Marine Wing Support Squadron 372
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Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 (MWSS 372) is an aviation ground 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 ...
. Known as the "Diamondbacks", the squadron is based at
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
, California. It falls under the command of
Marine Air Control Group 38 Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of four squadrons and one battalion that provide the 3rd Marine Aircraf ...
and the
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (abbreviated as 3rd MAW) is the major west coast aviation 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, ...
and maintains a direct support relationship to
Marine Aircraft Group 39 Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California that is currently composed of four AH-1Z "Viper" Cobra and UH-1Y "Venom" Huey light attack squadrons, two MV-2 ...
.


Mission

MWSS-372 task organizes to conduct direct aviation ground support for Marine Aircraft Group 39 or other designated aviation forces. This is accomplished through establishing and supporting expeditionary aviation shore-based sites through forward aviation combat engineering, flight line operations, forward arming and refueling points, airfield damage repair, and aircraft salvage and recovery in order to enable expeditionary aviation operations.


History


1980s & 1990s

MWSS-372 was commissioned on 2 June 1986, aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The squadron was responsible for providing Aviation Ground Support (AGS) to Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39). Prior to commissioning, the unit was known as Detachment "A", Marine Wing Support Group 37 (MWSG-37), which formed on 1 July 1977. In 1990, the Squadron deployed to Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. Over 300 MWSS-372 Marines deployed as part of the military buildup in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
and the subsequent combat operations throughout
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
and
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 ...
. Not long after the Squadron’s return, MWSS-372 deployed to
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
in December 1992 in support of
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 ...
. After conducting support operations out of the capital of
Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
, the squadron pushed inland and established an initial AGS capability at
Baledogle Airfield Baledogle Airfield, also called Wanlaweyn Airstrip, is the largest military air base in Somalia, about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The airfield was constructed in the 1970s for the Somali Air Force with assistance of the So ...
and a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) in
Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali (Af-Maxaa): , ) is the largest city of the South West State of Somalia. Between 2002 and 2014, Baidoa was the capital of the South West State. In 2014, the capital was changed to Barawa. Overview Baydhabo is the main hub of ...
until redeployment back in Mogadishu when the Marine Corps' mission ended. In January 1993, MCAS Camp Pendleton was devastated by the flooding of the
Santa Margarita River The Santa Margarita River which with the addition of what is now Temecula Creek, was formerly known as the Temecula River, is a short intermittent river on the Pacific coast of Southern California in the United States, approximately U.S. Geolog ...
, completely shutting down aviation operations and destroying millions of dollars of equipment. MWSS-372(-), despite having most of the Unit’s personnel and equipment in Somalia, spearheaded the recovery with communications, heavy equipment, and construction support. The Unit was awarded the
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
in recognition for these efforts. In December 1996, the Squadron completed construction of the first K-Span structure build aboard MCAS Camp Pendleton, providing
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 (MALS-39) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Once known as the "Magicians," they are now known as the "Hellhounds", and they fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Gro ...
with a cost-efficient means to accommodate the growing maintenance demands of the next millennium.


Iraq & Afghanistan

In January 2003, MWSS-372 deployed to Kuwait and augmented the offload preparation party with the reception of Maritime Prepositioned Equipment and Supplies (MPE/S) at the port of Shuiaba. In March 2003, the squadron took part in the
invasion of Iraq An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives ...
. While supporting Marine aviation elements through strategic
Forward arming and refuelling point A forward arming and refuelling point (FARP) or forward area refuelling pointUSAF is a NATO term for an area where aircraft (typically helicopters) can be refuelled and re-armed at a distance closer to their area of operations than their main ...
s (FARPs), the squadron also dispensed fuel to
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
medevac aircraft as well as Marine tanks and
assault amphibious vehicle The Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV)—official designation AAVP-7A1 (formerly known as Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel-7 abbr. LVTP-7)—is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Platforms & Services (prev ...
s during the push north to
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. On 8 April 2003, during the run to Baghdad, MWSS-372 and a detachment of
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...
s, cleared obstacles and reopened the 9000-foot
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
at Salman Pak East. In November 2005, the Squadron was again forward deployed to Iraq in support of OIF. In addition to providing AGS to
2d Marine Aircraft Wing The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The Wing provides the aviation combat element for the ...
(Forward), the "Diamondbacks" participated in combat operations with the
2d Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeu ...
during two historic Iraqi elections during OIF 04-06.2. In recognition of MWSS-372’s outstanding performance in CONUS and Iraq throughout 2005, the Squadron formally received two major awards. The Engineer Operations Company was named Engineer Company of the Year by the Marine Corps Engineer Association (MCEA) and the Squadron received the 2006 Hatch Award (MWSS of the Year) from the Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA). From August 2007 to March 2008, the Unit was called to support Multi-National Force–West (MNF-W) at sites across Iraq, to include: Al Asad Airbase, Al Qa’im, Mudaysis, and Fallujah. In September 2009, the Diamondbacks deployed in full to Southern Afghanistan to support Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 9.2. The deployment culminated with MWSS-372 Marines providing FARP support to aircraft inserting Marines into the Taliban stronghold of Marjeh during Operation Moshtarak, the largest military operation in the Afghan War. In April 2012, MWSS-372 transferred parent commands from MWSG-37 to MAG-39. This realignment strengthened the relationship between the MWSS and supported flying squadrons and allowed for more flexible and timely AGS to MAG-39. From September 2013 to April 2014, MWSS-372 deployed to Afghanistan in support of OEF 13.2 and assumed responsibility for providing AGS to units within ISAF Regional Command Southwest. For the Squadron’s exceptional performance during 2013, it was again recognized as the MWSS of the Year by the MCAA. MWSS-372 was most recently recognized as the MWSS of the Year in 2024 for sustained meritorious service while providing exceptional aviation ground support to Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendelton, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, and sister service units across the globe. Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 demonstrated superior performance and operational impact through multiple exercises and operations as the foremost aviation ground support unit, leading the way in coordinating joint force efforts and providing effective combat service support across the MAGTF. Notably, the Squadron served as MACG-58 during the execution of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-24, a first for an MWSS. MACG-58 comprised seven subordinate units and over 1,000 marines and sailors from the aviation ground support and aviation command and control communities.


Gallery

File:MWSS-372 insignia.png, Squadron logo from the 1990s


Unit awards

Since the beginning of World War II, the United States military has honored various units for extraordinary heroism or outstanding non-combat service. This information is compiled by the
United States Marine Corps History Division The United States Marine Corps History Division is an arm of the Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the United States Marine Corps. It also provides reference and research assistance; prese ...
and is certified by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. MWSS-372 has been awarded the following unit awards:


See also

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United States Marine Corps Aviation The United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providi ...
*
Organization of the United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recr ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units This is a list of United States Marine Corps aviation support squadrons and other units, sorted by type. Active Marine Wing Headquarters Squadrons The Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron (MWHS) provides administrative and supply support for a Mar ...


Notes


References

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External links

* {{3rdMAW MWSS372