Marine Wing Support Group 37

Marine Wing Support Group 37 (MWSG-37) was a United States Marine Corps aviation combat service support organization assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Rather than operating aircraft, the group supplied the specialized infrastructure and services required to establish, operate, protect, and sustain Marine aviation facilities in expeditionary and combat environments. Its mission was to provide the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing with centralized, deployable combat support and combat service support, creating economies in personnel and equipment while allowing aviation combat elements to concentrate on air operations. The group was activated on 1 July 1953 at Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida, under the name Marine Wing Service Group 37. It initially served within the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and moved to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, in September 1955. On 1 April 1967, the organization was redesignated Marine Wing Support Group 37, reflecting the Marine Corps’ terminology for aviation support formations. MWSG-37 was organized around four subordinate squadrons: Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, and Marine Wing Support Squadron 374. Together, these formations provided a broad support portfolio. The group’s responsibilities included airfield operations other than air traffic control, engineer support, transportation, medical assistance, food services, security, and other direct combat and combat service support for aviation units. This made the organization a key enabling formation for distributed or austere aviation operations. The group participated in several major United States military operations. Its documented operational history includes Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Its involvement in the latter two conflicts extended from March 2003 onward, according to the referenced unit history. The group also relocated from El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, in October 1998 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process. MWSG-37 was deactivated on 15 June 2012. Operational requirements subsequently led to its reactivation at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on 29 November 2018. The reactivation restored a centralized aviation-support structure for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing during a period in which the Marine Corps continued to require flexible, deployable support for expeditionary aviation. The group was decommissioned again on 17 July 2020 as part of the Marine Corps’ Force Design reorganization. The referenced material also describes a broader plan under which the group would be deactivated as part of the Corps’ restructuring. As a result, MWSG-37 is best treated as a former Marine Corps unit rather than an active commercial or consumer brand. It had no commercial products, public shareholders, civilian executive team, or independent financial reporting.

Marine Wing Support Group 37 originated on 1 July 1953, when the United States Marine Corps activated Marine Wing Service Group 37 at Marine Corps Air Station Miami in Florida. The organization was assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and was established to centralize support functions needed by Marine aviation units. Its role was not to conduct flight operations, but to provide the practical infrastructure and services that allowed aviation formations to operate from established or expeditionary airfields. In September 1955, the unit moved to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. The relocation placed it within the principal Marine aviation concentration in Southern California. On 1 April 1967, it was redesignated Marine Wing Support Group 37. The new designation reflected the group’s role as a broader aviation combat service support formation rather than a narrowly defined service unit. The organization’s support model brought together several functions that could be deployed with Marine aviation forces. These included airfield operation services, excluding air traffic control; engineering and construction support; ground transportation; medical assistance; food services; security; and other direct combat and combat service support. Four subordinate formations—Marine Wing Support Squadrons 371, 372, 373, and 374—provided the group’s principal organizational structure. MWSG-37 took part in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope. It later supported Marine operations associated with Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the referenced unit history identifying participation in those conflicts from March 2003 onward. Such missions placed emphasis on sustaining aviation bases and forward operating locations under expeditionary conditions, where runways, utilities, transportation, security, supplies, and basic services had to be established or maintained alongside aviation operations. In October 1998, the group transferred from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar under the Base Realignment and Closure process. Miramar subsequently served as the group’s principal base. The organization was deactivated on 15 June 2012, but operational requirements led to its reactivation at Miramar on 29 November 2018. The reactivated group existed during the Marine Corps’ Force Design restructuring. As part of that reorganization, MWSG-37 was again decommissioned on 17 July 2020. The unit therefore has a history characterized by repeated adaptation to Marine aviation requirements: creation during the Cold War, redesignation as the Corps refined its aviation-support structure, participation in major expeditionary operations, relocation through base restructuring, deactivation, reactivation, and eventual disestablishment under Force Design. It was a military support organization rather than a commercial brand and did not market products or services independently.

• 2020

  Final decommissioning

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  MWSG-37 was decommissioned on 17 July as part of the Marine Corps Force Design reorganization.

• 2018

  Reactivation

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  The group was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on 29 November because of operational requirements.

• 2012

  First deactivation

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  MWSG-37 was deactivated on 15 June.

• 1998

  Move to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  The group relocated from El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in October through the Base Realignment and Closure process.

• 1967

  Redesignation as Marine Wing Support Group 37

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  On 1 April, Marine Wing Service Group 37 was redesignated Marine Wing Support Group 37.

• 1955

  Relocation to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  The organization moved to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, in September.

• 1953

  Activation as Marine Wing Service Group 37

  [1]Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org

  The unit was activated on 1 July at Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida, and assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

A centralized and deployable Marine Corps aviation support formation designed to enable airfield operations and sustain aviation combat elements with engineering, transport, medical, food-service, security, and related combat support capabilities.

• 2003Operation Iraqi Freedom

  Iraq

  The group participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, supplying the airfield and combat service support required by Marine aviation elements.

  Source
• 2003Operation Enduring Freedom

  Afghanistan · Other areas of United States operations

  The unit’s documented history records participation in Operation Enduring Freedom from March 2003 onward, in support of Marine aviation operations.

  Source
• 1992Operation Restore Hope

  Somalia

  MWSG-37 participated in Operation Restore Hope, supporting Marine aviation and expeditionary activity in Somalia.

  Source
• 1991Operation Desert Storm

  Kuwait · Iraq · Persian Gulf region

  The group participated in Operation Desert Storm, providing aviation combat service support associated with Marine expeditionary operations.

  Source

• 2020

  Force Design decommissioningStrategy

  Background

  The Marine Corps reorganized its force structure under the Force Design initiative.

  Action taken

  MWSG-37 was decommissioned on 17 July 2020.

  Aftermath

  The group ceased to operate as an active Marine Corps organization.

  Source

• 2018

  Reactivation in response to operational requirementsStrategy

  Background

  The Marine Corps determined that operational requirements justified restoring the group at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

  Action taken

  MWSG-37 was reactivated on 29 November 2018.

  Aftermath

  The group operated again until its subsequent decommissioning during Force Design restructuring.

  Source

• 2012

  Deactivation of the groupStrategy

  Background

  The Marine Corps deactivated MWSG-37 on 15 June 2012.

  Action taken

  The group was removed from active organization after its aviation-support responsibilities were reorganized.

  Aftermath

  Operational requirements later resulted in the group’s reactivation in 2018.

  Source

1. 1Marine Wing Support Group 37en.wikipedia.org