VMFA - 142 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142 ( VMFA - 142 ) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps Reserve that was active from 1942 to 2008 . At the time of its inactivation , the squadron was based at Naval Air Station Atlanta , Georgia and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 42 ( MAG - 42 ) , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing ( 4th MAW ) . Due to a re - organization within Marine aviation , the squadron moved to Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base , Texas and was placed in a cadre status under Marine Aircraft Group 41 . Mission . Plan for the conduct of air operations in support of the Fleet Marine Force , supervise and train selected Marine Corps Reserve units , provide administrative and logistical support for selected Marine Corps Reserve units , and ensure mobilization readiness . History . World War II . VMFA - 142 was first activated on 1 March 1942 at Camp Kearny , California as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 142 ( VMSB - 142 ) , Marine Aircraft Group 14 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force . It was assigned during August 1942 to Marine Aircraft Group 12 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing before being reassigned during September 1942 to Marine Aircraft Group 11 . The squadron was deployed from October to November 1942 to Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 . The squadron was equipped with the Douglas SBD Dauntless . During World War II , VMFA - 142 participated in the following Campaigns : The squadron relocated in August 1942 to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California , and was reassigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 41 . It relocated during April 1944 to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa , Hawaii , and was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 32 . Post World War II . The squadron was deactivated 21 September 1945 and reactivated 1 July 1946 at Naval Air Station Miami , Florida , as Marine Fighting Squadron 142 ( VMF - 142 ) and assigned to Marine Air Detachment , Naval Air Reserve Training Unit , Naval Air Station , Miami , Florida . The " Flying Gators " were reassigned in December 1946 to the Marine Air Reserve Training Command , Naval Air Reserve Training Unit , Naval Air Station , Miami , Florida . The squadron was redesignated 1 April 1949 as Marine Fighter Squadron 142 , Marine Air Reserve Training Command , Naval Air Station Miami , Florida , later itself redesignated in February 1952 as Marine Corps Air Station Miami , Florida . The squadron was redesignated in September 1953 as Marine Fighter Squadron 142 , Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment , Marine Air Reserve Training Command , Marine Corps Air Station Miami , Florida . The squadron was yet again redesignated on 15 May 1958 as Marine Attack Squadron 142 ( VMA - 142 ) and relocated during March 1959 to Naval Air Station Jacksonville , Florida . The squadron was reassigned during January 1971 to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force before relocating during December 1978 from NAS Jacksonville to nearby Naval Air Station Cecil Field , Florida . Soon thereafter , in January 1979 , the squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force and , a year later in January 1980 , reassigned again to Marine Aircraft Group 42 , Detachment A , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force . During the early 70 ' s the squadron flew the J - 65 powered A - 4L before transitioning to the newer J52 - P - 408 powered A - 4F . The last A - 4L departed in the summer of 1976 . As active duty A - 4 units transitioned to the AV - 8B during the 80 ' s , their A - 4M ' s replaced reserve unit A - 4F ' s . The squadron converted from the A - 4M Skyhawk II to the F / A - 18A Hornet and was formally redesignated on 21 December 1990 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142 ( VMFA - 142 ) . In August 1997 , due to the pending BRAC - mandated closure of NAS Cecil Field by the end of 1999 , the squadron relocated to Naval Air Station Atlanta , approximately North of Atlanta in Marietta , Georgia . It was the second F / A - 18 squadron to be transferred to NAS Atlanta , having been preceded by the Naval Air Reserve ' s Strike Fighter Squadron TWO ZERO THREE ( VFA - 203 ) , which was also previously based at NAS Cecil Field . VMFA - 142 became part of the Department of the Navy TACAIR concept , which integrates both Marine Corps F / A - 18 fighter / attack squadrons and Navy F / A - 18 strike fighter squadrons into Navy carrier air wing s . As a Marine Air Reserve squadron , VMFA - 142 integrated into Carrier Air Wing Reserve TWENTY ( CVWR - 20 ) . In May 2000 , in a first for CVWR - 20 , five Marine Hornets from VMFA - 142 joined the wing for carrier qualification , qualifying all five pilots . Three of the Hornets then flew to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico for additional Fleet training operations . Global War on Terror . In February 2005 , VMFA - 142 became the first fixed wing Marine reserve fighter unit activated to combat since the Korean War . They deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served at Al Asad Air Base , providing combat support in the Al Anbar province of Iraq until September 2005 . In accordance with a Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) Commission decision , VMFA - 142 was placed in cadre status in July 2008 , awaiting transition to the F - 35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter by 2019 .