page_title: List of decommissioned United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
section_title: Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons
hierarchical_section_title: List of decommissioned United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons / Decommissioned squadrons / Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons
caption_attribution_description: A McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II fighter (BuNo 153023) of U.S. Marine Corps fighter-bomber squadron VMFA-531 Grey Ghosts touching down on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in April 1980. VMFA-531 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14) aboard the Coral Sea for a deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 13 November 1979 to 11 June 1980.
context_page_description: While other nations have Marines who are aviators, only the United States Marine Corps has its own dedicated aviation arm. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years so they are listed by their final designation.
context_section_description: The first Marine Corps squadron to be redesignated a VMFA was in June 1962 upon receipt of the first McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft. VMF and VMA squadrons were redesignated because the new Phantoms could be both fighter aircraft and ground attack aircraft. These squadrons were heavily deployed during the Vietnam War. Most of these squadrons would eventually convert to the McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet with the last F-4 Phantom leaving service in 1992. The end of the Cold War saw the deactivation of some VMFA squadrons as part of the overall drawdown of the US Military
caption: McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II of VMFA-531
exif: {}