Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 The Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 ( MWSS 373 ) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps . They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , California . The squadron is part of Marine Wing Support Group 37 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . Provide all essential aviation ground requirements to a designated fixed - wing component of a Marine Aviation Combat Element or to supplement air base facilities and services provided by a Marine Corps Air Station , when based thereon . This includes motor vehicle support , mobile electric power , heavy equipment , tactical aviation refueling , essential runway services , and second echelon maintenance . They are tasked to conduct airfield operations , less air traffic control , for supporting Aviation Combat Element units to include : internal airfield communications , weather , services expeditionary airfield services , crash / fire / rescue and structural fire fighting services , aircraft and rapid ground refueling , motor transport for operations internal to air base messing facilities , routine and emergency sick call and aviation medical functions , individual and unit training of organic personnel and personnel of selected support units , organic nuclear , biological and chemical ( NBC ) defense , security and law enforcement services History . Early years . Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 ( MWSS - 373 ) can trace its lineage back to Wing Equipment and Repair Squadron 37 ( WERS - 37 ) activated on 1 April 1967 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , Santa Ana , California . On 31 January 1977 , WERS - 37 was restructured and re - designated as Wing Transportation Squadron 37 ( WTS - 37 ) as a result of the Marine Corps wide Combat Service Support reorganization concept , effected 5 June 1986 . On 21 August 1998 , MWSS - 373 relocated from MCAS El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar . The Gulf War and the 1990s . During August 1990 through April 1991 MWSS - 373 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait ; while in Southwest Asia , the Marines and Sailors of MWSS - 373 pumped over of fuel to tactical aircraft , provided over 2 million meals , transported 46 million pounds of ordnance , produced of potable water , treated 18 , 000 patients , administered 3 , 200 immunizations , provided water electricity and sanitation for 8 dispersed billeting areas and drove over 1 million accident free miles . In July 1992 , MWSS - 373 became the first support squadron in the I Marine Expeditionary Force to obtain 100 % readiness . In September 1992 , MWSS - 373 welcomed aboard the Explosive Ordnance Disposal ( EOD ) unit from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 , adding a new dimension to the squadron . During December 1992 to May 1993 , MWSS - 373 provided 24 - hour airfield embarkation support at MCAS El Toro for units deploying to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope . In providing this support , the Marines of MWSS - 373 loaded over 100 aircraft with eight million pounds of cargo and equipment . Between January and March 1995 , MWSS - 373 deployed a detachment to Somalia in support of Operation United Shield to assist with the UN ' withdrawal from that country . From August 19 , 1995 to October 19 , 1995 , MWSS - 373 also deployed an Offload Preparation Party detachment of 11 Marines to the 15th MEU ( Marine Expeditionary Unit ) as part of Operation Vigilant Sentinel a larger U . S . effort to deter Iraqi interference with United Nations ' arms inspections and in response to claims by high - ranking military defectors of the Iraqi armed forces that Saddam Hussein was massing forces near the Kuwaiti border . During August 1998 , MWSS - 373 relocated to MCAS Miramar , San Diego , California as part of a base realignment and closure ( BRAC ) directed move . Global War on Terror . From September 2001 through present MWSS - 373 deployed personnel and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of four separate Marine Expeditionary Unit s . In addition personnel were deployed on aircraft carriers in support of three separate VMFA Squadrons . From September 2002 through present MWSS - 373 deployed personnel and equipment to Afghanistan in support of VMA - 513 during Operation Enduring Freedom . From January to June 2003 MWSS - 373 deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . MWSS 373 constructed a 4 , 000 Marine base camp , and installed a Harrier parking ramp , at Al Jaber Air Base , Kuwait for elements of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing . During March 2003 MWSS - 373 conducted FARP operations ( Forward Arming and Refueling Point ) in the vicinity of Jalibah Airfield , Iraq in support of the attack on An Nasiriyah . Rapid runway repair of a KC - 130 operating strip at Jalibah Airfield was completed on the third night of the ground war . MWSS - 373 went on and constructed a 3 , 000 Marine forward operating base ( FOB ) at Jalibah Airfield , Iraq in support of elements of 3rd MAW . During the month of April 2003 , MWSS - 373 continued to conduct FARP operations at Tikrit Airfield , Iraq ( northern most USMC FARP in Iraq ) and Ad Diwaniyah , Iraq . In August 2004 MWSS - 373 deployed to Al Taqaddum to support 3rd MAW in providing aviation ground support in Al Anbar Province . They also provided aviation ground support and limited combat service support from Camp Korean Village , Camp Mudaysis , FOB Duke , and Camp Fallujah . In support of Operation Al Fajr in Fallujah , MWSS - 373 provided fire fighting to respond to life - threatening off - base U . S . and Coalition force structural and vehicle fires , and Explosive Ordnance Disposal support to clear main supply routes between Al Taqaddum and Al Fallujah . At the conclusion of this deployment , MWSS - 373 closed Camp Mudaysis . In September 2006 , MWSS - 373 again deployed again to Al Taqaddum , Iraq in support of 3rd MAW . During this period MWSS - 373 provided functions of aviation ground support and limited combat service support at Al Taqaddum , Camp Ramadi , Camp Fallujah , and Camp Korean Village . MWSS - 373 provided response teams for IED activity in the vicinity of Al Taqaddum and Camp Korean Village . Additionally , MWSS - 373 numerous road improvement projects , helicopter landing zone installations , and facility electrical renovations at sites throughout the Euphrates River corridor between Ar Ramadi and Al Fallujah . In September 2010 , MWSS - 373 deployed to Camp Leatherneck , Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . While deployed MWSS - 373 supplied all ground aviation support for Camp Leatherneck , FOB Dwyer , FOB Delaram and FOB Edinburgh . They also completed numerous Helicopter Landing Zone improvement projects across the Helmand province and finalized the construction of a C - 130 air strip in Forward Operating Base Delaram . By April 2011 , all Marines who deployed with MWSS - 373 returned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar safely .