VMFA ( AW ) - 242 Marine All - Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 ( VMFA ( AW ) - 242 ) is a United States Marine Corps squadron flying F / A - 18D Hornets . The squadron , known as the " Bats " , is based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni , Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 12 ( MAG - 12 ) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing ( 1st MAW ) . History . World War II . Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 242 ( VMTB - 242 ) was activated on September 15 , 1943 . Upon activation , the squadron began training at Marine Corps Air Station El Centro , California , flying the TBM Avenger . The squadron was then deployed to Espiritu Santo in the Southwest Pacific aboard the USS Kitkun Bay in February 1944 . Thus began the squadron ’ s long combat history , starting in the Northern Solomon ’ s , later shifting to the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Tinian , and finally to Battle of Iwo Jima where the squadron landed on D + 17 and flew anti - submarine patrols until the end of World War II . On November 5 , 1945 , the squadron left Guam for San Diego and 18 days later was deactivated on November 23 , 1945 Reactivation . On 1 October 1960 at Cherry Point , North Carolina the squadron was reactivated as Marine Attack Squadron 242 flying the A4D Skyhawk . During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 , VMA - 242 deployed to Key West , FL and maintained a ready posture until the Soviet withdrawal of offensive weapons from Cuba . In September 1963 , VMA - 242 embarked for duty with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . The squadron operated from Iwakuni , Japan until its return to Cherry Point in September 1964 , at which time it transitioned to the A - 6A Intruder and was redesignated VMA ( AW ) - 242 . Vietnam War . In late 1966 , VMA ( AW ) - 242 joined the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Da Nang Air Base , Republic of Vietnam and by November of that year , was participating in combat operations against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army . Initially the squadron supported allied ground forces , but during April 1967 , the Bats were also assigned to the first of many Operation Rolling Thunder missions ( deep strikes ) over North Vietnam . The squadron , utilizing the unique capabilities of the A - 6 , flew patrols over North Vietnam until the bombing halt late in 1968 . Until the squadron ’ s departure from Vietnam on September 8 , 1970 , the Bats continued supporting allied forces in South Vietnam , as well as flying sorties against the Ho Chi Minh Trail in North Vietnam and central Laos . During the squadron ’ s tour in the Republic of Vietnam , VMA ( AW ) - 242 logged 16 , 783 combat sorties and delivered 85 , 990 tons of ordnance . During the Vietnam War , the squadron was known as the Batmen . At some date after the war this was modified to the Bats . Post Vietnam and the 1980s . VMA ( AW ) - 242 arrived at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California on September 12 , 1970 and became the first A - 6A squadron in the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing . In September 1977 , the squadron transitioned to the A - 6E aircraft . After ten years at MCAS El Toro , the Bats again deployed overseas to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni , Japan as part of the six - month Unit Deployment Program ( UDP ) . During this deployment , the squadron deployed and trained in such places as the Philippines , Okinawa , Japan , and Korea . Upon its return to MCAS El Toro on April 22 , 1981 , VMA ( AW ) - 242 began receiving the latest model Intruder , the A - 6E TRAM , in preparation for redeployment to MCAS Iwakuni in April 1982 . During August 1983 , VMA ( AW ) - 242 was the first Marine squadron to deploy to the African continent as part of Operation Eastern Wind in Berbera , Somalia . While in country , the Bats conducted very successful joint operations with the Somali Army Air Defense Force and the United States Navy and Air Force . In April 1984 and November 1985 , the squadron participated in its third and fourth UDP deployments to the Western Pacific . Returning to MCAS El Toro in May 1986 , the squadron was awarded the Lawson H . M . Sanderson trophy as the Marine Corps Attack Squadron of the Year for 1986 . In April 1987 , the Bats made their fifth WestPac UDP deployment . October 1988 saw VMA ( AW ) - 242 redeploy to MCAS Iwakuni , Japan for the sixth and final WestPac UDP with the venerable A - 6E Intruder . The Gulf War & the 1990s . In August 1990 , the squadron initially deployed as part of MAG - 70 in Operation Desert Shield but got no further than MCAS Cherry Point for a few days in August 1990 . Ten aircraft were flown to MCAS Cherry Point , North Carolina with the intent to trade four 3 - G limited aircraft for unlimited aircraft from VMA ( AW ) - 224 so that the squadron would have ten aircraft that were not impacted by the wing fatigue limitation program . However , at the last minute , it was decided to not deploy the squadron . All the squadron ' s aircraft were transferred to USMC and USN squadrons , and the Bats ' Marines returned to El Toro to begin transitioning to the F / A - 18D Hornet a month earlier than originally planned . On December 14 , 1990 , VMA ( AW ) - 242 was re - designated as Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 , and the Bats began conversion to the F / A - 18D Hornet . VMFA ( AW ) - 242 received its first aircraft in February 1991 with the final Hornet being accepted in August of that year . It was during the transition to the F / A - 18D that the squadron adopted its motto , " Mors ex tenebris . " The Global War on Terror . From August 4 , 2004 to March 18 , 2005 , the Bats supported Operation Iraqi Freedom . Utilizing the combat callsign “ Profane ” ; VMFA ( AW ) - 242 spent seven months flying out of Al Asad , Iraq . During this time they provided close air support for the 1st Marine Division during Operation Phantom Fury . Profane sections flew cyclic missions dropping over 300 , 000 pounds of ordnance in support of Marines and Soldiers on the ground overtaking the city . During this battle precision guided ordnance was dropped dangerously close to friendly forces with zero cases of fratricide . Just two months later , in January 2005 , VMFA ( AW ) - 242 proudly played a major role in Iraq ’ s first democratic elections ever . For a five - day period Bat aircraft were airborne twenty four hours a day in order to deter the insurgent ’ s efforts to undermine the election . The squadron received the Robert M . Hanson “ Marine Fighter Squadron " of the Year award in October 2005 . Due to a re - organization within Marine aviation , VMFA ( AW ) - 242 moved from MAG - 11 at MCAS Miramar to MAG - 12 in its current home at Iwakuni in 2008 . Since then , the Bats have been providing recon along North Korea in the effort of global security . The squadron maintains a high state of readiness throughout the area by deploying constantly and keeping operations high . " If a balloon goes up , the Bats are going to be the first ones there .