Marine Air Control Squadron 4

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name= Marine Air Control Squadron 4

| image= MACS-4 OFFICIAL Transparent.gif

| image_size = 200

|caption= MACS-4 Insignia

|dates= 5 May 1944 – 30 Apr 1947
30 Jun 1951 – 31 Jan 1971
15 Jun 1971 – present

|country = {{flagu|United States|name=United States of America|size=23px}}

|branch = {{flag|United States Marine Corps|size=23px}}

|type= Aviation Command & Control

|role= Aerial surveillance & Air traffic control

|size=

|command_structure= Marine Air Control Group 18
1st Marine Aircraft Wing

|current_commander= LtCol L. Terrell Watts

|garrison= Marine Corps Air Station Futenma

|ceremonial_chief=

|colonel_of_the_regiment=

|nickname= Vice Squad

|patron=

|motto=

|colors=

|march=

|mascot=

|battles= Vietnam War
Operation Enduring Freedom

|anniversaries=

}}

Marine Air Control Squadron 4 (MACS-4) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron that provides aerial surveillance, Ground-controlled interception, and air traffic control for the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Originally formed in World War II, the squadron's most notable combat operations occurred during the Vietnam War when it was the first unit to ever use the Marine Tactical Data System. They are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

Subordinate units

The squadron is currently structured as follows:{{cite web |url=https://www.dvidshub.net/news/385580/macs-4-re-designation-and-activation-ceremony |title=MACS-4 Re-Designation and Activation Ceremony |last= Cano|first=Gerardo |date=December 18, 2020 |website= |publisher=United States Marine Corps |access-date=December 24, 2020 |quote=}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

!style="width:20em"|Name!!Location

align="center"|Headquarters and Service CompanyMCAS Futenma
align="center"|Air Traffic Control Company KiloMCAS Futenma
align="center"|Air Traffic Control Company LimaMCAS Iwakuni
align="center"|Air Traffic Control Company MikeMCAS Kaneohe Bay
align="center"|Air Defense Company AlphaMCAS Futenma
align="center"|Air Defense Company BravoMCAS Futenma

Mission

Provide air surveillance and the control of aircraft and Surface-To-Air weapons for antiair warfare; Continuous All-Weather radar and Non-Radar air traffic control service, and airspace management in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF)

History

=Early years=

Air Warning Squadron 13 was commissioned 5 May 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and assigned to 1st Marine Air Warning Group, 9th Marine Aircraft Wing.{{sfn|Rottman|2002|pp=449}} On 12 August 1944 the squadron moved to Naval Air Station Vero Beach, Florida to assist in the air control program and give squadron personnel experience in night intercept problems. The squadron was responsible for operating an SCR-527 radar at Sebastian, the SCR-270 radars at Stuart and Roseland and the Radio direction finder (RDF) stations at Melbourne, Vero Beach and Stuart. The squadron departed NAS Vero Beach on 7 June 1945 heading for the west coast. They were redesignated 1 August 1946 to Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 4 and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 2. The squadron was decommissioned 30 April 1947.

They were reactivated 30 June 1951 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana, California and assigned to Marine Air Control Group 3, Air Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Re-designated 15 February 1954 as Marine Air Control Squadron 4. They moved in July 1959 to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and were assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Group, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Their first deployment was to Thailand during May–July 1962 in connection with communist threat to that country.

