Marine Air Support Squadron 3 Marine Air Support Squadron 3 ( MASS - 3 ) , is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit that provides the Direct Air Support Center ( DASC ) for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force . They are based out of the 32 Area on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . Provide Direct Air Support Center ( DASC ) and DASC - Airborne capabilities for control and coordination of aircraft operating in direct support of Marine Air - Ground Task Force ( MAGTF ) Operations . ” History . Early years . Marine Tactical Air Control Group 2 was formed on August 3 , 1950 as part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . Later that month they were redesignated as Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 3 ( MTACS - 3 ) under Marine Air Control Group 2 . On March 28 , 1951 they moved under the control of Marine Air Control Group 3 ( MACG - 3 ) . The original Marine Air Support Squadron was composed of a Direct Air Support Center , and three Air Support Radar Teams ( ASRTs ) . They utilized the AN / TSQ - 122 Direct Air Support Central . The AN / TSQ - 122 was a large control system housed in a rigid fiberglass modular structure . To provide an echelon capability , the MASS squadron also operated and maintained the AN / UYQ - 3 air / mobile DASC . The AN / UYQ - 3 could operate in a modified KC - 130 aircraft , as well as on the back of a truck . Together , the Marine Air Support Squadron was capable of supporting the full range of MAGTFs , up to and including a MarineAmphibious Force ( MAF ) . They received their current designation of Marine Air Support Squadron 3 on February 15 , 1954 . In October 1962 , MASS - 3 deployed to the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis but in December of that year were relocated to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro . Vietnam War . MASS - 3 operated in Vietnam from November 1966 until June 1971 . On January 16 and 17 , 1968 , Air Support Radar Team B ( ASRT - B ) from MASS - 3 displaced from Chu Lai to Khe Sanh to handle ground controlled radar bombing missions . On January 20 the DASC was brought into Khe Sahn as well . During their time in Vietnam , MASS - 3 Air Support Radar Teams controlled more than 38 , 010 AN / TPQ - 10 missions , directing more than of ordnance on 56 , 753 targets . They operated from Chu Lai and Da Nang during this time . The 1980s and 1990s . In May 1980 , MASS - 3 again relocated , this time to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton . In August 1990 , the unit was deployed to Saudi Arabia and later participated in Operation Desert Storm returning home in March 1991 . Operation Iraqi Freedom . MASS 3 began sending units to Kuwait in October 2002 as part of the troop build - up for what would become Operation Iraqi Freedom . MASS - 3 provided air support for the 1st Marine Division from the Kuwaiti border to Tikrit and had units remain in country until the division redeployed in October 2003 . MASS - 3 returned to Iraq in January 2004 and provided air support for the Division again until January 2004 . They again deployed to Iraq in early 2006 for the third time . The unit deployed for another year long tour in Iraq beginning in early 2008 . Operation Enduring Freedom . In April 2010 , MASS - 3 deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . They supported combat operations in support of I MEF for a year while based at Camp Leatherneck . Unit awards . A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited . Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation . MASS - 3 has been presented with the following awards :