Marine Air Control Squadron 4
Encyclopedia
Marine Air Control Squadron 4 (MACS-4) is a United States Marine Corps
aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provides aerial surveillance and air traffic control
for the III Marine Expeditionary Force
. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18
and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
.
(MAGTF)
, North Carolina
as Air Warning Squadron 13 and assigned to 1st Marine Air Warning Group, 9th Marine Aircraft Wing
. They were redesignated 1 August 1946 to Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 4 and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 2. The squadron was deactivated 30 April 1947.
They were reactivated 30 June 1951 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana, California and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 3, Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Re-designated 15 February 1954 as Marine Air Control Squadron 4. They moved in July 1959 to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
, Japan and were assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
. Their first deployment was to Thailand
during May–July 1962 in connection with communist threat to that country.
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. They operated in support of the Vietnam War
from June 1967 to January 1971. The squadron relocated during January 1971 to back to MCAS Santa Ana, California and were deactivated 31 January 1971.
They were reactivated 15 June 1971 at MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
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 command and control squadron. The squadron provides aerial surveillance and air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
for the III Marine Expeditionary Force
III Marine Expeditionary Force
The III Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps that is forward-deployed and able to deploy rapidly and conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high intensity combat. III...
. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 4,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and has been a U.S. military airbase since the island was occupied...
and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18
Marine Air Control Group 18
Marine Air Control Group 18 is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma that is currently composed of 4 squadrons, 1 battery and 1 administrative detachment that provide the 1st Marine Aircraft Wings tactical headquarters and...
and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan...
.
Subordinate units
- Air Traffic Control Detachment A – Witch-Doctors – MCAS Futenma, Japan
- Air Traffic Control Detachment B – White-Snakes – MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
- Tactical Air Operations Center – Vice-Squad – MCAS Futenma, Japan
- Headquarters and Service Detachment – MCAS Futenma, Japan
Mission
Provide air surveillance and the control of aircraft and Surface-To-Air weapons for antiair warfare; Continuous All-Weather radar and Non-Radar air traffic control service, and airspace management in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task ForceMarine 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...
(MAGTF)
Early years
MACS-4 was activated 5 May 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry PointMarine 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...
as Air Warning Squadron 13 and assigned to 1st Marine Air Warning Group, 9th Marine Aircraft Wing
9th Marine Aircraft Wing
The 9th Marine Aircraft Wing was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
. They were redesignated 1 August 1946 to Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 4 and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 2. The squadron was deactivated 30 April 1947.
They were reactivated 30 June 1951 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana, California and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 3, Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Re-designated 15 February 1954 as Marine Air Control Squadron 4. They moved in July 1959 to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni or MCAS Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of the Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi in Japan.-Tenant commands:...
, Japan and were assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan...
. Their first deployment was to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
during May–July 1962 in connection with communist threat to that country.
Vietnam War
The squadron again relocated during October 1965 to Camp Pendleton, California. They deployed during 1965 to Danang, Republic of Vietnam and assigned to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron was reassigned during August 1967 to Marine Air Control Group 18Marine Air Control Group 18
Marine Air Control Group 18 is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma that is currently composed of 4 squadrons, 1 battery and 1 administrative detachment that provide the 1st Marine Aircraft Wings tactical headquarters and...
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. They operated in support of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
from June 1967 to January 1971. The squadron relocated during January 1971 to back to MCAS Santa Ana, California and were deactivated 31 January 1971.
They were reactivated 15 June 1971 at MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Global War on Terror
Elements of the squadron participated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, April 2002 through March 2004.See also
- Organization of the United States Marine CorpsOrganization of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy . The most senior Marine officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for...
- List of United States Marine Corps aviation support squadrons