MCAS Yuma Harrier squadron conducts sundown ceremony
The U.S. Marine Corps is deactivating an AV8B Harrier squadron currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, marking what will have been 78 years of service to the country.
Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311, which flew the Harrier in support of numerous military conflicts, conducted a sundown ceremony inside the squadron’s hangar on Thursday.
The squadron will receive a new designation in the Spring of 2022 when it merges with VMA-214 to fly the F-35B Lightning and form Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311.
The squadron now begins the process of relocating from MCAS Yuma to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Known as the Tomcats, VMA-311 was initially commissioned in 1942 as a fighter attack squadron in Cherry Point, N.C.
The squadron deployed in support of the WWII island hopping campaign, and flew the first
Marine jet combat mission in 1950 during the Korean War.
“The reputable Tomcats have an exceptional level of esprit de corps representing 78 years of superior performance,” said Sgt. Maj. Colin Barry, VMA-311 sergeant major. “The Tomcats imbued a level of morale within each other that was unmatched, but I have no doubt the newly adopted VMA-214 Black Sheep identity will be embraced, and they will continue performing remarkably.”
VMA-311 was named the Marine Corps Aviator Association’s Attack Squadron of the Year in 1998 and 1991, and became the first Marine squadron to employ the AV-8B Harrier in combat during Operation Desert Shield.
VMA-311’s Harriers were also the first to fly combat missions in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, and participated in the first combat sortie of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
With a longstanding tradition of aviation firsts, VMA-311 has remained an integral force in the nation’s forward presence around the globe.
The transition to the F-35B marks one of the many advancements that the Marine Corps is taking to maintain air-superiority and ensure mission readiness.
Though the F-35B and the AV-8B both offer vertical lift and takeoff capabilities, the F-35B is unmatched in terms of versatility, lethality, and reduced pilot fatigue.
The F-35 represents the future of Marine Corps tactical aviation, and will deliver strategic agility, operational flexibility, and tactical supremacy to the Marine Air Ground Task Force.
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ( MAW) continues to “Fix, Fly, and Fight” as the Marine Corps’ largest aircraft wing and remains combat-ready, deployable on short notice, and lethal when called into action.
The fighter squadrons based at MCAS Yuma are under the command of 3rd Maw, which is the major West Coast aviation unit. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force.