Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26
Encyclopedia
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 (MALS-26) is an aviation
logistics
support unit of the United States Marine Corps
. They are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station New River
, North Carolina
and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26
and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
.
, North Carolina, was commissioned. H&HS-26 was redesignated as Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 26 (H&MS-26) in February 1954. The squadron
relocated to Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in July 1954.
in 1962, Operations Nimbus Star, Moon, and Steam I near Cyprus
in 1974, the NEO
of American citizens from Beirut
, Lebanon in 1982, Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983 and Operation Praying Mantis
in 1988.
In October 1988, H&MS-26 was redesignated as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 (‘’’MALS-26’’’) and consolidated all responsibilities for aviation logistical support (maintenance and supply) in one squadron. In November of the same year, MALS-26 was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award
, along with HMM-261
, for meritorious achievement in the Persian Gulf
while assisting in the destruction of the Sirri and Sassan oil platforms.
January 1990, a MALS-26 detachment deployed with HMM-264
aboard USS Nassau
to support President
George H. W. Bush
's February visit to Colombia
, South America. In March 1990, a MALS-26 detachment deployed with HMM-261 aboard the USS Saipan
and in August, participated in Operation Sharp Edge
, the evacuation of 1,648 American and foreign nationals from Monrovia
, Liberia.
Other operations MALS-26 supported include: Operation Provide Comfort
(1991) in Turkey
and Iraq
, Operation Provide Promise
(1992–1993) in Yugoslavia
, Operations Deny Flight
, Continue Hope, Quickdraw in 1993 and Operation Uphold Democracy
in 1994.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Secure Tomorrow
.
In January 2005, MALS-26 deployed, in its entirety, in support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force
(MAGTF) operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In January 2009, MALS-26 deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
for aviation logistics support provided from 1 January to 31 December 1986, during which time H&MS-26 completed more than 105,000 total maintenance actions and processed over 115,000 aviation supply demands in support of garrison and deployed units.
MALS-26 was recognized as MALS of the Year for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in 1992, 1993, 1997, and 1998. In 1992 and 1993, MALS-26 received the Commanding General’s Aviation Support Efficiency Trophy. In 1995, MALS-26 was awarded the Secretary of the Navy
Award for Achievement in Safety Excellence Ashore and in 1996 received the Commandant
’s Quality Assurance Award.
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
logistics
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
support unit 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...
. They are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation...
, 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...
and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26
Marine Aircraft Group 26
Marine Aircraft Group 26 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River that is currently composed of seven MV-22 Osprey squadrons one of which is the Fleet Replacement Squadron and one aviation logistics squadron...
and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
.
Mission
Provide aviation logistics support, guidance, planning and direction to Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) squadrons on behalf of the commanding officer, as well as logistics support for Navy- funded equipment in the supporting Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS), Marine Air Control Group (MACG), and Marine Aircraft Wing/Mobile Calibration Complex (MAW/MCC).Early years
On 16 June 1952, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron 26 (H&HS-26), 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, was commissioned. H&HS-26 was redesignated as Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 26 (H&MS-26) in February 1954. The squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
relocated to Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in July 1954.
1960s to 1980s
H&MS-26 continued supporting efforts throughout the world. The squadron supported the Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
in 1962, Operations Nimbus Star, Moon, and Steam I near Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1974, the NEO
Non-combatant Evacuation Operation
A non-combatant evacuation operation or NEO is an operation conducted to evacuate civilians from another country, generally due to a deteriorating security situation.-United States:...
of American citizens from Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon in 1982, Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983 and Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis
Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on April 18, 1988, by U.S. naval forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship....
in 1988.
In October 1988, H&MS-26 was redesignated as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 (‘’’MALS-26’’’) and consolidated all responsibilities for aviation logistical support (maintenance and supply) in one squadron. In November of the same year, MALS-26 was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982...
, along with HMM-261
HMM-261
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Raging Bulls", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and typically falls under the command of Marine Aircraft...
, for meritorious achievement in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
while assisting in the destruction of the Sirri and Sassan oil platforms.
1990s
HMM-264
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and normally falls under the command of Marine Aircraft...
aboard USS Nassau
USS Nassau (LHA-4)
USS Nassau was a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. She was capable of transporting more than 3,000 US United States Navy and United States Marine Corps personnel. Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, laid the ship's keel on August 13, 1973, she was commissioned on July 28, 1979...
to support President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
's February visit to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, South America. In March 1990, a MALS-26 detachment deployed with HMM-261 aboard the USS Saipan
USS Saipan (LHA-2)
USS Saipan is a , the second United States Navy ship named in honor of the World War II Battle of Saipan.-History:Saipan was laid down on July 21, 1972 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division, Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi; launched on July 20, 1974; sponsored by Mrs. J...
and in August, participated in Operation Sharp Edge
Operation Sharp Edge
Operation Sharp Edge was a non-combatant evacuation operation carried out by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps in Liberia in 1990 and 1991.-Background:The First Liberian Civil War broke out in December 1989...
, the evacuation of 1,648 American and foreign nationals from Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, Liberia.
Other operations MALS-26 supported include: Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations by the United States and some of its Gulf War allies, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurds fleeing their homes in northern Iraq in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War and deliver humanitarian aid to them.-Operation...
(1991) in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history....
(1992–1993) in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Operations Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Continue Hope, Quickdraw in 1993 and Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy was an intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide...
in 1994.
Global War on Terror
In 2003 and 2004, MALS-26 deployed task-organized support forOperation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Secure Tomorrow
Operation Secure Tomorrow
Operation Secure Tomorrow is an operation that took place from February-July 2004 in which a multi-national force led by 3rd Battalion 8th Marines was sent by US President George W. Bush to Haiti to protect US interests there...
.
In January 2005, MALS-26 deployed, in its entirety, in support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine 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) operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In January 2009, MALS-26 deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Awards
In 1988, H&MS-26 was awarded the Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
for aviation logistics support provided from 1 January to 31 December 1986, during which time H&MS-26 completed more than 105,000 total maintenance actions and processed over 115,000 aviation supply demands in support of garrison and deployed units.
MALS-26 was recognized as MALS of the Year for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in 1992, 1993, 1997, and 1998. In 1992 and 1993, MALS-26 received the Commanding General’s Aviation Support Efficiency Trophy. In 1995, MALS-26 was awarded the Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
Award for Achievement in Safety Excellence Ashore and in 1996 received the Commandant
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
’s Quality Assurance Award.
See also
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- 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 units