VMGR - 234 Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 ( VMGR - 234 ) is a reserve United States Marine Corps KC - 130T squadron . They are a part of Marine Aircraft Group 41 ( MAG - 41 ) , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing ( 4th MAW ) and provide both fixed - wing and rotary - wing aerial refueling capabilities to support Marine Forces Reserve air operations in addition to assault air transport of personnel , equipment , and supplies . The squadron , known as the " Rangers " is stationed at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth , Texas . History . World War II . Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 234 ( VMSB - 234 ) was activated at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa on May 1 , 1942 . The squadron departed for Espiritu Santo in December 1942 and began their first combat tour as part of the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal on January 28 , 1943 . Their second stint on Guadalcanal began on April 15 , 1943 . During this time they did patrol duties in the Fiji Islands and also provided close air support in New Georgia . They moved to Munda and began operating from there on October 1943 concentrating their attacks in the vicinity of Bougainville . In November 1943 the squadron had moved to Efate and from there they returned to the United States . They relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , California in November 1943 and were redesignated Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 234 ( VMTB - 234 ) on October 14 , 1944 . Their name was again changed this time to VMTB ( CVS ) - 234 after which they deployed as part of Marine Carrier Group 3 on board the USS Vella Gulf ( CVE - 111 ) . They were paired with VMF - 513 during their deployment but never saw combat as the war ended . The squadron returned to California in November 1945 and was deactivated at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro on March 20 , 1946 . Late 1940s through the 1960s . In January 1946 , VMTB - 234 was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 46 of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS El Toro , California . The squadron was deactivated on March 20 , 1946 . On July 1 , 1947 , the unit was reactivated as VMF - 234 , at Naval Air Station San Diego , California , and later moved to NAS Twin Cities in Minneapolis . During the Korean War , many of squadron ’ s personnel were recalled to active duty and assigned to other squadrons , leaving VMF - 234 as a paper squadron in Minneapolis . The 1950s were a decade of constant change for the squadron , as it was transformed into an attack squadron ( VMA - 234 ) with the transition to the F9F Panther in February 1955 ; then the Douglas AD - 5 Skyraider in May 1958 ; and the Fairchild C - 119F Flying Boxcar in December 1961 . After trading the Skyraider for Flying Boxcars , the unit was re - designated as Marine Transport Squadron 234 ( VMR - 234 ) on January 1 , 1962 . 1970s through the 1980s . In 1970 , the unit moved to NAS Glenview , Illinois . Five years later , they traded the C - 119F Packets for the KC - 130F Hercules . The “ Thundering Herd ” received its current squadron designation , Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 ( VMGR - 234 ) , on October 23 , 1983 . In December 1986 , VMGR - 234 became the first Marine squadron to land an aircraft on an ice runway , transporting supplies to McMurdo Station , Antarctica . In April 1988 , a submarine , the USS " Bonefish " required assistance off the Florida coast . With the new nickname “ Bears , ” from the local Chicago major league football team , VMGR - 234 flew flotation equipment to NAS Norfolk , Virginia and NAS Newport , Florida , getting off the ground in less than an hour . 1990s . In January 1991 , the squadron was activated in support of the Gulf War , but remained at Naval Air Station Glenview . Aircraft from VMGR - 234 deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm , and the squadron remained on active duty until May 1991 . In August 1994 , the squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41 at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth , Texas . On October 22 , 1995 , the unit surpassed 73 , 000 accident free flight hours . In 2000 , VMGR - 234 flew a variety support missions on six different continents for both active and reserve components . Changing their nickname again , the Rangers were deployed for a total of 717 days . In one calendar year alone the squadron flew a total of 1 , 691 sorties . Global War on Terror . In 2003 , VMGR - 234 deployed to Bahrain and Kuwait to support Operation Iraqi Freedom . During the initial weeks of the invasion , the Rangers averaged roughly 25 combat sorties and 60 hours of flight time per day . The Rangers began their retrograde back to NAS - JRB Fort Worth , Texas , in September of that year . The squadron flew a total of 3 , 435 combat flight hours and 2 , 059 combat sorties in 2003 . In 2004 the squadron was deployed to Al Asad , Iraq as part of a co - operative cycle of Marine VMGR squadrons constantly in support of the war in Iraq . 234 was deployed from March to October 2004 with VMGR - 352 and VMGR - 452 . Current Operations . In 2005 , VMGR - 234 flew critical supplies to the gulf coast in support of JTF Katrina . From 2007 - 2011 , the Rangers participated in numerous exercises in Morocco , Thailand , Romania , Norway , and the Phillippines while supporting JIATF - S , 160th SOAR , 4th MAW and numerous other agencies . From 2011 to present , VMGR - 234 has deployed in support of Operation Unified Protectorate , SPMAGTF - AF , SPMAGTF - BSRF , SPMAGTF - CR and ISO RFF - 1200 .