The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (abbreviated as 3rd MAW) is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is made up of a headquarters squadron, four flying groups, an aviation command and control group and an aviation engineering group. Mission Provide combat ready expeditionary aviation forces capable of short notice worldwide deployment to Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), fleet and unified commanders. Current force Locations Units of 3rd MAW are located in the western United States at the following bases: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms Subordinate units Marine Aircraft Group 11 Marine Aircraft Group 13 Marine Aircraft Group 16 Marine Aircraft Group 39 Marine Air Control Group 38 Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 3rd MAW Band History World War II 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was commissioned on November 10, 1942, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, with a personnel roster of 13 officers, 25 enlisted men and one aircraft, a trainer. The Wing's combat history began with the World War II deployment of a bomber squadron on December 3, 1943. A little more than a year later, the Wing deployed a night fighter squadron in support of the war effort. In early April 1944, the wing turned over its training duties and assigned units to the 9th Marine Aircraft Wing and on April 21, 1944, boarded three carriers USS Gambier Bay CVE-73, USS Hoggat Bay CVE-75, and USS Kitkun Bay CVE-71 for a voyage to Hawaii and arrived May 8, where it assumed the functions of Marine Air, Hawaii Area (MAHA). When the Japanese surrendered, 3rd MAW was decommissioned on December 31, 1945, at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa and its personnel were assigned to other units. The Wing also played an important, but behind-the-scenes, role during the war by training Marine pilots and support personnel for combat duty overseas. 1950s In 1952, as the Marine Corps again fought in the Far East, the Wing was reactivated at MCAS Cherry Point for the Korean War. The main portion of the wing began moving to the new Marine Corps Air Station Miami, the Marine Corps' first "flying field." In September