Marine Aircraft Group 31

MAG-31 Insignia

Active| 1 February 1943 – present
Country| United States
Branch| United States Marine Corps
Type| Fixed Wing Aircraft Group
Role| Offensive Air Support
Antiair Warfare
Aerial Reconnaissance
Part of| 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
II Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ| Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Motto(s)| "Going the Distance... Going for Speed!"
Engagements| World War II
Battle of Okinawa
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Commanding Officer| Col Michael R. Cassidy

Military unit

Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) is a United States Marine Corps aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina that is currently composed of two F/A-18C Hornet squadrons, one F/A-18A++ Hornet squadron, two F/A-18D Hornet squadrons, one F-35B Lightning II training squadron, and an aviation logistics squadron. It falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

## Mission

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Provide air support to Marine Air Ground Task Force commanders.

## Subordinate units

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F/A-18 Hornet Squadrons

* VMFA(AW)-224 "Bengals"
* VMFA-312 "Checkerboards"

F-35B Lightning II Training Squadron

* VMFAT-501 "Warlords"
* VMFA-533 "Hawks"

Aviation Logistics Squadron

* MALS-31 "Stingers"

## History

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Marine Aircraft Group 31 was commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, on 1 February 1943 under the command of Major Ralph K. Rottet.[1] In September 1943, MAG-31 left the United States for Samoa where its squadrons would be stationed at numerous Samoan bases. During much of 1944 the squadron would fly neutralization missions against many of the Japanese garrisons that had been by-passed in the Marshall Islands such as Rabaul.[2]

MAG-31 (Battle of Okinawa)

Components|

Headquarters Squadron 31
Service Squadron 31
VMF-224
VMF-311
VMF-441
VMF(N)-542.[3]

Yontan airfield, Okinawa, 1945

During the Battle of Okinawa, MAG-31 came ashore on 7 April and began operating from Yontan Airfield on Okinawa.[4] They were immediately able to put 80 out of 109 aircraft into the fight and maintained a combat air patrol from 1750 until dark to aid in the fight against the kamikaze attacks that were devastating the American Fleet.[5] During the battle they also provided close air support for the Marines and Soldiers on the ground.[2] While on Okinawa, MAG-31 was commanded by Colonel John C. Munn, who was later promoted to lieutenant general and served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. The squadron stayed at Yontan Airfield until 1 July when they moved to Chimu Airfield further north on the island where they would stay until the end of the war.[6] During their time on Okinawa the squadron also operated over Kyushu, the Chinese Coast, the East China Sea area and many places in between Formosa and Kyushu.

On 12 October 1945, Marine Aircraft Group 31 departed Okinawa for Yokosuka, Japan, becoming the first Marine land-based MAG to operate in the Japanese homeland. The MAG was transferred from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing on 12 February 1946, and then to the Fleet Marine Force Pacific 13 March 1946.

The group returned to the United States 5 July 1946 as a night fighter group,.[7] and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California until it was decommissioned on May 31, 1947.[8]

MAG-31 was reactivated March 17, 1952, at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, and transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida, operating as a part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing until it was again decommissioned on January 31, 1959.[9]

On November 1, 1961, MAG-31 was again reactivated in a cadre status with six officers and 75 enlisted men to allow the new unit to properly form.[10][11] The unit was based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, as part of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

## See also

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* United States Marine Corps Aviation
* List of United States Marine Corps aircraft groups
* List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons

## Notes

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1. ^ 3d MAW General Order 5-1943 - Commissioning Marine Aircraft Groups 31, 32, 33 & 34
2. ^ a b Sherrod 1952, pp. 445.
3. ^ Sherrod 1952, pp. 372.
4. ^ Simmons 1974, pp. 181.
5. ^ Sherrod 1952, pp. 379.
6. ^ Sherrod 1952, pp. 398.
7. ^ Rottman 2002, pp. 436.
8. ^ "MAG-31 Lineage and Honors" (PDF). United States Marine Corps History Division. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
9. ^ "United States Marine Corps Muster Rolls - 1959" (PDF). NARA. United States Marine Corps. p. 16. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
10. ^ "New Aircraft Group". Marine Corps Gazette. Quantico, VA: Marine Corps Association. December 1961. p. 63.
11. ^ "MAG-31 Activated". Windward Marine. Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. 24 November 1961. p. 2. Retrieved 23 June 2024.

