Stories

This identity design was created in adobe illustrator to represent the official unit insignia for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Feb. 12, 2025. The flying diamond insignia was first recognized during World War II as a shoulder patch. The patch was later mandated by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to represent all Marine Aircraft Wings.

2nd Marine Aircaft Wing

II Marine Expeditionary Force

Archive: June, 2005

AL ASAD, Iraq - A mountain of boxes rises from the Iraqi desert. The boxes are full of items that Marines deployed here relish and are very hard, if not impossible to get. The huge shipment of boxes is part of Wilmington (Downtown) Rotary Club?s ?Mission Iraq Marine.? This is the third shipment of packages made by the Wilmington N.C. Rotary club. The club intends to continue sending packages through early September. - AL ASAD, Iraq - A mountain of boxes rises from the Iraqi desert. The boxes are full of items that Marines deployed here relish and are very hard, if not impossible to get. The huge shipment of boxes is part of Wilmington (Downtown) Rotary Club?s ?Mission Iraq Marine.? This is the third shipment of packages made by the Wilmington N.C. Rotary club. The club intends to continue sending packages through early September.

Marines distribute 'Mission Iraq Marine' goodies throughout Al Anbar Province

A mountain of boxes rises from the flat and dusty landscape of western Iraq but it will be quickly razed by the Marines of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). The boxes, more than 60 of them, are compliments of the Rotarians of the Wilmington (Downtown) Rotary Club in Wilmington, N.C. The boxes, filled with everything from essentials like

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AL ASAD, Iraq ? Lance Cpl. Tyler Davis is the only trained generator mechanic in security battalion and is responsible for all generator maintenance in the unit. - AL ASAD, Iraq ? Lance Cpl. Tyler Davis is the only trained generator mechanic in security battalion and is responsible for all generator maintenance in the unit.

Marine brings power to Al Asad

Without generators Marines here would not be able to accomplish the most minuscule of tasks, such as turning on a computer or turning the light on at night. Security Battalion has its own generators that supply their power and that power is vital for the communications equipment that is needed to run the patrols and convoys throughout the Al Anbar

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AL ASAD, Iraq ? Corporal Brandon Upton, range operations noncommissioned officer with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion spends his days training Marine and Army units proper weapons techniques with any small arms from a pistol to machine guns. - AL ASAD, Iraq ? Corporal Brandon Upton, range operations noncommissioned officer with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion spends his days training Marine and Army units proper weapons techniques with any small arms from a pistol to machine guns.

Aransas Pass, Texas, native instills weapons confidence

Before Marines and soldiers can go outside the wire, they must prepare for any situation that may need attention when on convoys or patrolling the desert of Iraq. One way Marines prepare is to work on weapons familiarization at the small arms range here. A select group of Marines with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion schedule and work the

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AL QAIM, Iraq ? An AH-1W Super Cobra from Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Detachment Al Qaim flies over the desert during a training flight June 4. The Marines in the detachment have been busy supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and training as much as they can to get new qualifications or maintain their current qualifications. - AL QAIM, Iraq ? An AH-1W Super Cobra from Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Detachment Al Qaim flies over the desert during a training flight June 4. The Marines in the detachment have been busy supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and training as much as they can to get new qualifications or maintain their current qualifications.

‘Gunrunners’ train aircrews in the midst of battle

The Marines of Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Detachment Al Qaim have been very busy since arriving at this remote base near the Syrian border. Originally based at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, N.C., the ‘Gunrunners’ deployed to Al Asad in February and immediately sent a small detachment of personnel and aircraft here. They

