America's MAG

Marine Aircraft Group 39 is an aviation unit currently based at Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, California. MAG-39 is currently composed of five squadrons of AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1N Huey aircrafts, three CH-46E Sea Knight squadrons, one aviation logistics squadron, and one headquarters squadron. MAG-39 is a part of the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

The group was activated April 16, 1968 at Quang Tri Airfield, Republic of Vietnam, as Provisional Marine Aircraft Group 39 and assigned to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. They participated in the war in Vietnam from April 1968 to October 1969, operating from Quang Tri. Deactivated on October 31, 1969 and reactivated on October 31, 1975 on board the USS Blue Ridge off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam, MAG-39 participated in the Southeast Asia evacuation in Vietnam during April 1975. Once again, the group was deactivated on May 12, 1975 and subsequently reactivated on September 1, 1976 at Camp Pendleton, as Marine Aircraft Group 39 and assigned to the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.

Since then, MAG-39 elements have participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Southwest Asia region from August 1990 to April 1991. Elements of MAG-39 participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from December 1992 to April 1993. More recently, elements participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from December 2001 to June 2002 and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2003 to October 2003, operating from Ali Al Salem, Kuwait and bases in Iraq. MAG-39 continues to support the Global War on Terrorism from the Iraqi desert, from November 2003 to present.