Marine Air Control Group 38

Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of five squadrons and one battalion that provide the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wings tactical headquarters, positive and procedural control to aircraft, air defense and UAV support for the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Subordinate units

 * 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion
 * Marine Air Control Squadron 1
 * Marine Air Support Squadron 3
 * Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38
 * Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38
 * Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1
 * Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3

Due to a re-organization within Marine aviation, MACG-38 added another unmanned aerial vehicle squadron in 2008. The new squadron is named VMU-3 and is based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California

History
Marine Air Control Group 38 was activated on September 1, 1967 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. The Group deployed to Saudi Arabia in August 1990 and later supported Operation Desert Storm. Elements of the group have supported Operation Restore Hope, Operation Safe Departure, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Stabalize. The group relocated to MCAS Miramar in October 1998. MACG-38 units began deploying to Kuwait in 2002 and the entire control group would eventually take part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continued to deploy today in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom through early 2009. They were headquartered at Al Asad Airbase in the Al Anbar Province from 2004 through the end of their last Iraq deployment in early 2009.

Most recently the Group deployed to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan in March 2010. They are responsible for providing aviation command and control for the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They returned to The United States in Spring of 2011.