• Source: Marine Air Support Squadron 3

      • 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron 3 (MASS-3), is a United States 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps aviation command and control unit that provides the Direct 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Center (DASC) for the 1st 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based out of the 32 Area on 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Aircraft Wing.


      Mission


      Provide Direct 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Center (DASC) and DASC-Airborne capabilities for control and coordination of aircraft operating in direct 3/info/support" target="_blank">support of 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Operations."
      Role of DASC:
      Process immediate 3/info/air" target="_blank">air 3/info/support" target="_blank">support requests, integrate aircraft with supporting arms, manage terminal control assets and procedurally control aircraft.


      History




      = Early years

      =
      3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Tactical 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air Control 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron 3 (MTACS-3) was commissioned on 3 August 1950 under 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air Control Group 2 and the 1st 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Aircraft Wing. On 28 March 1951 the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron moved under the command of 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air Control Group 3 (MACG-3). From 22-24 May 1951, communications Marines from MTACS-3 assisted in the search for a missing Orange County girl. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron coordinated with 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine helicopter squadrons that were also participating in the search. In 1952 the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron took part in SATEX, AMLEX-1, AIRLEX-1, PHIBEX-1 and Div FEX 1.
      The original 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron was composed of a Direct 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Center, and two 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Radar Teams (ASRTs). A third 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Radar Team was added in 1961. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron utilized the AN/TSQ-122 Direct 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Central. The AN/TSQ-122 was a large control system housed in a rigid fiberglass modular structure. To provide an echelon capability, the MASS 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron also operated and maintained the AN/UYQ-3 3/info/air" target="_blank">air/mobile DASC. The AN/UYQ-3 operated in a modified KC-130 aircraft, as well as on the back of a 2.5 short tons (2.3 t) truck. Together, the 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron was capable of supporting the full range of MAGTFs, up to and including a 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Amphibious Force (MAF).
      They received their current designation of 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron 3 on 15 February 1954. In October 1962, MASS-3 deployed to the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis but in December of that year were relocated to 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air Station El Toro.


      = Vietnam War

      =
      See "History" under Direct 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Center.

      MASS-3 entered Vietnam on 10 November 1966 when they disembarked from the USS Jennings County (LST-846) at Chu Lai. They remained in country until June 1971. On 16 and 17 January 1968, 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Radar Team B (ASRT-B) from MASS-3 displaced from Chu Lai to Khe Sanh to handle ground controlled radar bombing missions. On 20 January the DASC was brought into Khe Sahn as well.
      During their time in Vietnam, MASS-3 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Radar Teams controlled more than 38,010 AN/TPQ-10 missions, directing more than 121,000 short tons (110,000 t) of ordnance on 56,753 targets. They operated from Chu Lai and Da Nang during this time.


      = The 1980s and 1990s

      =
      In May 1980, MASS-3 again relocated, this time to 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. During this time the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron undertook an extensive schedule of joint service and multi-national exercises in addition to the regular complement of 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps exercises. Some of these exercises included Bright Star (Egypt), Freedom Banner (South Korea), Blue Flag (Nevada), Display Determination (Turkey) and Gallant Eagle (California). During this time MASS-3 also acquired new equipment and refined employment techniques. In December 1984, MASS-3 took delivery of the AN/TPS-10D, an upgraded radar guidance system used to direct close 3/info/air" target="_blank">air 3/info/support" target="_blank">support aircraft to deliver ordnance both day and night in all-weather conditions. In April 1988, the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron received the AN/TSQ-155 Improved DASC and its associated radio van, the OE-334.
      Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait set off hostilities throughout Southwest Asia. Because of this on 21 August 1990 the first elements of MASS-3 began arriving into Saudi Arabia. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron commenced operations coordinating joint and coalition 3/info/air" target="_blank">air 3/info/support" target="_blank">support on 28 August at the Jubail Naval Airfield. MASS-3 provided a Corps-level DASC co-located with the I 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Expeditionary Force and two 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Elements (ASE) to 3/info/support" target="_blank">support the 1st and 2nd 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Divisions. During the course of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, MASS-3's DASC and ASE were operational for 4450 hours controlling 7359 fixed wing and 3065 rotary wing missions. They also processed 995 tactical 3/info/air" target="_blank">air requests, 141 assault 3/info/support" target="_blank">support requests and 180 MEDEVACs. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron's participation in combat operations culminated on 7 March 1991 when the DASC and ASEs safely returned to Jubail Naval Airfield. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron returned to MCB Camp Pendleton on 17 March 1991 and immediately commenced its normally training schedule.


      = Operation Iraqi Freedom

      =

      MASS 3 began sending units to Kuwait in October 2002 as part of the troop build-up for what would become Operation Iraqi Freedom. MASS-3 provided 3/info/air" target="_blank">air 3/info/support" target="_blank">support for the 1st 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Division from the Kuwaiti border to Tikrit and had units remain in country until the division redeployed in October 2003.
      MASS-3 returned to Iraq in January 2004 again providing 3/info/air" target="_blank">air 3/info/support" target="_blank">support for the 1st 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Division during operations throughout Al Anbar Province. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron's initial lay down had the main DASC established at Camp Blue Diamond in Ramadi and an 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Element tasked to 3/info/support" target="_blank">support 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines in the vicinity of Al-Qa'im. 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Liaison Teams were also attached to Regimental Combat Teams 1 and 7. Later in 2004 the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron sent a detachment of Marines to serve as liaisons onboard the E-8 Joint STARS flying in 3/info/support" target="_blank">support of I MEF operations. In November 2004, the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron formed an additional 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Liaison Team to co-locate with the 1st 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Division at Camp Fallujah in order to provide additional 3/info/support" target="_blank">support for the Second Battle of Fallujah. During the battle the 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron coordinated 875 CASEVACSs, 491 MEDEVACS, 1856 joint tactical 3/info/air" target="_blank">air requests. The 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">squadron was replaced by 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support 3/info/squadron" target="_blank">Squadron 1 returning to MCB Camp Pendleton in February 2005.


      = Operation Enduring Freedom

      =
      In April 2010, MASS-3 deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in 3/info/support" target="_blank">support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They supported combat operations in 3/info/support" target="_blank">support of I MEF for a year while based at Camp Leatherneck. Subordinate elements included an 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Element (ASE) at Camp Dwyer and an 3/info/air" target="_blank">Air 3/info/support" target="_blank">Support Liaison Team (ASLT) at Main Operating Base Lashkar Gah.


      Gallery













      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 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps History Division and is certified by the Commandant of the 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps.


      See also


      List of United States 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps aviation 3/info/support" target="_blank">support squadrons
      Organization of the United States 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps


      References


      This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States 3/info/marine" target="_blank">Marine Corps.


      External links

    Kata Kunci Pencarian: