Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22
Encyclopedia
Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22 (MATSG-22) is a United States Marine Corps
aviation
training group
that was originally established during World War II
as Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22). Squadrons from MAG-22, were decimated at the Battle of Midway
and after reconstituting fought during the Battle of Okinawa
. The group was deactivated following the end of the war and were not reactivated until May 1, 2000 when the Marine Aviation Detachment at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
, Texas
was renamed MATSG-22.
on March 1, 1942. From its inception until several months after the war it did not serve within the continental limits of the United States, hence earned the popular name of "Foreign Legion of Marine Aviation".
During World War II, MAG-22 participated in combat at:
. After completing this course, these five officers became the nucleus who established the navigation school at Camp Kearny
in San Diego, California
. A year later the school was moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
, North Carolina
where they graduated their first class of navigators in January 1945. This training program existed only as a ground school. In March 1948 the school was disbanded.
In March 1952 after the beginning of the Korean War
, the Aerial Navigation School was reactivated as part of the Airborne Operation School located at MCAS Cherry Point. The Airborne Operation School consisted of the Aerial Navigation School, Radio Operator School and the Electronic Countermeasures School. During this time Marine Navigators trained in such aircraft as C-54s
, R4D-6s
, and R4D-8s (Super DC-3). The Aerial Navigation School remained at Cherry Point until January 1971 at which time it was moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, where the Navy assumed responsibility for flight support. A detachment of T-29 aircraft from VT-29 NAS Corpus Christi, which had been previously assigned for Navy support, now provided flight support for the Aerial Navigation School. At this point the name of the school was changed to the Marine Aerial Navigation School (MANS).
After two years at Naval Air Station Pensacola
, the Navy moved the detachment of T-29s and the Marine School moved to NAS Corpus Christi in order to continue the T-29 support. Due to the phasing out of the T-29s in 1976 at Corpus Christi, the Marines of MANS were then relocated to Mather Air Force Base, CA, where they utilized the T43 aircraft. In January 1993, MANS was once again relocated to Randolph AFB, TX.
Marine instructors utilizing the 12th Flying Training Wing navigation training facilities staff the Marine Aerial Navigation School (MANS). The command mission of the Marine Aerial Navigation School is to train and qualify enlisted Marines in the "Scientific Art of Navigation" and as Navigators of tactical transport aircraft in support of the Fleet Marine Force
.
directed the re-designation of Marine Aviation Detachment NAS Corpus Christi as Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22. All Marine Aviation Training Support Groups were redesignated to promote a sense of Marine Corps identity and tradition and allows them and their history to live on.
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
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:...
training group
Group (air force unit)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
that was originally established during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Marine Aircraft Group 22 (MAG-22). Squadrons from MAG-22, were decimated at the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
and after reconstituting fought during the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
. The group was deactivated following the end of the war and were not reactivated until May 1, 2000 when the Marine Aviation Detachment at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi , also known as Truax Field, is a naval base located six miles southeast of the central business district of Corpus Christi, in Nueces County, Texas, USA.-History:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
was renamed MATSG-22.
MAG-22 history
Marine Aircraft Group 22 was formed at Midway AtollMidway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
on March 1, 1942. From its inception until several months after the war it did not serve within the continental limits of the United States, hence earned the popular name of "Foreign Legion of Marine Aviation".
During World War II, MAG-22 participated in combat at:
- 3–6 June 1942 – Battle of Midway
- 20 February- 2 March 1944 - Marshal Island Operation
- 26 March 1944 – PonapePohnpeiNot to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
- 2 May-14 July 1945 - Battle of Okinawa
Marine Aerial Navigation School history
Aerial navigation training first began for the Marine Corps in 1942 when five Marine officers were assigned to the Weems School Of Navigation in Annapolis, MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. After completing this course, these five officers became the nucleus who established the navigation school 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:...
in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. A year later the school was moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine 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...
where they graduated their first class of navigators in January 1945. This training program existed only as a ground school. In March 1948 the school was disbanded.
In March 1952 after the beginning 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 Aerial Navigation School was reactivated as part of the Airborne Operation School located at MCAS Cherry Point. The Airborne Operation School consisted of the Aerial Navigation School, Radio Operator School and the Electronic Countermeasures School. During this time Marine Navigators trained in such aircraft as C-54s
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
, R4D-6s
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, and R4D-8s (Super DC-3). The Aerial Navigation School remained at Cherry Point until January 1971 at which time it was moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, where the Navy assumed responsibility for flight support. A detachment of T-29 aircraft from VT-29 NAS Corpus Christi, which had been previously assigned for Navy support, now provided flight support for the Aerial Navigation School. At this point the name of the school was changed to the Marine Aerial Navigation School (MANS).
After two years at Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
, the Navy moved the detachment of T-29s and the Marine School moved to NAS Corpus Christi in order to continue the T-29 support. Due to the phasing out of the T-29s in 1976 at Corpus Christi, the Marines of MANS were then relocated to Mather Air Force Base, CA, where they utilized the T43 aircraft. In January 1993, MANS was once again relocated to Randolph AFB, TX.
Marine instructors utilizing the 12th Flying Training Wing navigation training facilities staff the Marine Aerial Navigation School (MANS). The command mission of the Marine Aerial Navigation School is to train and qualify enlisted Marines in the "Scientific Art of Navigation" and as Navigators of tactical transport aircraft in support of the 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...
.
2000 - present
In May 2000, the Commandant of the Marine CorpsCommandant 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...
directed the re-designation of Marine Aviation Detachment NAS Corpus Christi as Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22. All Marine Aviation Training Support Groups were redesignated to promote a sense of Marine Corps identity and tradition and allows them and their history to live on.
Awards
- Presidential Unit Citation with two silver bands
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
with three bronzes stars - Navy Occupation Service MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalThe Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the World War II. The decoration was also bestowed to personnel who...
with Asia clasp
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....
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups