Marine Aircraft Group 12
Encyclopedia
Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps
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...

, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of 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...

 (1st MAW), itself an integral part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and based at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan.

Mission

The mission of the Marine Aircraft Group 12 is to conduct anti-air warfare and offensive air support operations in support of Fleet Marine Force
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...

s from advanced base, expeditionary airfields or aircraft carriers and conduct such air operations as may be directed.

Subordinate units

  • MALS-12
  • VMFA(AW)-242
    VMFA(AW)-242
    Marine All- Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 is a United States Marine Corps squadron flying 12 F/A-18D Hornets. The squadron, known as the "Bats", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 12 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing...

     (Permanent Duty Station)
  • VMFA-212
    VMFA-212
    Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron, which is currently in a cadre status. Most recently known as the "Lancers", the squadron was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 12 and...

     (Cadre Status)

WW II

Marine Aircraft Group 12 was activated at Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base in San Diego, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946.-Establishment and early years:...

, San Diego, California, on 1 March 1942. Shortly thereafter, deployed to the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....

. From December 1942 until cessation of hostilities in late 1945, the Group participated in numerous operations in the Solomon
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

 and Philippine Islands supporting the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 and Marine Corps as well as Philippine guerrilla forces. The squadron was brought to the Philippines by the request of Admiral "Bull" Halsey
William Halsey, Jr.
Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...

 when he said,
I had had under my command in the South Pacific a Marine Air Group which had proved its versatility in everything from fighting to blasting enemy vessels. I knew that the group was now under MacArthur's command, and I knew, too, without understanding why, that when Kenney was not keeping it idle, he was assigning it to missions far below its capacity. Kinkaid's complaint of insufficient air cover prompted me to take a step which was more than a liberty; to a man of meaner spirit than MacArthur's it would have seemed an impertinence. I called these Marines to his attention. He ordered them forward, and within 24 hours of their arrival, they had justified my recommendation.
For such service, the Group earned the Army Distinguished Unit Award and the Navy Unit Citation.

Korean War

On 20 April 1952, MAG-12 made its home at K-6 at Pyongtaek. During the war units from MAG-12, except VMA-312 which was on board the USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS Bataan , originally planned as USS Buffalo and also classified as CV-29, was an 11,000 ton Independence class light aircraft carrier which was commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II....

, came under the control of the Air Force's
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....

. Through the end of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, the group participated successfully in numerous operations and accumulated over 80,000 effective combat sorties against enemy troops, installations, vehicles and countless other vital targets. A second Navy Unit citation was awarded for its Korean War service.

Post Korea and Vietnam War

During 1956, after nearly 6 years in Korea, MAG-12 was withdrawn 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 remained there conducting close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...

 for Fleet Marine Force
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...

s in the Western Pacific until 1965. In May 1965, MAG-12 deployed to Chu Lai
Chu Lai
Chu Lai is a sea port, urban and industrial area in Dung Quat Bay, Núi Thành district, Quang Nam province of Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai Airport.-Vietnam War:...

, Vietnam, to support Marine infantry and other allied forces in their engagements against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army units. The Group participated in many large operations, including the recapture of Hue City and the relief of besieged units at Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà.Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost in South Vietnam used during the Vietnam War. The airstrip was built in September 1962...

. Two more Navy Unit Citations were received as a result of the Group’s contribution to the Vietnam War effort. After almost 5 years of combat, MAG-12 was withdrawn from the Republic of Vietnam in February 1970, and reestablished at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. MAG-12’s stay in Japan, though, was short. In May 1972, MAG-12 again deployed to Vietnam and conducted combat operations from Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base
Bien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....

 until finally withdrawing from the war on 29 January 1973 where they were the last American combat aviation unit still in country. MAG-12 then returned to MCAS Iwakuni, where it remains today.

Post Vietnam

From this base, MAG-12 has conducted numerous operations throughout the WESTPAC area and participated in hundreds of joint service training exercises, continually honing its combat skills. Today MAG-12 consists of one Marine Aircraft Logistics Squadron and one operational flying squadron – VMFA-242.

See also

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