Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36 (MALS-36) is an aviation logistics support unit of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. Nicknamed ''Bladerunner'', they are currently based at

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military a ...

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, Japan and fall under the command of

Marine Aircraft Group 36 Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), itself an integral part of the III Marine ...

(MAG-36) and the

1st Marine Aircraft Wing The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa Island, Okina ...

(1st MAW).

Mission

Provide aviation logistics support guidance, and direction to Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) squadrons on behalf of the Commanding Officer; as well as logistics support for Navy-funded equipment in the supporting Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS), Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS), and Marine Aircraft Wing/Mobile Calibration Complex (MAW/MCC). 4 means of accomplishing this mission are: * Provide intermediate level maintenance for aircraft and aeronautical equipment of all supported units and, when authorized, perform first-degree repair on specific engines. * Provide aviation supply support for aircraft and Navy-funded equipment to all supported units. * Provide Class V(a) ammunition logistics support to the MAG's squadrons. This support encompasses the requisitioning, storage, handling, assembly, transportation, and inventory reporting of Class V(a) ammunition. Be capable of planning for, and operating, an airfield ammunition issue point at expeditionary airfields. * Interpret, implement, audit, inspect, and provide oversight for the MAG, CO, of all policies and procedures relating to the administration and management of operations and maintenance, Navy (less TAD) funds, aviation supply, and aircraft.

History

Early history

Squadron was established in June 1952 at

Marine Corps Air Station Tustin Marine Corps Air Station Tustin (IATA: NTK, ICAO: KNTK, FAA LID: NTK) is a former United States Navy and United States Marine Corps air station, located in Tustin, California. History The Air Station was established in 1942 by the United ...

, California, as Headquarters Squadron 36, and assigned to

, Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Redesignated 15 February 1954 as Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 36.

Vietnam War

Deployed during August 1965 to

Chu Lai Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M� ...

Republic of Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the French Union, with it ...

, and reassigned to the

. Participated in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

from September 1965 through November 1969, operating from Kỳ Hà and Phu Bai. They redeployed during November 1969 to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa.

Post Vietnam and the 1990s

The squadron was redesignated 1 October 1988 as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36. Since then they have participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, Philippines, June 1991;

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF), also known as Operation Restore Hope, was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational military force deployed to Somalia from 5 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. It was established to replace United ...

, Somalia, December 1992 – May 1993 and Operation Stabilize, East Timor, September – November 1999 and January 2000.

Global War on Terror

In January 2007, a detachment of Marines from MALS-36 attached to HMM-262 and deployed to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

Community involvement

The Marines and Sailors of MALS-36 participate in numerous community involvement activities every year. The activities range from cleaning nursing homes in the Okinawan community to picking up trash on the beautiful beaches of Okinawa. The majority of the participants are young Marines and Sailors, unselfishly dedicating their own free time to bettering the community and building a stronger relationship within the Japanese community. 2020 Marine Corps Aviation Association MALS of the Year

Awards

References

: ;Bibliography ;Web
MALS-36's official website
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