VMFA(AW)-533

Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 553
VMFA(AW)-553 Insignia courtesy of www.military-graphics.com
Active	October 1, 1943 - present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	All WeatherFighter/Attack
Role	Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 31 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
Nickname	Hawks Black Mac's Killers (WWII) Crystal Gazers (WWII)
Motto	"In Hoc Signo Vinces" {Upon This Signal Conquer}
Tail Code	ED
Engagements	World War II * Battle of Okinawa Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol James E. Quinn
Aircraft flown
Attack	A-4 Skyhawk A-6 Intruder
Fighter	F6F-5N Hellcat F7F-3N Tigercat F2H-4 Banshee F9F Cougar F/A-18D Hornet

Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 553 (VMFA(AW)-553) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Hawks", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW).

Mission

Conduct joint / combined aviation operations in order to support a Marine Air Ground Task Force commander's Command and Control, intelligence, fires, maneuver, and force protection warfighting functions.

History

World War II

On October 1, 1943, Marine Night Fighter Squadron 533 (VMF(N)-533) was commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Originally known as "Black Mac's Killers", after their first commanding officer Major Marion M. Magruder, they were one of three night fighter squadrons to be activated in the Marine Corps and were outfitted with the Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, equipped with the APS-6 radar. The squadron left for the West Coast in early April and on April 16, they embarked on board the USS Long Island (CVE-1) headed for the South Pacific. In May 1944, the squadron conducted their final training on the F6F aboard Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii and then headed for Eniwetok. On June 12 they relieved VMF(N)-532 and assumed night defense responsibilities for the area. On November 30 they moved to Engebi and continued operations^[1].

Squadron logo during World War II.

On May 7, 1945, with only two days notice, the squadron of 15 F6F Hellcat planes took off from Engebi with R5C escorts and flew to Saipan, a total of 1,004 nautical miles (1,859 km). This was the longest flight ever over water by a squadron in single engine military aircraft. Each plane had a 150-gallon belly tank, and the squadron had to travel at the speed of the slowest plane^[2]

The squadron moved to Yontan Airfield, Okinawa in May 1945 and finally settled on Ie Shima on June 15, 1945. Between May 14 and June 29, 533 would claim shooting down 30 Japanese planes - by radar, at night - without one operational loss. This was a night fighter record for enemy planes shot down by a single squadron.^[2] They also had the first night fighter ace, Capt Robert Baird. The first F7F-2N Tigercat for the squadron arrived on Okinawa the day before the end of the war so it did not see combat. In October 1945, the squadron moved to Peiping, China for occupation duty and completed their transition to the new Tigercat^[3]. The Hawks soon moved to Hawaii before finally settling back in the U.S. at MCAS Cherry Point in January 1947. 533 would spend the Korean War there as well, training Tigercat aircrew for night combat overseas.

1950s - 1960s

533 entered the jet age in May 1953 with its acquisition of the F2H-4 Banshee. They saw several carrier deployments in the ensuing years, followed by another transition to the F9F Cougar in 1957. Yet another change was soon to follow as the squadron received the A4D Skyhawk in 1959, and with it a redesignation to Marine Attack Squadron 533 (VMA-533). The next change was to come in 1965 when the Hawks received the A-6A Intruder, giving them an all-weather capability and the appropriate change in title, VMA(AW)-533.

The Vietnam War

Soon after transitioning to the A-6, VMFA-533 deployed to Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam to support combat operations. They remained there from 1967 to 1969, then redeploying to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. All told, VMA(AW)-533 accumulated over 10,000 combat sorties in these busy years, garnering them the Commandant’s Aviation Efficiency Trophy. In one noted incident, on October 25, 1967, three A-6A Intruders from VMA(AW)-533 attacked the Phuc Yen Airfield outside of Hanoi and the action was so intense all three pilots were awarded the Navy Cross. These were the only Navy Crosses awarded to fixed wing pilots during the Vietnam War^[4].

