VMFA-122

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122


caption= VMFA-122 Insignia
dates= March 1, 1942 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Fighter/Attack
role= Close air support
Air interdiction
Aerial reconnaissance
size=
command_structure= Marine Aircraft Group 31
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
current_commander= LtCol Douglas G. Douds
garrison= Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= Werewolves (present)
Crusaders (1957-Jan 4, 2008)
Candystripers (WWII)
Werewolves (WWII)
"The Last Blue Collar Squadron"
patron=
motto=
colors=DC
colors_label=Tail Code
march=
mascot= Mach Altus
battles= World War II
* Battle of New Georgia
Vietnam War
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Iraqi Freedom
notable_commanders= Pappy Boyington
Marion Eugene Carl
John Fogg
anniversaries=
aircraft_fighter= F4F Wildcat
F4U Corsair
FH-1 Phantom
F2H Banshee
F6F Hellcat
F9F Panther
FJ Fury
F-8 Crusader
F-4 Phantom
F/A-18 Hornet

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron, known as the "Werewolves", are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW). Their traditional call sign is "Nikel". Their mascot, known as "Mach Altus" (Latin for "speed" and "altitude"), is a statue of a Crusades-era knight. [ [https://www.2maw.usmc.mil/MAG31/VMFA122/vmfa122info/machaltus.asp Mach Altus (official VMFA-122 website)] ]

Mission

Conduct anti-air warfare and offensive air support operations in support of Fleet Marine Forces from advance bases, expeditionary airfields, and aircraft carriers, and to conduct such other air operations as may be directed.

History

World War II

Marine Fighter Squadron 122 (VMF-122) was commissioned on March 1, 1942 at Camp Kearney in San Diego, California. Outfitted with the F4F Wildcat, the squadron, then known as the "Candystripers", saw their first combat tour in October 1942. During this tour they were part of the Cactus Air Force at Henderson Field and also operated out of Espiritu Santo. In April of 1943, while under the command of Major Pappy Boyington, the squadron transitioned to the F4U Corsair and accounted for 35 1/2 kills. The squadron's first combat tour ended in August of 1943 when they returned Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

For its second tour, VMF-122 embarked upon the USS Hollandia in July of 1944. From there they operated from an airstrip on Peleliu conducting combat operation until the end of the war in August of 1945. They returned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point) in February of 1946 and were deactivated between July and October of that year.

1950s

The squadron was reactivated in November of 1947 as the first Marine squadron to employ jet-propelled aircraft flying the FH Phantom. During this time the squadron also field the first and only Marine aerial demonstration team known as the "Flying Leathernecks. In October 1950, the squadron deployed from Naval Air Station Quonset Point aboard the USS Oriskany. In October 1951, the squadron became the first Marine jet squadron to be both day and night qualified for carrier operations. They toured the country for two years before being disbanded with the transition to the F2H Banshee. In 1952, they again transitioned to the F9F Panther and after a Mediterranean cruise in 1953 they were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 24 at MCAS Cherry Point.

January 1954 again saw the squadron transitioning aircraft, this time to the FJ Fury. The next few years saw a litany of small deployments onboard a multitude of aircraft carriers. The squadron relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in September of 1957 and in December of that year they became the first squadron in the Marine Corps to fly the F-8 Crusader. It was at this time that they transitioned from being the "Candystripers" to the new nickname of "Crusaders." The squadron became VMF(AW)-122 upon receiving all weather capable F-8Es in 1962. That year they also deployed to Key West to fly combat air patrol during the Cuban missile crisis.

Vietnam War

In 1964, VMF(AW)-122 deployed to Naval Air Facility Atsugi for a year and returned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in January of 1965. While at MCAS El Toro they transitioned to the F-4B Phantom and were redesignated VMFA-122. They deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in August 1967 and operated from the airbase at Danang. For the next five months, the squadron flew 2540 sorties and delivered 4800 tons of ordinance. In February of 1968, while supporting Marines during the Siege of Khe Sahn the squadron flew 629 sorties and dropped 1300 tons of ordinance. They rotated to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in September 1968 and returned to Vietnam during the summer of 1969, this time operating from Chu Lai.

1970s through 1990s

Following their time in Vietnam, the Crusaders were assigned to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in September 1970. They were then ordered to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan as a Joint Chiefs of Staff directive to counter a North Vietnamese offensive against South Vietnam. The squadron returned to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii on 27 December 1972.On August 14, 1974, VMFA-122 was placed in a cadre status in anticipation of becoming the Marine Corps’ first F-14A squadron. With the decision not to accept the Tomcat into the Marine Corps inventory, VMFA-122 was reactivated at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina and refitted with the F-4J. On September 25, 1985, VMFA-122 flew its last F-4 sortie, completing 20 years of service as a F-4 “Phantom” squadron.

On January 22, 1986, the squadron began a new era with the acceptance of its first F/A-18A Hornet. Throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s, and into the 2000’s VMFA-122 conducted multiple training deployments to Europe and throughout the United States.

Global War on Terror

In October 2001, the Crusaders increased their combat capabilities by transitioning to the F/A-18C. The squadron participated in the Unit Deployment Program (UDP), completing eleven deployments to the WesternPacific. From July 2002 to July 2003, the Crusaders completed a year long UDP due to the "stop-move" order implemented by the Marine Corps. This allowed Hornet squadrons from Beaufort to deploy to Kuwait in anticipation of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in January 2003. The Crusaders were dispatched from MCAS Iwakuni to many locations in the Pacific Rim, including Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii and Clark AB in the Philippines. In January 2005 the “Crusaders” continued the UDP rotation, deploying to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. In September 2006 the "Crusaders" again returned to MCAS Iwakuni with detachments to Clark AB in the Philippines, Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa, and Khorat, Thailand.

Prior to another squadron deployment in support of OIF later in 2008, the squadron reverted to their WWII nickname, the "Werewolves" [ [http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59292 Attack squadron changes commanders, moniker] ] The squadron began its first combat deployment in more than 30 years when it left MCAS Beaufort on August 29, 2008 headed for Al Asad Airbase.cite web
last =Donohue
first =Patrick
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Bittersweet: Air Station to welcome home squadrons while others deploy
work =
publisher =The Beaufort Gazette
date =2008-08-23
url =http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/531888.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-08-24] cite web
last =Donohue
first =Patrick
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =A tearful goodbye as squadrons depart for Iraq
work =
publisher =The Beaufort Gazette
date =2008-08-30
url =http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/540214.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-08-30]

ee also

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

Notes

References

:Marine Corps

;Bibliography
*cite book
title=U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945’’
author=Rottman, Gordon L.
date=2002
publisher=Greenwood Press
id=ISBN 0-313-31906-5
*cite book
last = Sherrod
first = Robert
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1952
chapter =
title = History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II
publisher = Combat Forces Press
location = Washington, D.C.
id =

;Web
* [http://www.2maw.usmc.mil/MAG31/VMFA122/default.asp VMFA-122's official website]
*cite paper
author =
title = MARINE FIGHTER ATTACK SQUADRON 122 - The Crusaders
version =
publisher = VMFA-122
date = 2006
url = https://www.2maw.usmc.mil/mag31/vmfa122/vmfa122info/CrusaderHistory.pdf
format =
accessdate = 2007-12-16
* cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = P-MAN IV - p. 7
work =
publisher = The Bent Prop Project
date =
url = http://www.bentprop.org/pm4/pmiv07.htm#misley
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-03-30

External links

* [http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=101404850&MyToken=c7d9263b-e35d-4462-b9e8-d2d2fbe03c93 VMFA-122 MySpace page]