## References

[edit]

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

Bibliography

* Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 – 1945. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
* Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press. OCLC 1261876.
* Simmons, Edwin (1974). The United States Marines: A History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-840-2.

Web

* MAG-31's official website

* v
* t
* e

United States Marine Corps

Leadership|

* Secretary of the Navy
* Under Secretary of the Navy
* Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
* Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Marine Corps four-star generals
* Marine Corps three-star generals
* 1942–1959
* 2000–2009
* 2010–present

| US Congress|

* House Armed Services Committee
* Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee
* Senate Armed Services Committee
* Seapower subcommittee

|

Major
commands|

* Organization of the Marine Corps
* Headquarters Marine Corps
* Marine Forces Command
* II Marine Expeditionary Force
* Marine Forces Pacific
* I Marine Expeditionary Force
* III Marine Expeditionary Force
* Marine Forces Reserve
* Fleet Marine Force
* Atlantic
* Pacific
* Marine Corps Combat Development Command
* Training & Education Command (TECOM)
* United States Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory
* Marine Corps Systems Command

Auxiliary|

* Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary

Structure|

* Marine Air-Ground Task Force
* Bases
* Battalions
* Regiments
* Brigades
* Divisions
* MEF/Corps
* Marine aviation
* Marine expeditionary unit
* Marine Security Guard
* Special Operations
* Marine Raiders
* Marine Raider Regiment
* Recon
* Force
* Division

Personnel
and training|

| Personnel|

Rank insignia
MOS
Notable Marines
Historical Marines
Marine Astronauts
Criminal Investigation Division
Judge Advocate Division
Chaplain of the Marine Corps
Associated organizations

|

Training|

Recruit Training
School of Infantry
Officer Candidates School
The Basic School
Martial Arts Program

Uniforms
and equipment|

* Uniforms
* Awards
* Badges
* Weapons
* Vehicles and aircraft
* Individual equipment

History
and traditions|

* History
* Culture
* Acronyms and terms
* Birthday
* Color Sergeant of the Marine Corps
* Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
* Flag
* Marine Band
* Drum and Bugle Corps
* Horse Marines
* Marine One
* Color Guard
* Silent Drill Platoon
* White House Sentries
* Service Numbers
* Marine Corps War Memorial
* Marine Detachments
* "Marines' Hymn"
* Oorah
* National Museum
* Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
* Rifleman's Creed
* Semper Fidelis
* march
* History of Hispanics in the USMC
* History of women in the USMC
* Women's Reserve
* Honorary Marine
* Toys for Tots
* Gung ho

* Category

* v
* t
* e

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

* Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2
* 2nd MAW Band

MAG-14|

* MALS-14
* VMUT-2
* VMA-223
* VMA-231
* VMGR-252
* VMFA-542

MAG-26|

* MALS-26
* MWSS-272
* VMM-162
* VMMT-204
* VMM-261
* VMM-263
* VMM-266
* VMM-365

MAG-29|

* MALS-29
* HMLA-167
* HMLA-269
* HMHT-302
* HMH-366
* HMH-461
* HMH-464

MAG-31|

* MALS-31
* VMFA-115
* VMFA(AW)-224
* VMFA-251
* VMFA-312
* VMFAT-501
* VMFA(AW)-533

MACG-28|

* MTACS-28
* MWCS-28
* MASS-1
* MACS-2
* 2nd LAAD
* MWSS-271
* MWSS-272
* MWSS-273
* MWSS-274

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