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AL ASAD, Iraq - Pictured here are the Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group. They have one of the most difficult jobs in Corps. Tasked with recovering, processing and evacuating deceased personnel to their families as expeditiously as possible, the detachment takes care of deceased coalition forces personnel and contractors in the Al Anbar province. The detachment receives deceased personnel, whom they refer to as ?angels,? from the hospital here after medical personnel have exhausted all means to try to keep them alive or after conducting search and recovery operations in the battlefield. - AL ASAD, Iraq - Pictured here are the Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group. They have one of the most difficult jobs in Corps. Tasked with recovering, processing and evacuating deceased personnel to their families as expeditiously as possible, the detachment takes care of deceased coalition forces personnel and contractors in the Al Anbar province. The detachment receives deceased personnel, whom they refer to as ?angels,? from the hospital here after medical personnel have exhausted all means to try to keep them alive or after conducting search and recovery operations in the battlefield.

Mortuary Affairs: no tougher duty, no greater honor

The Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group would like to never work. If they could have it their way, they’d spend the entire deployment bored out of their minds. “If we’re working something’s not right,” said Staff Sgt. D. D. Gunter, the

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Lexington native controls the skies in western Iraq

Every day Lance Cpl. Clark S. Webb controls the movement and flight of millions of dollars worth of military aircraft. The Lexington, Ky., native, an air traffic controller with Marine Air Control Squadron 2, is currently supporting air operations with a mobile team of Marine air traffic controllers here. In June 2003, Webb graduated from Paul

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Somerton native sets standard for Marines in Iraq

At age 12 Miguel A. Arballo saw something on television that would become a life goal for him.The image of a Marine in a dress blue uniform stood out in his mind as he told himself, “That’s what I want to do.”Arballo is a native of Mexico. In 1989, his family came to the United States, and in 1996, he became a citizen.“In the recruiter’s office,

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AL ASAD, Iraq ? Pfc. Gerald L. Gruber and Cpl. Jennifer N. Lonas, intelligence analysts assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, plot possible convoy routes for Marines in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) on May 29. Intelligence analysts in the wing?s intel department work around the clock to contribute to the safety of aircrews and personnel in convoys. - AL ASAD, Iraq ? Pfc. Gerald L. Gruber and Cpl. Jennifer N. Lonas, intelligence analysts assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, plot possible convoy routes for Marines in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) on May 29. Intelligence analysts in the wing?s intel department work around the clock to contribute to the safety of aircrews and personnel in convoys.

Intelligence analysts' work leads to insurgents’ capture near Al Asad

Recently, intelligence analysts with the headquarters squadron of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), provided information on suspected insurgent activity in the vicinity of this air base that led to the detainment of 15 insurgents during a raid conducted by Marines from the 2nd Marine Division’s 1st Force Reconnaissance unit. Five of the

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Aviation ground support in remote western Iraq

The Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 detachment here may seem like your normal support squadron, but a deeper look shows a small group of Marines going above and beyond their normal role of aviation support. While providing top-notch aviation ground support to airfield and base camp operations is their primary mission, the Korean Village Sand

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AL TAQADDUM, Iraq ? The Al Taqaddum air boss shop, (back row L-R) Capt. Donald Meek, assistant air boss; Staff Sgt. Dick Maxie, the flight clearance staff noncommissioned officer; Sgt. Nicholas Breidenger, the air boss chief. (front row L-R) Cpl. Anthony Riley, air boss clerk and Lt. Col. Allan Jarvis, air boss; are responsible for all flight operations in and out of Al Taqaddum. The air boss Marines have coordinated 167 CASEVAC missions, transferring more than 270 patients in their three months here. - AL TAQADDUM, Iraq ? The Al Taqaddum air boss shop, (back row L-R) Capt. Donald Meek, assistant air boss; Staff Sgt. Dick Maxie, the flight clearance staff noncommissioned officer; Sgt. Nicholas Breidenger, the air boss chief. (front row L-R) Cpl. Anthony Riley, air boss clerk and Lt. Col. Allan Jarvis, air boss; are responsible for all flight operations in and out of Al Taqaddum. The air boss Marines have coordinated 167 CASEVAC missions, transferring more than 270 patients in their three months here.