Marine Aircraft Group 29 Marine Aircraft Group 29 ( MAG - 29 ) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River that is currently composed of four CH - 53E Super Stallion squadrons including the Fleet Replacement Squadron , three Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons flying AH - 1W SuperCobra s and UH - 1N Twin Huey s , a maintenance and logistics squadron , and a wing support squadron . Mission . Provide air support to Marine Air - Ground Task Force commanders . Subordinate units . Light Attack Helicopter squadrons Heavy Helicopter squadrons Heavy Helicopter Training squadron Aviation logistics squadron History . Early years & the 1980s . Marine Aircraft Group 29 was commissioned 1 May 1972 from Marine Helicopter Training Group 40 ( MHTG - 40 ) at Marine Corps Air Station New River , Jacksonville , North Carolina . MAG - 29 was composed of Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron ( H & HS - 29 ) , Marine Air Base Squadron 29 ( MABS - 29 ) , and Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 268 ( HML - 268 ) . The squadrons were newly designated units awaiting assignment of personnel and material . Four days after its activation , MAG - 29 received its first aircraft , the UH - 1N , directly from Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth , Texas . Eleven days later , the Group more than doubled in size with the addition of HML - 167 , HMA - 269 , and VMO - 1 from Marine Aircraft Group 26 . During 1982 , the first phases of the MAG - 29 / MAG - 26 reorganization were completed with the composition of UH - 1N and AH - 1T aircraft in HML - 167 and HMA - 269 , and transfer of HMM - 162 and HMH - 464 to MAG - 29 from MAG - 26 . During 1983 , MAG - 29 received HMM - 365 and HMM - 263 to complete the MAG - 29 / MAG - 26 reorganization . 1990s . MAG - 29 deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . During 1993 , MAG - 29 units supported UN Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope in Somalia and Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise in the former Yugoslavia . During the summer of 1994 , MAG - 29 personnel and aircraft supported Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti . On 7 June 1995 , HMM - 263 successfully rescued downed U . S . Air Force pilot Captain Scott O ' Grady . In 1999 , MAG - 29 saw yet another real world contingency in the deployment of HMM - 365 ( REIN ) . As the ACE for the 26th MEU , HMM - 365 ( REIN ) supported numerous operations in the countries of Albania , Kosovo , and Macedonia , Humanitarian Assistance in Turkey and participated in Operation Allied Force , Operation Allied Harbor , Joint Task Force shining Hope , Operation Noble Anvil , Operation Joint Guardian , and Operation Avid Response . Global War on Terror . After the 11 September attacks , MAG - 29 prepared for support operations in New York City and contingency operations overseas . HMM - 365 ( Rein ) was quickly deployed and ordered to be among the first troops into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . Following that , MAG - 29 ( Rein ) was ordered to deploy in January 2003 to become the 3rd Rotary Wing Group for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The group returned from Iraq in June 2003 . MAG - 29 deployed to Iraq in support of OIF 07 - 08 . In June 2008 , they returned to their headquarters in MCAS New River .