HISTORY
Marine Observation Squadron 251 (VMO-251) was commissioned 1 December 1941 at Naval Air Station North Island, California and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 21, 2D Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force. In mid-1942 it was transferred to Tontouta, New Caledonia and then to Turtle Bay Airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo in the British-French Condominium of New Hebrides prior to the invasion of Guadalcanal. While flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat during World War II, the squadron participated in numerous Pacific campaigns including Guadalcanal, Southern Solomons, Santa Cruz, Luzon, and the Southern Philippines.
In 1943, the squadron transitioned to the F4U Corsair. The squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 14 in October 1944. It was re-designated Marine Fighter Squadron 251 (VMF-251) in February 1945. 22 F4U Corsairs from the squadron landed on Samar on 2 January 1945 as part of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and continued operations in the Philippines until 1 May 1945 when it flew its last combat mission of World War II while supporting clean-up operations at Leyte.
On 1 June 1945, VMF-251 was deactivated at Samar, Philippines Island. Thirteen months later on 1 July 1946, VMF-251 was reactivated at Grosse Ile, Michigan as a ready-reserve squadron.
KOREAN WAR
With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, VMF-251 was recalled to active service and directed to transition to the AD-4 Skyraider. In late April 1951 the squadron was transferred to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. With the aircraft transition complete, the squadron was re-designated Marine Attack Squadron 251 (VMA-251) on April 20, 1951. VMA-251 embarked to Korea in June 1953. Although the squadron only saw action the last two weeks of the war, it flew 310 combat sorties totaling more than 550 hours and had the distinction of having the last Marine aircraft engaged in combat during the Korean War on 27 July 1953. VMA-251 remained in Korea for two and a half years providing air defense along the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
In January 1956, the Black Patches deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and remained in the Far East for fifteen months. In 1957, VMA-251 was again relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida flying the FJ-3 Fury. With the transition to the FJ-3 came the re-designation to VMF-251 on April 20, 1957. The squadron changed their nickname from Black Patches to Thunderbolts and a new insignia was created by Captain (LtGen, Ret.) Richard E. Carey. The insignia consisted of a white cross (symbolizing purity), a red diamond (depicting courage), and a blue field (loyalty). Their motto became, Custos Caelorum, or Guardians of the Sky. The squadron also adopted the "DW" tail code.
In April 1958 VMF-251 was moved to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California to receive its first supersonic fighter, the F8U Crusader. The Thunderbolts departed MCAS El Toro for NAS Atsugi, Japan, in October of 1959. The squadron practiced Carrier Qualifications aboard the USS Oriskany and the USS Ranger. They also participated in operations in Formosa, the Philippines, and Okinawa.
COLD WAR
In 1961, VMF-251 was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. In August and September 1961 the squadron was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and to Jamaica during the time between the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. From February through August 1962, VMF-251 was the first Marine F-8 squadron to deploy on board an aircraft carrier as part of Carrier Air Group Ten on the USS Shangri-La (CVA-38). During the cruise, VMF-251 set the record for the most flight time in one month for a Sixth Fleet based F-8 squadron by flying over 500 hours. In July 1963 the Thunderbolts were the recipients of the 2nd MAW Commanding General's award for achievement in competitive exercises which took place while the squadron was deployed to NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
On 31 October 1964, the Thunderbolts became the first Marine squadron in 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing to transition to the F-4 Phantom II and receive its current designation as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 (VMFA-251). The Thunderbolts received the CNO's flight safety award in 1967 and again in 1969 as well as the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic safety award for the years 1967, 1968 and 1970. In 1969 they also received the Robert M. Hanson award, presented annually to the "most outstanding Marine fighter squadron of the year." Training exercises were conducted in Puerto Rico in 1964-1965, 1971, and 1973. In April 1971 the squadron stood "hot pad" duty at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida and provided additional support for the North American Air Defense Command. Further deployments in support of NATO were made to Cigili Air Base, Turkey in 1973 and to Rota, Spain in 1975 and the Thunderbolts participated in a Western Pacific deployment to Japan, Korea, and the Philippines during 1977-1978.
In September 1980 the Thunderbolts deployed to Trondheim in the Kingdom of Norway in support of NATO Exercises. In April 1982, the Thunderbolts again deployed to Keflavik in Iceland where the squadron intercepted six Soviet Bear Bombers while on "hot pad" alert. The squadron deployed to the Kingdom of Denmark in September 1982 for NATO Exercise "Northern Wedding 82" during which 102 Soviet aircraft flew sorties against NATO naval forces. The squadron was placed on alert for possible redeployment to Lebanon before returning to the United States.
After twenty-one years and 85,000 flight hours, VMFA-251 flew its last F-4S Phantom in November 1985. In January of the following year, the Thunderbolts transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. The squadron stood up as the sixth Marine F/A-18A squadron the following August and reported full combat ready in March 1987.
THE 1990's
The squadron transitioned from the aging F/A-18A to the F/A-18C during the early 1990s. This change also increased the squadron's mission capable rate. From January to April 1994, the Thunderbolts flew close air support missions while deployed to Aviano, Italy supporting Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1994, the squadron became part of the Navy's Carrier Air Wing One and deployed as part of the USS America and USS George Washington battle groups from 1995 through 1997. The squadron then deployed on board the USS John F Kennedy (CV-67) during 1999-2000 for OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH.
GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR
On 12 February 2003, the squadron deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber Airbase, Kuwait as part of Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). On 20 February 2003, the squadron began flying combat missions in support of Operation Southern Watch and then transitioned to combat operations in support of OIF on 20 March 2003. The Thunderbolts flew over 650 combat missions over Iraq, accumulating more than 1,200 combat flight hours and dropped more than 7,100 weapons amounting to approximately 832,000 pounds of ordnance. Throughout the deployment maintenance Marines performed over 8,000 maintenance man-hours resulting in a 76% full mission capable rate.
In 2006 the squadron deployed to Al Asad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Upon their return they again deployed, this time on board the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). They were away from June to December 2007 and flew combat sorties in support of OIF and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan.
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
VMFA-251 boarded the USS Enterprise in 2011 in support of OEF. On 2 May 2011, the squadron was tasked with the alert aircraft to escort the body of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden back to the USS Vinson. After a brief break from deployment, VMFA-251 boarded the USS Enterprise for the ship’s 25th and final deployment from March to October 2012.
OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE
From March to November 2015, VMFA-251 embarked on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) to conduct combat operations. Aircraft launched from the carrier to perform strikes against ISIS infrastructure, logistics, and combatants, directly impacting the operational capabilities of the terrorist group.
UDP
VMFA-251 deployed to MCAS Iwakuni from September 2017 to March 2018 in support of MAG-12 and operations abroad. During this time, the squadron participated in Exercise Cobra Gold 2018 at Korat Air Base, Thailand.
F-35C TRANSITION
On 23 April 2020, VMFA-251 deactivated in MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina after returning from a combat deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The squadron is currently going through the process of reactivating onboard MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina with a new aircraft, the F-35C Lightning II. The squadron plans to receive its first aircraft in September of 2024 and earn their Safe For Flight certification in November of the same year.