Marine Air Control Squadron 2 Marine Air Control Squadron 2 ( MACS - 2 ) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron . The squadron provides aerial surveillance and air traffic control for the II Marine Expeditionary Force . They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and fall under Marine Air Control Group 28 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . The mission of Marine Air Control Squadron 2 is to detect , identify and control the intercept of hostile aircraft and missiles , and provide navigational assistance to friendly aircraft and provide continuous all - weather , radar , non - radar approach , departure , en route and tower air traffic control services to friendly aircraft . The unit manages anti - air warfare assets within assigned sector . It detects , identifies and classifies all aircraft within its assigned sector . It maintain tracks of identified contacts and provide en route control / navigation assistance as required . MACS - 2 selects and assign weapons to engage and defeat enemy air threats . It controls the engagement of enemy air threats by increasing interceptors or surface - to - air weapons . It provides radar / non - radar approach , departure and en route air traffic control services within assigned terminal control areas . It provides automatic carrier landing system approach services ( Modes I , II , and III ) for forward operating bases . Finally it coordinates air defense activities within designated base defense zones . History . Marine Air Control Squadron 2 ' s history dates back to 1 April 1944 when the squadron was formed as " Marine Air Warning Squadron 11 " at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina , and was attached to Marine Air Warning Group 1 , 9th Marine Aircraft Wing . During June 1944 , the squadron relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , California and was assigned to Marine Air Warning Group 2 . In March 1945 , the squadron relocated once again , being assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii . Four months later , Marine Air Warning Squadron 11 joined Marine Aircraft Group 43 of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in Kume Shima , Ryukyu Islands . Shortly thereafter , in October 1945 , the squadron moved to Tsingtao , China to join Marine Aircraft Group 24 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , and participated in the occupation of Northern China until May 1946 . Proceeding from North China , the Squadron moved once again to Miramar , California and in August 1946 , it was redesignated as Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 2 , a member of Marine Air Warning Group 2 , where it remained until its deactivation on 15 October 1947 . During the buildup to the Korean War , Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 2 was reactivated in El Toro , California on 3 August 1950 . In January 1952 , the squadron was attached to Marine Aircraft Group 13 and two months later moved with MAG - 13 to Kaneohe Bay , Territory of Hawaii . On 15 February 1954 , the Squadron was redesignated as Marine Air Control Squadron 2 , and four years later in November 1958 , relocated to Atsugi , Japan . In March 1959 , MACS - 2 joined the First Marine Brigade and returned to Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii . In August 1990 , MACS - 2 received orders to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield , and on 6 September 1990 , arrived in Saudi Arabia . Establishing a Tactical Air Operations Center ( TAOC ) in the vicinity of King Abdul Aziz Naval Base ( KAANB ) , MACS - 2 provided a base defense zone for KAANB and the port of Jubail . On 29 December 1990 , MACS - 2 displaced to Ras Al Mishab port , harbor , and airfield complex , establishing the primary TAOC eight miles west , to provide anti - air warfare capabilities in support of MARCENT and I Marine Expeditionary Force air and ground operations . During Operation Desert Storm in February 1991 , an Early Warning and Control ( EW / C ) site deployed with the ground combat element through the breach to Ahmed Al Jaber airfield in the Kingdom of Kuwait . Upon cessation of hostilities , MACS - 2 was redeployed to MCAS Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii in March 1991 , in support of Marine Aircraft Group 24 , 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade . In 1993 , MACS - 2 was disbanded in Hawaii and MACS - 5 at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort , South Carolina was renamed MACS - 2 , subordinate to Marine Aircraft Group 31 ( MAG - 31 ) . While supporting MAG - 31 in 1994 , MACS - 2 acquired Air Traffic Control ( ATC ) Detachments A and B . Between 1995 and 1998 , MACS - 2 participated in Joint Task Force Six , also known as Operation Lone Star , a drug interdiction operation patrolling the Mexico – United States border . Further drug interdiction operations included EC - 7 in 1996 in Ecuador and Operation Laser Strike in 1997 conducted in Peru . ATC detachments C and D joined MACS - 2 in 1998 . MACS - 2 relocated once more to MCAS Cherry Point in 1998 under Marine Air Control Group 28 where it resides today . Deployed in support of overseas operations , MACS - 2 sent an ATC detachment known as a Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team ( MMT ) to Kosovo with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 1999 . In support of operations in Serbia , MACS - 2 deployed an MMT to Hungary , also in 1999 . In 2001 , MACS - 2 sent Tactical Air Operations Center Marines to Southwest Asia to support the United States Air Force in Operation Southern Watch . The squadron also provided an ATC detachment to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , Utah . A detachment from Marine Air Control Squadron 2 make up the Air Traffic Control Detachment at Djibouti - Ambouli International Airport in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa in early 2003 . Members of the detachment work with Djiboutian and French air traffic controllers in the control tower to ensure military and civilian aircraft land and take off safely at the airport . Marines served as the liaison between the American pilots and the French and Djiboutian controllers .