Marine Aircraft Group 41 Marine Aircraft Group 41 ( MAG - 41 ) is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth , Texas that is currently composed of one F / A - 18 A + squadron , one KC - 130 T squadron , a Maintenance and Logistics squadron , as well as detachments from Engineer and Air Traffic Control squadrons . Following decommissioning of Marine Aircraft Group 46 in 2009 , MAG - 41 also assumed command responsibility for the geographically separated Northrop F - 5F aggressor squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma , Arizona and a Boeing Vertol CH - 46 squadron based at Edwards Air Force Base , California . Mission . Train , man , equip , and sustain an expeditionary aviation combat element ( ACE ) , Combined Forces Air Component Commander ( CFACC ) element , an aviation logistics squadron , a fighter - attack squadron , a fighter adversary squadron and an aerial refueler / assault support squadron in order to deploy / employ as a MAG / ACE , a special purpose Marine Air - Ground Task Force ( MAGTF ) , or any combination of capabilities in support of MAGTF or Combined / Joint Warfare . Subordinate units . Fixed Wing Squadrons Rotary Wing Squadron Detachments History . World War II . Marine Base Defense Group 41 was first organized in the Fleet Marine Force on January 1 , 1943 , at MCAS El Toro , California . With need for support in the growing war in the Pacific , on November 10 , 1944 it received the designation Marine Aircraft Group 41 , with the mission “ … to administer and supervise training and activities of attached squadrons for combat in the Pacific . ” Originally , there was only a headquarters , service and single fighter squadron in the group , but as the scope of Marine aviation in World War II grew , MAG - 41 simultaneously expanded to include six tactical squadrons and a maintenance squadron , now Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41 . Because of the shortage of aircraft carriers early in the war , land - based Marine air was used to neutralize by - passed enemy bases in the Central Pacific . As an ever increasing number of escort carriers became available , it was decided Marine planes would be placed on board . In 1944 , MAG - 41 training to subordinate squadrons included carrier duty and the further development of close air support for the Marines on the ground . MAG - 41 was the first Marine aviation unit to receive and train with the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver . By the end of the war , the group had trained nearly twenty fighter , dive bomber and torpedo squadrons for combat and held the distinction of having the largest squadron in Marine aviation history . With the war over , MAG - 41 officially deactivated in October 1945 , but with the new doctrine of carrier - based aircraft being set , Marine aviation would go on to become an integral part of future amphibious operations . 1960s . On July 1 , 1962 , the group was reactivated as part of 4th Marine Aircraft Wing at Naval Air Station Dallas , and designated a Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment ( MARTD ) . At that time MAG - 41 consisted of three fighter squadrons , ( VMF - 111 , VMF - 112 , VMF - 413 , ) and two medium helicopter squadrons , ( HMM - 777 , HMM - 762 ) . The fighter squadrons flew the FJ - 4B and AF - 1E Fury , while the helicopter squadrons flew the UH - 34 Seahorse . The following year , VMF - 413 and HMM - 762 were deactivated . By August 1963 , VMF - 111 and VMF - 112 made the leap into supersonic flight with the F - 8A Crusader . Vought , the manufacturer of the Crusader , had a plant adjacent to the runway of NAS Dallas , making the transition more than convenient for squadron pilots and support personnel . On October 22 , 1965 VMF - 111 was deactivated with personnel and aircraft to be absorbed by VMF - 112 . In July 1967 , the unit formally known as the “ Wolf Pack , ” from its glory days of World War II with 140 kills in the Pacific , changed its name to the “ Cowboys , ” and redesigned the squadron insignia to reflect the local Dallas Cowboys NFL team . 1970s . In 1970 , another Crusader squadron , VMJ - 4 , flying the photoreconnaissance version of the fighter , the RF - 8G , joined the unit . The unit eventually received reworked models of the Crusader , the F - 8K , and later , the F - 8H in 1971 . With the added allweather capability of the F - 8H , VMF - 112 was redesignated VMF ( AW ) - 112 on November 1 , 1971 . The squadron continued to operate various models of the F - 8 until the McDonnell F - 4 Phantom II replaced the aircraft . When the squadron began to acquire the F - 4 , it was re - designated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 ( VMFA - 112 ) in 1983 . In 1972 , the “ Flying Armadillos ” of HMM - 777 traded their aging UH - 34Ds for the CH - 53A Sea Stallion and was redesignated as a heavy Marine helicopter squadron ( HMH ) . HMH - 777 was deactivated due to massive budget cuts in 1980 , however , on October 1 , 1980 , the squadron ’ s personnel and aircraft were reformed as the Bravo Detachment of HMH - 772 , which was based at NAS JRB Willow Grove , Pennsylvania . For the next thirteen years , the Dallas detachment supported 4th MAW , including a deployment to Okinawa in support of Desert Storm , yet in 1993 the Reserve heavy - lift squadrons were realigned , and both HMH - 772 detachments were deactivated . Det Alpha was reactivated as HMH - 769 , but HMH - 777 was not so lucky . On 1 April 1993 , HMH - 772 , Det Bravo , retired the squadron colors in a brief ceremony to close the final chapter on the “ Flying Armadillos ” and what has , so far , been the final chapter of rotary aircraft in MAG - 41 . 1990s . Although MAG - 41 was proud to have the last Phantom II squadron in the Marine Corps , a change was needed to propel the group into the twenty - first century . In July 1992 , VMFA - 112 received their first McDonnell Douglas F / A - 18A Hornet , and subsequently launched a “ Phantom Pharewell ” to bid a last farewell to their F - 4J / S . In the coming months more Hornets began to appear on the “ Cowboy ” flightline until the squadron received their entire complement of 11 “ A ” models and one two - seating “ B ” model . On October 8 , 1992 , Capt Joe “ Crop ” Riley flew the first Hornet sortie for the “ Cowboys ” . VMFA - 112 has since reconfigured its aircraft to the F / A - 18A + platform . The aircraft have undergone improvements in radar , navigation , and night vision systems . VMFA - 112 has also worked alongside Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake , California , testing the AIM - 9X Sidewinder as well as the Joint Direct Attack Munition ( JDAM ) . In August 1994 , MAG - 41 gained a squadron of 14 KC - 130T Hercules , when Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 was reassigned from the former NAS Glenview , Illinois when that installation was closed due to Base Realignment and Closure action . After the move the group quickly gained the title of the “ Rangers ” from the Major League Baseball team located minutes away in Arlington , Texas . Within months of their arrival to Dallas , VMGR - 234 surpassed 73 , 000 accident - free flight hours .