Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41
Encyclopedia
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41 (MALS-41) is a reserve aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps
. They fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41
and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
and are currently based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
. MALS-41 provides direct support to VMFA-112
and VMGR-234
.
, California on 1 January 1943. In November 1943, The squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41
and served honorably through the end of World War II when it was deactivated on 31 October 1945.
, Texas, and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41, Marine Forces Reserve. In February 1965 the squadron was reassigned to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
During the Vietnam War, H&MS-41 served in direct support of the flying squadrons, VMF-111
and VMF-112. By August 1963, they made the transition into supersonic flight with the F-8 Crusader
. VMF-111 and her sister squadron VMF-112, were the first Marine Reserve squadrons to acquire the F-8A, due in large measure to their proximity to the Vought plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, where the Crusader was manufactured. In 1976, H&MS-41 assisted in the VMF(AW)-112 squadron upgrade to the McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II, which re-designated them as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112).
In January 1989, H&MS-41 was redesignated as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41. The squadron’s mission was to provide maintenance and logistical support for VMFA-112. From August 1990 to October 1991, MALS-41 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, in Saudi Arabia
and Kuwait
in Southwest Asia. MALS-41 Marines deployed as augments in support of combat operations in the theater of operations. In October 1996, MALS-41 moved to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, and has successfully integrated with the United States Navy
by working side by side with Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) Fort Worth.
(GWOT), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). Many of the reserve Marines volunteered for activation in order to deploy or to augment the active duty in garrison for on-site support.
In late 2001, MALS-41 supported VMGR-234 as the reserve KC-130T squadron was activated and sustained combat flight operations in Afghanistan
. They continued direct flight operations for OEF based from Kuwait
and operations for OIF out of Iraq
. The squadron and the MALS-41 augments returned from deployment in October 2003 and remained activated until late 2004. Additionally, MALS-41 led and managed a KC-130 engine and propeller build shop from Sigonella, Italy, significantly reducing engine and prop turn around time.
In 2004, MALS-41 augmented VMFA-112 with 55 Marines when they were the first Reserve F/A-18 Hornet squadron to deploy on a Western Pacific exercise since the Korean War
. They supported Operation Jungle Shield and Exercise Southern Frontier while operating out of Japan, Guam
, and Australia.
In 2005, the Wranglers again augmented VMFA-112 in support of Battle Griffin in Norway
for multi-national exercises and NATO training in the United Kingdom. Also, in 2005 Marines from MALS-41 were deployed with the reserve Hornet squadron from Atlanta
, Georgia, for combat flight operations out of Al Asad
, Iraq. VMFA-142 was the first reserve Hornet Squadron activated for combat operations and MALS-41 answered the call to augment and deploy.
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 fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41 is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A+ squadron, one KC-130T squadron, a Maintenance and Logistics squadron, as well as detachments from Engineer and...
and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
4th Marine Aircraft Wing
The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing is the reserve airwing of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana but its subordinate units are scattered throughout the United States...
and are currently based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base or NAS Fort Worth JRB includes Carswell Field, a military airfield located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military airfield is operated by United States Navy...
. MALS-41 provides direct support to VMFA-112
VMFA-112
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 is a reserve United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron is based at NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing...
and VMGR-234
VMGR-234
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 is a reserve United States Marine Corps KC-130T squadron. They are a part of Marine Aircraft Group 41 , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and provide both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aerial refueling capabilities to support Marine Forces Reserve air operations...
.
Mission
Be a combat multiplier by safely training, organizing, and deploying Marines to provide logistical support to F/A-18 and KC-130 squadrons assigned to Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing and Commander, Naval Air Reserve Force. Augment Active Duty forces with personnel and equipment as directed.World War II
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41 (MALS-41) was originally designated as ‘’’Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 41’’’ (H&MS-41) and was activated as an administrative and aircraft maintenance squadron for Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 41, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, at Marine Corps Air Station El ToroMarine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located near Irvine, California.Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps aviation on the West Coast. Designated as a Master Jet Station, its four runways could handle the largest aircraft...
