCol Ed Debish and LtCol Dom Ford
See also
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
- Organization of the United States Marine Corps
- List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units
Notes
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.- Bibliography
- Web
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