Virtual Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons
Heavy helicopter squadrons were first formed in 1966 when the Marine Corps began
flying the heavy lift CH-53 Sea Stallion during the Vietnam War. Their primary
role is moving cargo and equipment with the secondary role of transferring
troops ashore in an amphibious assault. Most of the squadrons have transitioned
to the larger and more powerful CH-53E Super Stallion; however, three squadrons
of the original Sea Stallions still remain. The CH-53Es are the most powerful
helicopter in the U.S. military inventory today.
While other nations have Marines who are aviators, only the United States
Marine Corps has its own dedicated aviation arm. The following is a list of all
of the squadrons that have existed since the beginning of Marine Corps aviation.
Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years so
they are listed by their final designation.
History
Marine aviation officially began on May 22, 1912 when First Lieutenant Alfred A.
Cunningham reported to Naval Aviation Camp in Annapolis, Maryland, "for duty in
connection with aviation." It was first designated as separate from Naval
aviation on January 6, 1914 when First Lieutenant Bernard L. Smith was directed
to Culebra, Puerto Rico to establish the Marine Section of the Navy Flying
School. This was followed in 1915 when the Commandant of the Marine Corps
authorized the creation of a "Marine Corps aviation company consisting of 10
officers and 40 enlisted men." February 17, 1917 saw the establishment of the
first official Marine flying unit with the commissioning of the Marine Aviation
Company for duty with the Advanced Base Force at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The first major expansion of the Marine Corps' air component came with America's
entrance into World War I in 1917. Wartime expansion saw the Aviation Company
split into the First Aeronautic Company which deployed to the Azores to hunt
U-Boats in January 1918 and the First Marine Air Squadron which deployed to
France as the newly renamed 1st Marine Aviation Force in July 1918 and provided
bomber and fighter support to the Navy's Day Wing, Northern Bombing Group. At
war’s end, Marine aviation included 282 officers and 2,180 enlisted men
operating from 8 squadrons.
It was not until May 3, 1925 that the Marine Corps officially appeared in the
Navy's Aeronautical Organization when Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, then
Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, issued a directive officially
authorizing three fighting squadrons.
The structure of Marine Air saw great change with the establishment of the Fleet
Marine Force in 1933. This shifted Marine doctrine to focus less on
expeditionary duty and more on supporting amphibious warfare by seizing advance
naval bases in the event of war. This also saw the establishment of Aircraft One
and Aircraft Two to replace the old Aircraft Squadron, East Coast and Aircraft
Squadron, West Coast that had supported operations in the Caribbean and China as
part of their expeditionary duties. This organization would remain until June
1940 when Congress authorized the Marine Corps 1,167 aircraft as part of its
10,000 plane program for the Navy. On December 7, 1941, the day of the attack on
Pearl Harbor, Marine aviation consisted of 13 flying squadrons and 230 aircraft.
World War II would see the Marine Corps' air arm expand rapidly and
extensively.They would reach their peak number of units with 5 air wings, 31
aircraft groups and 145 flying squadrons.
Immediately following the war the strength of the Marine Corps flying arm was
drastically cut as part of the post war drawdown of forces. Their active
strength fell from 116,628 personnel and 103 squadrons on August 31, 1945 to
14,163 personnel and 21 squadrons on June 30, 1948. They also maintained another
30 squadrons in the Marine Air Reserve.
The post-World War II era saw the transition from propeller to jet aircraft and
the development of the helicopter for use in amphibious operations. The Korean
and Vietnam Wars would see the size of Marine aviation rebound from its post
World War II lows and emerge into the force that exists today, consisting of 4
air wings, 20 aircraft groups and 78 flying squadrons.
Today, Marine aviation is task organized to support the Marine Air-Ground Task
Force by providing six functions: assault support, anti-air warfare, offensive
air support, electronic warfare, control of aircraft and missiles, and aerial
reconnaissance.
