Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 ( MWSS 271 ) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps . They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina . The squadron falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . MWSS 271 provide all essential aviation ground support requirements to a designated fixed - wing component of an Aviation Combat Element ( ACE ) and all supporting or attached elements of the Marine Air Control Group . History . Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 was activated on 4 June 1986 , organized from the assets of Wing Transportation Squadron 27 , Wing Engineer Squadron 27 , and Marine Air Base Squadron 14 . The Gulf War . Since its inception , the " Workhorses " of MWSS - 271 have supported both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing on a daily basis and have participated in many major USMC and joint service exercises and operations . MWSS - 271 deployed to Saudi Arabia , in January 1991 in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . The Squadron provided Aviation Ground Support to multiple Marine Air Groups by constructing and operating Forward Arming and Refueling Points at Al Kabrit , Qahar , Khanjar , and Tanijib , Saudi Arabia . On 24 February 1991 , MWSS 271 displaced its elements in support of offensive ground combat operations into Kuwait in the midst of heavy combat to establish a Forward Operating Base at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base and , eventually , Kuwait International Airport , becoming the only MWSS to take part in offensive combat operations in Kuwait during Desert Storm . The last elements of the Squadron returned to the United States on 15 June 1991 and rapidly resumed peace - time operations to provide Aviation Ground Support ( AGS ) for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point and at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue ( MCALF Bogue ) , North Carolina . The 1990s . MWSS - 271 operations at MCALF Bogue have supported continuous expeditionary training and flight operations for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and U . S . Special Forces units by providing a unique nucleus of uninterrupted services , such as air base operations , crash fire rescue , aircraft recovery , security , weather , communications , tactical aircraft refueling , motor transport , engineers , and food services . It is one of two continuously operational Expeditionary Airfields within the United States and the only one on the east coast . The Global War on Terror . In February 2003 , MWSS - 271 returned to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . Deploying to Kuwait , the squadron quickly established Camp Workhorse , which was eventually used as staging area for all 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ground units before they crossed over into Iraq during OIF . By the end of combat operations , MWSS - 271 had provided vital AGS in direct support of ground combat operations from Kuwait to the gates of Baghdad and beyond . While supporting the combat operations deep into Iraq , MWSS - 271 provided five FARPs , three on the way to Baghdad and two further north , which finally ended in Tikrit , the home of Saddam Hussein . Also during this period , the MWSS - 271 established two Forward Operating Base s to support operations : one a KC - 130 TLZ that supported both aviation and division operations , and the other a fully functional and operational FOB that could support every aircraft in the Marine Corps inventory . The Workhorses again deployed in support of OIF in the beginning of 2005 . By providing aviation ground support and combat service support at Al Asad , Al Qaim , and Kalsu from January 2005 through September 2005 , the Squadron enhanced operational capabilities for Marine , Joint , and Coalition air and ground forces within the Al Anbar area of operations . Throughout the deployment , the Squadron performed Aviation Ground Support and non - doctrinal combat service support missions while providing vital base security and convoy support . The Workhorses supported combat operations in conjunction with Regimental Combat Team 2 , and provided necessary explosive ordnance disposal response to neutralize improvised explosive devices and weapons caches . Haiti 1997 Haiti 1997