, California on 1 January 1943. In November 1943, The squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41
Marine Aircraft Group 41 is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A+ squadron, one KC-130T squadron, a Maintenance and Logistics squadron, as well as detachments from Engineer and...
and served honorably through the end of World War II when it was deactivated on 31 October 1945.
Reactivation through the 1990s
H&MS-41 was reactivated on 1 July 1962 at Naval Air Station DallasNaval Air Station Dallas
Naval Air Station Dallas was a United States Navy Naval Air Station located on Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas. The installation was originally established as an Army Aviation center, and eventually became home to aviation assets from all the military services. The facility was...
, Texas, and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41, Marine Forces Reserve. In February 1965 the squadron was reassigned to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
During the Vietnam War, H&MS-41 served in direct support of the flying squadrons, VMF-111
VMF-111
Marine Fighting Squadron 111 was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the “Devil Dogs”, the squadron was one of the first aviation squadrons in the Marine Corps and gained national attention in the 1930s as the Marine Corps show unit...
and VMF-112. By August 1963, they made the transition into supersonic flight with the F-8 Crusader
F-8 Crusader
The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...
. VMF-111 and her sister squadron VMF-112, were the first Marine Reserve squadrons to acquire the F-8A, due in large measure to their proximity to the Vought plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, where the Crusader was manufactured. In 1976, H&MS-41 assisted in the VMF(AW)-112 squadron upgrade to the McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II, which re-designated them as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112).
In January 1989, H&MS-41 was redesignated as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41. The squadron’s mission was to provide maintenance and logistical support for VMFA-112. From August 1990 to October 1991, MALS-41 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in Southwest Asia. MALS-41 Marines deployed as augments in support of combat operations in the theater of operations. In October 1996, MALS-41 moved to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, and has successfully integrated with the United States 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...
by working side by side with Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) Fort Worth.
Global War on Terror
Following the events of 11 September 2001, MALS-41 began participating in worldwide operations in support of the Global War on TerrorismWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
(GWOT), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). Many of the reserve Marines volunteered for activation in order to deploy or to augment the active duty in garrison for on-site support.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. They continued direct flight operations for OEF based from Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and operations for OIF out of 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....
. The squadron and the MALS-41 augments returned from deployment in October 2003 and remained activated until late 2004. Additionally, MALS-41 led and managed a KC-130 engine and propeller build shop from Sigonella, Italy, significantly reducing engine and prop turn around time.
In 2004, MALS-41 augmented VMFA-112 with 55 Marines when they were the first Reserve F/A-18 Hornet squadron to deploy on a Western Pacific exercise since 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...
. They supported Operation Jungle Shield and Exercise Southern Frontier while operating out of Japan, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and Australia.
In 2005, the Wranglers again augmented VMFA-112 in support of Battle Griffin in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for multi-national exercises and NATO training in the United Kingdom. Also, in 2005 Marines from MALS-41 were deployed with the reserve Hornet squadron from Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia, for combat flight operations out of Al Asad
Al Asad
Al Asad Airbase is the second largest US military airbase in Iraq and is located in the largely Sunni western Province of Iraq Al Anbar. It was formerly the home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force until January 2010...
, Iraq. VMFA-142 was the first reserve Hornet Squadron activated for combat operations and MALS-41 answered the call to augment and deploy.
Awards
World War II Victory StreamerWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
American Campaign StreamerAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
Navy Unit Commendation StreamerNavy Unit CommendationThe Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
Meritorious Unit Commendation StreamerMeritorious Unit CommendationThe 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....
with three bronze stars
Southwest Asia Service StreamerSouthwest Asia Service MedalThe Southwest Asia Service Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members who performed duty during the years of the Persian Gulf War...
National Defense Service StreamerNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
one bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service StreamerGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalThe Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003...
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