This would not be the last time that the Hawks would see combat over Southeast Asia. They returned to service over Vietnam in 1972, deploying for a year to Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong, Thailand. They were soon flying mission over Cambodia and Laos, as well. They returned to MCAS Iwakuni in March 1974, and then to MCAS Cherry Point in November 1975, where they received their first A-6E the following year.

The Gulf War & the 1990s

The squadron deployed to Bahrain in December 1990 for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Following participation in those hostilities, VMA(AW)-533 returned home after an “around the world” deployment that lasted eleven and a half months.

September 1, 1992 brought many changes to 533, most notably a change to the new F/A-18D Hornet, and with this its newest and current designation, and a move to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. This made them the first all-weather fighter attack squadron in 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. These techniques would soon be put to the test when VMFA(AW)-533 was deployed to Aviano Air Base in July 1993. They returned three times over the next five years, flying a wide variety of missions to support NATO operations. In 1999, the squadron supported Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia from Taszar Air Base Hungary and flew 111 combat sorties during the conflict. After the cease-fire of June 11, 1999, the Hawks flew an additional 82 combat sorties to ensure Serb compliance with the withdrawal from Kosovo^[5].

Global War on Terror

The squadron deployed to the Kuwait supporting Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom, arriving at Al-Jaber Air Base on February 11, 2003. On March 20, coalition forces began the ground offensive with support from the squadron’s Hornets. While operating around the clock, the squadron expended over 800,000 pounds of ordnance, flying 558 sorties and 1440 flight hours. For their support of the successful campaign against the Iraqi regime, the Hawks were awarded another Presidential Unit Citation. In the Spring of 2006 they redeployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In February 2008 the squadron deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program in which they were the first east coast squadron to deploy straight from MCAS Beaufort directly to Yechon Air Base, South Korea. In September 2008 the squadron returned to MCAS Beaufort. From July 2009 until January 2010 the squadron deployed to MCAS Iwakuni to take part in the Unit Deployment Program.^[6] During their time overseas they provided real-time imagery and reconnaissance during relief efforts in the Philippines following Typhoon Ketsana.^[7]

Gallery

• 

  F6F-5N Hellcat night fighters of VMF(N)-533

• 

  Pilot briefing on Okinawa

• 

  VMF(N)-533 pilots on Okinawa, 1945

• 

  VMF-533 F2H-4s on USS Lake Champlain, 1957

• 

  A-4Cs of VMA-533 during in flight refueling

• 

  VMA(AW)-533 A-6E Intruders, 1981

• 

  F/A-18D Hornet from VMFA(AW)-533 refueling

See also

United States Marine Corps portal

• United States Marine Corps Aviation
• List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
• List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons

Notes

1. ^ Sherrod History of Marine Corps Aviation, p. .
2. ^ ^{a b} Trejo, Shari (May 30, 2008). "They pledged allegiance to the flag". The Walton Sun. http://www.waltonsun.com/news/straub_1496___article.html/one_flight.html. Retrieved 2008-05-30. 
3. ^ Shettle USMC Air Stations of WWII, p. 50.
4. ^ Dorr Marine Air, p. .
5. ^ VMFA(AW)-533: Multi-mission excellence in the F/A-18D
6. ^ Donohue, Patrick (2008-08-23). "Bittersweet: Air Station to welcome home squadrons while others deploy". The Beaufort Gazette. http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/531888.html. Retrieved 2008-08-24. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ . http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=43830. 

References

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

Bibliography

• Dorr, Robert F. (2005). Marine Air - The History of the Flying Leathernecks in Words and Photos. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-425-20725-0. 
• Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945.’’. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5. 
• Shettle Jr., M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Schaertel Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-964-33882-3. 
• Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press. 

Web

• VMFA(AW)-553's official website
• VMA(AW)-533 photos

External links

• Video of VMFA(AW)-533 actions during the 2003 invasion of Iraq