Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40, or MALS-40, was a United States Marine Corps aviation logistics support unit associated with Marine Aircraft Group 40 and deployed aviation support operations in Afghanistan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40 (MALS-40) was an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Rather than a commercial brand, it functioned as a military organization responsible for sustaining the aircraft and aviation units assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 40 and supporting associated Marine air-ground task force operations. Its documented base was Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, within the organizational structure of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron’s role centered on aviation logistics at the intermediate-support level. Its responsibilities included maintenance support, supply administration, ordnance support, and the management of equipment and materials required by subordinate Marine aviation squadrons. These functions are essential between the organizational-level maintenance performed by individual operating squadrons and higher-level depot or overhaul activities. In operational terms, MALS-40 helped ensure that aircraft units had access to spare parts, repair capability, weapons-related support, technical resources, and other sustainment services needed to generate sorties. MALS-40 emerged from the Marine Corps’ force expansion in Afghanistan. In 2009, personnel from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 26, 29, and 31 were sent to Afghanistan as part of a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force connected with the American military buildup there. When Marine Aircraft Group 40 was established, the deployed detachment was redesignated as MALS-40. This arrangement linked the new logistics organization to the aviation elements it supported while allowing the Marine Corps to organize expeditionary aviation sustainment around the Afghanistan mission. The squadron operated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. On 18 August 2011, MALS-40 was relieved by Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16. Subsequent rotations continued to draw on personnel from several Marine aviation logistics organizations. During the 2013–2014 period, Marines from MALS-31 and other logistics squadrons associated with Marine Corps Air Stations Cherry Point and New River participated in the deployment cycle. In late December 2013, personnel from MALS-11, MALS-13, MALS-16, MALS-39, and MALS-41 arrived, and the existing MALS-40 presence was described as being patched over by the MALS-70 Jackals. The available reference material does not establish a commercial ownership structure, a public-facing consumer offering, a current commander, or a definitive present-day operating status. MALS-40 is best understood as a military aviation logistics unit rather than a market-facing brand. Its significance lies in the organization of Marine Corps expeditionary aviation support and in the rotational deployment system used to sustain Marine aviation operations in Afghanistan.
History
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40 was formed in the context of the United States Marine Corps’ expansion of aviation support for operations in Afghanistan. In 2009, a detachment comprising personnel from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 26, 29, and 31 was deployed to Afghanistan as part of a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force associated with the force buildup. When Marine Aircraft Group 40 was stood up, the deployed detachment was redesignated as MALS-40. The unit’s mission was to provide intermediate aviation logistics support to the squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 40 and to support the Marine Expeditionary Brigade operating in Afghanistan. Its responsibilities covered maintenance support, ordnance, supply, and related logistics functions. These activities enabled operating squadrons to maintain aircraft availability and conduct missions in an austere expeditionary environment. MALS-40 operated at Camp Leatherneck in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On 18 August 2011, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 relieved MALS-40. The later deployment cycle continued through personnel rotations involving MALS-31 and other logistics squadrons from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station New River. These units supported the 13.1 deployment period through January 2014, after which personnel from MALS-16 and other California-based organizations provided relief. In late December 2013, a composite group of Marines from MALS-11, MALS-13, MALS-16, MALS-39, and MALS-41 arrived. The existing MALS-40 presence was then patched over by MALS-70, whose personnel were identified as the Jackals. The available sources do not provide a definitive formal deactivation date or sufficient information to confirm the unit’s current status. They also do not identify commanders, founding personnel, financial figures, or a separate public website. MALS-40 should therefore be documented as a Marine Corps aviation logistics organization with a history closely tied to expeditionary support in Afghanistan, rather than as a conventional commercial brand.
- 2013
Later deployment rotation
[1]Personnel from MALS-31 and other logistics squadrons participated in the Afghanistan deployment cycle beginning in July 2013.
- 2013
MALS-70 patched over the MALS-40 presence
[1]In late December, personnel from several Marine aviation logistics squadrons arrived and the existing MALS-40 presence was patched over by MALS-70.
- 2011
Relief at Camp Leatherneck
[1]MALS-16 relieved MALS-40 at Camp Leatherneck on 18 August during Operation Enduring Freedom.
- 2009
Afghanistan detachment deployed
[1]A detachment from MALS-26, MALS-29, and MALS-31 deployed to Afghanistan as part of a Marine Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force and the broader force buildup.
Detachment redesignated as MALS-40
[1]Following the establishment of Marine Aircraft Group 40, the deployed logistics detachment was redesignated Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40.
Products and positioning
Military aviation logistics support for Marine Aircraft Group 40 and associated expeditionary aviation operations.
Military aviation logistics
Intermediate aviation maintenance support
MALS-40 provided intermediate-level maintenance support to the aviation squadrons associated with Marine Aircraft Group 40. This support formed part of the maintenance chain between unit-level aircraft servicing and higher-level overhaul activities, helping deployed squadrons sustain aircraft readiness.
Military supply and logistics
Aviation supply support
The squadron managed or supported the supply functions required by Marine aviation units, including the provision and coordination of parts, equipment, and other material needed for expeditionary flight operations.
Military aviation logistics
Ordnance support
Ordnance support was among the logistics responsibilities attributed to MALS-40. This function supported the safe availability and handling of aviation ordnance requirements for the units operating within its supported formation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghanistan
MALS-40 was associated with the Marine Corps aviation logistics effort supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, including operations at Camp Leatherneck.
Outcome. The unit was later relieved through successive Marine aviation logistics rotations.
Brand decisions
- Redesignation of the Afghanistan logistics detachmentStrategy
Background
The Marine Corps established Marine Aircraft Group 40 while expanding and organizing aviation support for operations in Afghanistan.
Action taken
The deployed detachment drawn from MALS-26, MALS-29, and MALS-31 was redesignated as MALS-40.
Aftermath
The redesignation created a dedicated logistics identity for the Marine Aircraft Group 40 support mission.
Recent events
- 2013
Multi-squadron logistics rotations supported the Afghanistan mission[1]
Other
Personnel from MALS-31 and other logistics squadrons associated with Cherry Point and New River participated in the 2013–2014 deployment cycle before later relief by personnel from MALS-16 and other California-based units.
- 2013
MALS-70 personnel patched over the existing MALS-40 presence[1]
Leadership change · Other
In late December 2013, personnel from MALS-11, MALS-13, MALS-16, MALS-39, and MALS-41 arrived, and the existing MALS-40 squadron presence was replaced or overlaid by MALS-70 personnel known as the Jackals.
- 2011
MALS-16 relieved MALS-40 at Camp Leatherneck[1]
Other
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 relieved MALS-40 on 18 August 2011 during support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
- 2009
MALS-40 assumed an Afghanistan aviation logistics support role[1]
Other
A detachment drawn from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 26, 29, and 31 deployed to Afghanistan during the Marine Corps force buildup. After Marine Aircraft Group 40 was established, the detachment was redesignated as Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40.
Sources1 sources
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