Marine Aircraft Group 11 Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of one F / A - 18 A + + squadron , two F / A - 18 C squadrons , one F / A - 18 D squadron , one fleet readiness squadron , one KC - 130 J tactical aerial refueling squadron , a maintenance and logistics squadron , and a wing support squadron . The flying squadrons of MAG - 11 fly over 42 , 000 hours annually . They fall under the command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the I Marine Expeditionary Force . Mission . Provide air support to Marine Air Ground Task Force commanders . History . Early history . Although commissioned at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia , on 1 August 1941 , as the Marine Corps ' first aircraft group , elements of the organization that would eventually support its mission actually existed as early as 1 December 1921 . Together , these ancestral units were collectively designated as Aircraft Squadron , East Coast Expeditionary Force . World War II . Prior to the beginning of World War II , Marine Aircraft Group 11 ( MAG - 11 ) was composed of six tactical squadrons which were based at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico , Virginia and Marine Corps Air Station Parris Island , South Carolina . During the summer and fall of 1941 the Group engaged in maneuvers with the 1st Marine Division in the vicinity of Onslow Beach , North Carolina . They departed for the West Coast of the United States in December 1941 . Upon arrival , MAG - 11 became the Air - Defense Group for the San Diego , California area , based at Camp Kearny . During this interim pre - deployment period , MAG - 11 served as the nucleus of four new air groups destined for combat action in the Pacific . MAG - 11 embarked for the South Pacific on 15 October 1942 on the " SS Lurline ( Mumu ) " . They left with no planes and were expected to fly what they found in the Pacific . Squadrons from MAG - 11 , such as VMSB - 132 and VMF - 112 landed on Guadalcanal in early November and were among the first to relive the tired original aviators of the Cactus Air Force . Arriving at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands , the group launched offensive actions against enemy strongholds , air power , and shipping in the Solomon Islands . During World War II , MAG - 11 participated in combat action in the Solomon Islands , New Britain , Palau , Central Pacific Areas , and the Philippines . At the close of World War II , MAG - 11 was based on the island of Peleliu , Palaus Group , where it remained until January 1946 . Korean War . Temporarily assigned to the San Diego area upon its return to the United States , MAG 11 joined the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 2nd MAW ) at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina in March 1946 and remained organic to that wing until August 1953 , when it relocated from Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Edenton , North Carolina to Naval Air Facility Atsugi , Japan . In Japan , elements of MAG 11 actively participated in air operations against North Korean and Chinese Communist forces . From August 1958 until January 1959 , MAG - 11 deployed to Taiwan in support of the Nationalist Chinese air defenses , returning again in 1961 and 1963 in support of maneuvers in that area . Vietnam . In April 1965 , MAG 11 deployed to Da Nang , Vietnam in support of counter - insurgency operations . Within 69 hours , after its departure from Japan , group element launched the first attack against communist ( Viet Cong ) forces . The Group ' s mission in combat was carried out primarily by the F - 8 Crusader , the F - 4 Phantom II , the A - 6 Intruder , and the A - 4 Skyhawk . Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 11 ( the Marine Corps ' oldest squadron ) and Marine Air Base Squadron 11 supported MAG 11 and attached aircraft squadrons during this period . During this phase of MAG 11 ' s combat history , the following types of missions were assigned and carried out : close air and direct support ; air defense intercept ; visual , photographic and electronic reconnaissance ; electronic countermeasures ; airborne tactical air control ; illumination and combat logistical support for air / ground elements of the allied forces . Post Vietnam . In May 1971 , MAG 11 relocated from Vietnam , reporting to the commanding general , 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , Santa Ana , Calif . on 10 June 1971 . During November 1979 , VMFA - 323 and VMFA - 531 deployed aboard the . This was the first time in Naval Aviation History that the Marine Corps provided all of the fighter support for a Navy carrier and the first time since World War II that two Marine Fighter squadrons were deployed aboard a Pacific Fleet Carrier . In July 1982 , MAG 11 ' s fighter squadrons began transitioning from the F - 4 Phantom II to the Marine Corps ' newest tactical jet , the F / A - 18 Hornet . On 24 November 1982 , the F - 4N officially retired form active duty Marine service when VMFA - 531 transferred its last Phantom to the Naval Weapons Center . VMFA - 314 took delivery of the first fleet F / A - 18A on 15 December 1982 . In October 1985 , two MAG - 11 F / A - 18 squadrons , VMFA - 314 and VMFA - 323 , deployed to the Mediterranean aboard the and participated in the 15 April 1986 , air strikes against Libya . Persian Gulf War . In early August 1990 , MAG - 11 began providing squadrons to MAG - 70 for the Air Combat Element ( ACE ) of 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade ( 7th MEB ) for deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation Desert Shield . With the establishment of I MEF and 3rd MAW in theater on 3 September 1990 , MAG - 11 was transferred from MCAS El Toro to Bahrain and assumed operational control of all USMC F / A - 18A / C / D , A - 6E , EA - 6B , and KC - 130F / R / T aircraft in Southwest Asia . Prior to commencement of hostilities , MAG - 11 grew to become the largest Marine Fixed Wing Air Group in history with squadrons from all four Marine Aircraft Wings . The order to execute Desert Storm was received and extensive combat operations commenced . Initial strikes were flown deep into Iraq with follow on operations designed to prepare the battlefield for the attack by Marine Ground Forces . When the ground war began , MAG - 11 flew over 7 , 500 combat sorties and 16 , 400 hours , without loss of life or aircraft . The 13 squadrons expended over 17 million pounds of ordnance during combat operations . Global War on Terror . During the period of 1 January through 31 March 2003 , Marine Aircraft Group 11 ( MAG - 11 ) prepared , deployed , and executed combat operations in support of Operation Southern Watch ( OSW ) and Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . With the establishment of I MEF and 3rd MAW in theater MAG - 11 was transferred from MCAS Miramar to Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait and assumed control of all USMC F / A - 18 , and C - 130 aircraft in Southwest Asia . After the order to execute Operation Iraqi Freedom was received , MAG - 11 aircraft flew extensive combat operations 24 hours a day . MAG - 11 aviators flew 120 – 130 sorties per day , dropped over 4 . 2 million pounds of ordnance on targets inside Iraq in support of Marine , Army , and British ground forces and used 250 , 000 to 300 , 000 gallons of fuel per day . MAG - 11 flew over 4 , 000 combat sorties and 10 , 000 flight hours , without loss of life or aircraft . The eight squadrons expended close to four million pounds of ordnance during combat operations .