VMU - 2 Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 ( VMU - 2 ) is an unmanned aerial vehicle squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the RQ - 7 Shadow . They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina and provide aerial surveillance for the II Marine Expeditionary Force . They fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing . History . Early years . VMU - 2 was originally formed in June 1984 as Detachment T , Target Acquisition Battery , 10th Marine Regiment , 2nd Marine Division , Fleet Marine Force s , Atlantic , thus becoming the first Remotely Piloted Vehicle ( RPV ) unit within the Marine Corps . On August 22 , 1984 , the detachment reorganized , and was re - designated , as the 1st Remotely Piloted Vehicle Platoon , Headquarters Battalion , and 2nd Marine Division . During November 1984 , Marines traveled to Israel and began indoctrination training on the Mastiff RPV system . Upon completion of contractor training , 1st RPV Platoon accepted its first two Mastiff air vehicles , control stations , and associated ground support equipment . In June 1986 , 1st RPV Platoon was assigned to the 13th Marine Amphibious Unit and embarked aboard USS Tarawa for operations in the Western Pacific . In October 1986 , the 1st RPV Platoon was reorganized and re - designated as the 2nd Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company , Headquarters Battalion , 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune , NC while deployed with the 13th MAU . The 2d RPV Company transitioned to the Pioneer ( Option I ) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system . During May 1987 , 2d RPV Company was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for its numerous contributions to the fielding of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles within the Marine Corps . During the next three years , the 2d RPV Company trained on the Pioneer system and deployed within the continental United States in support of several Marine Corps exercises . In February 1989 , RPVs were incorporated into the Surveillance , Reconnaissance , Intelligence Group ( SRIG ) concept as an independent company under the group command in March 1990 ; the unit received the Pioneer Option II air vehicle . As the first UAV unit to field this upgrade , the company embarked aboard the USS " Nassau " and conducted the first shipboard trial operations of the Pioneer Option II air vehicle . Gulf War and 1990s . In August 1990 , the 2d RPV Company was reassigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade ( 4th MEB ) and embarked to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield . The company remained embarked with the 4th MEB until November 1990 . Thereafter , the company was ordered ashore and reassigned to the 1st Surveillance , Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group , I Marine Expeditionary Force . During January 1991 , the company deployed to Saudi Arabia in direct support of the 2nd Marine Division and later conducted missions in support of Operation Desert Storm . From February 15 , to March 3 , 1991 , direct support of Operation Desert Storm was conducted from Al Qurah . 2d RPV Company began retrograde operations and returned to Camp Lejeune on 20 March 1991 . During Operation Desert Shield / Storm , 2d RPV Company flew a total of 69 sorties and 226 flight hours . Of these , 55 sorties and 192 flight hours were combat . No Pioneer air vehicles were lost as a result of enemy action . During May 1991 , a detachment from 2d RPV Company was formed to participate in Operation Provide Comfort and the Kurdish relief effort in northern Iraq . These Marines provided surveillance information during the conduct of the operation . The detachment returned to Camp Lejeune , NC on 31 May 1991 . For the remainder of 1991 , the company provided support to various elements of II Marine Expeditionary Force . On January 1 , 1993 , 2d Remotely Piloted Vehicle Company was re - designated as the 2d Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( UAV ) Company and in February 1994 , the company was re - equipped with the Pioneer Option II Plus air vehicle . On January 16 , 1996 , 2nd UAV Company was reorganized under Marine Aviation sponsorship and re - designated as Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 ( VMU 2 ) . Placed under Marine Aircraft Group 14 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing , the squadron was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , NC in May 1996 . Then , in August 2000 , VMU - 2 was re - assigned to Marine Air Control Group 28 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing . As of May 13 , 2013 VMU - 2 was re - assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 14 . Global War on Terrorism . VMU - 2 deployed to Kuwait in February 2003 and subsequently played a key role in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom . Conducting day and night aerial reconnaissance , surveillance , and target acquisition missions in support of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf region , the squadron was deployed for seven months in support of combat operations . Of the 30 squadrons , 200 aircraft and more than 7000 Marines and Sailors from 2nd MAW to conduct combat operations in Iraq , VMU - 2 was the final unit to return from Iraq in September 2003 . In February 2004 , the squadron deployed to Al Taqqadum Airbase , Iraq again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom conducting combat missions in support of coalition forces in the Sunni Triangle region . During this deployment the Squadron flew over 2 , 100 hours comprising 700 + combat sorties in support of I MEF in and around Fallujah and Ramadi , Iraq . In August 2004 the Squadron returned to MCAS Cherry Point and are currently preparing for yet another deployment to Iraq . VMU - 2 has deployed four more times in 2005 , 2006 , 2007 and 2008 . The squadron will deploy a detachment to Afghanistan in the spring of 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade . They will be part of the 17 , 000 troop increase announced by President Obama in mid - February .