Marine Aircraft Group 46
A former United States Marine Corps Reserve aviation group that organized, trained, and equipped aviation units for augmentation of the active Marine Corps.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Marine Aircraft Group 46, commonly abbreviated MAG-46, was a United States Marine Corps Reserve aviation group responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Marine aviation personnel and subordinate squadrons. It operated within the Marine Corps total-force structure, providing trained aviation units and individual Marines who could reinforce active-component formations when required. The group ultimately came under the control of 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Forces Reserve. The organization was first activated on 1 March 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, as Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 46. During the Second World War, its principal responsibilities involved supervising the training and administration of attached squadrons and detachments, preparing formations for combat duty, and training replacement pilots and aircrew for Marine aviation units deployed to operational theaters. It was redesignated Marine Aircraft Group 46 on 10 November 1944 and then Marine Air Support Group 46 on 15 May 1945. Following the end of hostilities and the rapid postwar demobilization of the Marine Corps, the group was deactivated on 15 March 1946. MAG-46 was reactivated on 1 July 1962 at Grosse Ile, Michigan, as part of a broader reorganization of Marine aviation associated with the creation and development of the Marine Corps Reserve’s 4th Marine Division structure. The group moved to Naval Air Station New York in Brooklyn on 1 November 1965. In early 1971, it returned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California, where it remained for more than two decades. In August 1994, the group moved to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in the San Diego area, which became its final base. In its later configuration, MAG-46 coordinated a diverse collection of reserve aviation capabilities. Its subordinate units included an adversary squadron operating F-5 aircraft, a CH-46 transport squadron, a CH-53E heavy-lift helicopter squadron, an AH-1W attack and UH-1N utility helicopter squadron, and a maintenance and logistics squadron. These elements reflected the group’s role as an aviation headquarters rather than a commercial product brand: its outputs were trained personnel, operationally ready squadrons, aircraft support, and deployable aviation capacity. During the 1990s and 2000s, MAG-46 units contributed to United States operations associated with the global war on terrorism. Elements participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, including missions connected with Marine aviation support, transportation, attack, heavy lift, training, and logistics. The exact assignments and deployment periods of individual subordinate units varied over time. The group was deactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on 19 June 2009. Its deactivation formed part of a wider reorganization of Marine aviation and ended MAG-46’s existence as an active Marine Corps Reserve aviation group. Because it was a military organization rather than a commercial enterprise, it had no publicly traded status, consumer-facing product portfolio, or conventional brand ownership structure.
History
Marine Aircraft Group 46 originated during the Second World War. On 1 March 1944, it was activated at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, under the name Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 46. Its wartime role was primarily organizational and instructional. The group administered and supervised the training of attached squadrons and detachments, prepared personnel and units for combat duty, and trained replacement pilots and aircrew for Marine squadrons serving in combat areas. On 10 November 1944, the organization received the designation Marine Aircraft Group 46. It was redesignated again on 15 May 1945 as Marine Air Support Group 46. The end of the war brought rapid demobilization across the United States armed forces, and the group was deactivated on 15 March 1946. Marine aviation underwent another major structural reorganization in the early 1960s. In connection with the development of the Marine Corps Reserve and the 4th Marine Division structure, MAG-46 was reactivated on 1 July 1962 at Grosse Ile, Michigan. On 1 November 1965, it moved to Naval Air Station New York in Brooklyn. The group returned to California in early 1971, relocating to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. El Toro remained its base until August 1994, when MAG-46 moved to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. As a Reserve aviation group, MAG-46 did not function as a single flying squadron. Instead, it provided command, administration, training, readiness oversight, and support for subordinate aviation units. In its later form, those units included an adversary squadron equipped with F-5 aircraft; a CH-46 squadron for medium-lift transport; a CH-53E squadron for heavy-lift helicopter operations; an AH-1W and UH-1N squadron combining attack and utility helicopter capabilities; and a maintenance and logistics squadron. The group’s stated mission was to organize, train, and equip individual Marines and combat-ready squadrons, then augment or reinforce the active component when required. Following the end of the Cold War, MAG-46 and its subordinate units operated within a Marine Corps increasingly focused on expeditionary deployments and overseas contingency operations. During the 1990s and 2000s, units connected with the group participated in missions associated with the global war on terrorism. The group’s aviation capabilities supported Marine operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Participation could involve different subordinate squadrons and detachments at different times, rather than a single uniform deployment of the entire group. On 19 June 2009, MAG-46 was deactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The deactivation reflected a broader reorganization of Marine aviation and ended the group’s formal existence. Its historical significance lies in its repeated role as a Reserve aviation headquarters: first as a wartime training and replacement organization, later as a geographically relocated Marine aviation command, and finally as a provider of trained reserve aviation capacity for overseas operations.
- 2009
Deactivation
[1]MAG-46 was deactivated at MCAS Miramar on 19 June 2009 during a reorganization of Marine aviation.
- 1994
Relocation to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
[1]In August 1994, the group moved to MCAS Miramar in the San Diego area, its final location.
- 1971
Return to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
[1]MAG-46 moved back to MCAS El Toro in early 1971 and remained there until 1994.
- 1965
Move to Naval Air Station New York
[1]The group relocated from Grosse Ile to Naval Air Station New York in Brooklyn on 1 November 1965.
- 1962
Reactivation in the Marine Corps Reserve
[1]MAG-46 was reactivated on 1 July 1962 at Grosse Ile, Michigan, during a major reorganization of Marine aviation and the Reserve.
- 1946
Postwar deactivation
[1]The group was deactivated on 15 March 1946 following the end of hostilities and postwar demobilization.
- 1945
Redesignated Marine Air Support Group 46
[1]The organization was redesignated Marine Air Support Group 46 on 15 May 1945.
- 1944
Activation as Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 46
[1]The organization was activated on 1 March 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, to administer aviation training and prepare personnel and units for combat service.
- 1944
Redesignated Marine Aircraft Group 46
[1]On 10 November 1944, the group adopted the Marine Aircraft Group 46 designation.
Products and positioning
A Marine Corps Reserve aviation headquarters focused on readiness, training, administration, logistics, and the augmentation of active Marine aviation forces.
Marketing campaigns
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq
Subordinate units associated with MAG-46 participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the Marine Corps Reserve contribution to overseas contingency operations.
Outcome. The operation represented a major deployment context for MAG-46-affiliated aviation and support personnel; the available reference does not specify individual unit outcomes or deployment dates.
- Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan
MAG-46 squadrons participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan during the group’s later Reserve-service period.
Outcome. The operation was one of the overseas missions supported by MAG-46-affiliated units; the available reference does not provide detailed deployment-level results.
Brand decisions
2009
Deactivation during Marine aviation reorganizationStrategyBackground
Marine aviation was undergoing organizational changes affecting the structure of Reserve aviation groups and subordinate units.
Action taken
The Marine Corps deactivated Marine Aircraft Group 46 at MCAS Miramar on 19 June 2009.
Aftermath
MAG-46 ceased to exist as a Marine Corps Reserve aviation group. The available reference does not identify the specific successor organizations or redistribution of every subordinate capability.
Recent events
- 2009
Marine Aircraft Group 46 deactivated at MCAS Miramar[1]
Other · Leadership change
Marine Aircraft Group 46 was deactivated on 19 June 2009 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, as part of a reorganization of Marine aviation.
MAG-46 units supported Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom[1]
Other
During the 1990s and 2000s, subordinate units associated with MAG-46 participated in United States Marine Corps operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sources1 sources
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