=Vietnam War=

The squadron was relocated again to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California in October 1965. In late May 1967, MACS-4 departed San Diego onboard the USS Hermitage (LSD-34) and landed in Danang, Republic of Vietnam.{{cite web |url=http://milspeak.org/milspeak/gardner4-19-09.html |title=MACCS & Some Of Its Contributors: As I Remember It |last=Gardner |first=Kenneth M. |date= |website=Milspeak.org |publisher= |access-date=2022-05-27}} The squadron was emplaced at the Monkey Mountain Facility on Monkey Mountain east of Danang and was the first to utilize the newly fielded Marine Tactical Data System (MTDS).{{sfn|Telfer|Rogers|Fleming|1984|pp=200}} They began operations on July 6, 1967.{{cite web |url=https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/reports/images.php?img=/images/1201/1201072128.pdf|title=Command Chronology for period 1 January 1967 to 31 July 1967 |last= |first= |publisher=MACS-4 |date=11 August 1967 |website= Texas Tech University - The Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive |access-date=October 30, 2019}} This site was chosen because of it was co-located with the HAWK Missile Batteries of the 1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion and the United States Air Force's Panama Air Control Facility. The site also provided excellent line of sight to United States Seventh Fleet ships operating in Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin.{{cite web | last =Boslaugh | first =David L. | authorlink = | title = When Computers Went to Sea: The Digitization of the United States Navy| publisher = IEEE Computer Society Press | date = 1999| url = https://ethw.org/First-Hand:The_Marine_Tactical_Data_System_and_the_Airborne_Tactical_Data_System_-_Chapter_8_of_the_Story_of_the_Naval_Tactical_Data_System | format = | doi = | accessdate = 30 October 2019}} On September 1, 1967 the squadron was reassigned to the newly commissioned Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. MACS-4 provided positive radar control for the Marine Corps' area of operations in I Corps Tactical Zone. On 13 January 1971 at 0001, MACS-4 made its last tactical transmission in support of operations during the Vietnam War. During its time in Vietnam utilizing MTDS, MACS-4 controlled or assisted 472,146 aircraft.{{cite web |url=https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/reports/images.php?img=/images/1201/1201072170.pdf|title=Command Chronology for the period 1-31 January 1971 |last= |first= |publisher=MACS-4 |date=1 February 1971 |website= Texas Tech University - The Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive |access-date=October 30, 2019}} The squadron departed Vietnam embarking on the USS Alamo (LSD-33) on January 31, 1971 to head back to MCAS Santa Ana, California. The squadron was decommissioned the same day it left Vietnam and was reactivated on June 15, 1971 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan remaining part of MACG-18. Even though MACS-4 departed Vietnam on January 31, 1971 it maintained a small detachment of twenty Marines on top of Monkey Mountain to man the AN/TYQ-3 - Tactical Data Communications Central (TDCC). The AN/TYQ-3 facilitated critical data exchange between the USAF and USN during the later stages of the Vietnam War. This detachment remained in support of operations until 14 February 1973.{{cite web |url=https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/reports/images.php?img=/images/1201/1201072175.pdf|title=Command Chronology for the period 1 January -30 June 1973 |last= |first= |publisher=MACS-4 |date=5 July 1973 |website= Texas Tech University - The Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive |access-date=October 30, 2019}}

=Global War on Terror=

Elements of the squadron participated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, April 2002 through March 2004.

Unit awards

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. MACS-4 has been presented with the following awards:{{cite web|url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/MARINE%20AIR%20CONTROL%20SQUADRON%204.pdf|title=Lineage and Honors of MACS-4|date=2017-11-27|website=usmcu.edu |access-date=2024-12-26}}{{cite web |url=https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/NAVMC%202922%2020200513.pdf?ver=2020-06-01-154006-443 |title=NAVMC 2922 |author= |date=2020-05-13 |website=Marines.mil |publisher=United States Marine Corps |access-date=2024-12-26}}{{cite web |url=https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/MARINE%20AIR%20CONTROL%20SQUADRON%204_1.pdf |title=Marine Air Control Squadron 4 Awards|author= |date=|website=usmcu.edu |publisher=United States Marine Corps |access-date=2024-12-26}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"

! Streamer

! Award

! Year(s)

! Additional Info

|200pxPresidential Unit Citation Streamer1967Vietnam
|200pxJoint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer1990JTF-4
|File:NUC 1S.PNGNavy Unit Commendation Streamer with one Bronze Star1967-1968, 2002-2003Vietnam, Afghanistan
|200pxMeritorious Unit Commendation Streamer with one silver star1982-1984, 1985–1987, 1997–1999, 2000-2002, 2004-2005, 2008-2010
|200pxMarine Corps Expeditionary Streamer1962Thailand
|200pxAmerican Campaign Streamer1944-1946
|200pxWorld War II Victory Streamer1944–1946
|File:NDS 3B.PNGNational Defense Service Streamer with three Bronze Stars1951–1954, 1961–1974, 1990–1995, 2001–presentKorean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, War on Terrorism
|200pxGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer2002-2004Afghanistan
|200pxGlobal War on Terrorism Service Streamer2001–2022
|200pxVietnam Service Streamer with two Silver Stars1967-1971
|File:VMUA PALM.PNGVietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Streamer1967-1969
|File:Streamer RVMUCCA.PNGVietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer1969-1970

See also

Citations

:{{Marine Corps}}

{{Reflist}}

References

{{Refbegin}}

;Bibliography

  • {{cite book

| last = Rottman

| first = Gordon

| title = U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945

| publisher = Greenwood Press

| location = Westport, CT

| year = 2002

| isbn=0-313-31906-5

}}

  • {{cite book |last1=Telfer |first1=Gary L. |last2=Rogers |first2=Lane |last3=Fleming |first3=V. Keith |author-link= |date=1984 |title=US Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967 |url=https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20Vietnam%20Fighting%20the%20North%20Vietnamese%201967%20%20PCN%2019000309000_4.pdf |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher= History & Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps|page= |isbn=}}

;Web

  • [https://www.1stmaw.marines.mil/Subordinate-Units/Marine-Air-Control-Group-18/MACS-4/ MACS-4’s official website]

{{Refend}}

{{MACCS}}

{{US Marine Corps navbox}}

{{1stMAW}}

Radar