VMFAT-501

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Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501
F-35B Lightning II

Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) is a training squadron in the

Operation Desert Storm
. They were decommissioned on 31 January 1997.

History

World War II

Marine Fighting Squadron 451 (VMF-451) was activated on 15 February 1944 at

F4U-1D Corsair, they spent nearly a year training for carrier-based operations under the command of Major Henry A. Ellis Jr., who remained the Commanding Officer for 17 months.[1]

The squadron moved on board

Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts in the Japan
, Bonins and Ryukyus campaigns, and were deactivated on 10 September 1945.

1950s

VMF-451 FJ-2 Furies, in 1954.

On 1 July 1946, the "Fightin’ Phillies" were reactivated as a reserve unit at

F9F-2 Panther. VMF-451 was relocated to MCAS El Toro, and periodically deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
.

In October 1954, VMF-451 upgraded to the North American

VMF-323 relieved them at Atsugi, and took possession of their airplanes. The "Warlords" then returned to MCAS El Toro and claimed VMF-323's aircraft, remaining there until 15 September 1958, when they relieved VMF-323 at Ping Tung, Southern Taiwan, and reclaimed their Furys. The "Warlords" were on station at the end of the Taiwan Straits crisis and returned with their FJ-4s to MCAS El Toro in November 1959 after brief carrier qualifications on board USS Lexington (CVA-16)
.

1960s & 1970s

Naval Air Station Miramar
, in 1976.

While at MCAS El Toro, VMF-451 upgraded from the FJ-4 Fury to the supersonic Vought

KC-130 Hercules for air-to-air refuelling as they flew their aircraft to Japan, arriving seven days later. The "Warlords" remained in the Far East until 1 February 1963, when they were ordered to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina
.

On 24 August 1965, VMF(AW)-451, with the AJ tailcode, deployed aboard

Carrier Air Wing 17
's AA tailcode. However, the Med cruise was cancelled and the unit returned to MCAS Beaufort.

1980s & 1990s

An F/A-18A of VMFA-451 on the USS Coral Sea in 1989.

In 1984, VMFA-451 set a safety record of 29,000 accident-free hours in the Phantom. After 21 years in the venerable "Rhino", and led by Alfred Cunningham award winner Lieutenant Colonel T.D. Seder, the "Warlords" exchanged their McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II for the

F/A-18 Hornet in September 1987. In May 1989, the squadron again sailed with the USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
for a Med Cruise to end an eight-year absence of Beaufort-based Marine units on carriers. During the cruise, VMFA-451 learned it was the recipient of the 1988 Hanson award as the outstanding Marine fighter-attack squadron, as they surpassed 40,000 accident-free hours. The squadron returned to Beaufort in September 1989.

On 23 August 1990, VMFA-451 deployed to

Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel A.S. "Scotty" Dudley, led a four-plane strike as part of a larger 50-aircraft strike force under Marine Aircraft Group 11
. The "Warlords" ended the operation with 770 combat sorties and 1,400 combat hours. They returned to MCAS Beaufort with all aircraft and personnel.

VMFA-451 spent the remaining six years leading up to deactivation on the East Coast, making periodic deployments that included exercises in Norway. They returned from the Western Pacific in late July 1996, and from there, wound down a 57-year history. The "Warlords" of VMFA-451 were deactivated on 31 January 1997.

Reactivation as a training squadron

A VMFAT-501 F-35B in 2013.
VMFAT-501 shoulder patch

On 1 April 2010, the squadron was reactivated and redesignated as VMFAT-501 at a ceremony at the

National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.[2] The squadron serves as the F-35B Lightning II Fleet Replacement Squadron.[3][4]

Initially stationed at

33d Fighter Wing, which controls all F-35A training for the Air Force and previously controlled all F-35B and F-35C training for the Department of the Navy.[5][6]

VMFAT-501 moved back to its permanent home of MCAS Beaufort in July 2014 and now falls under MAG-31 both administratively and operationally.

September 2018 crash

On 28 September 2018, A F-35B crashed near MCAS Beaufort in which the pilot safely ejected.[7] The entire F-35 fleet was grounded to inspect all F135-PW-600 engines. An investigation found the cause was a manufacturing defect in an engine fuel tube which would rupture and cause loss of power.[8] This was the first crash of a F-35.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501.

Notes

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

  1. ^ "The Mojave Virtual Museum - The "Mojave Marines": Life at MCAAS Mojave". Mojave Transportation Museum. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
  2. ^ Arrington, PFC Samantha H. (15 April 2010). "History in the making: First F-35B Lightning II squadron stands up". United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Official Website for Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501". United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  4. ^ Thomas, Capt Craig (16 November 2009). "Joint Strike Fighter lands closer to Corps' air arsenal". Headquarters Marine Corps. United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Factsheets: 33rd Fighter Wing". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Marine Unit Reborn". Pensacola News Journal. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  7. ^ Phillips, Patrick (29 September 2018). "Pilot ejected before military plane crash in Beaufort Co., deputies say". live5news.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  8. ^ "F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - Action Needed to Improve Reliability and Prepare for Modernization Efforts" (PDF). Retrieved 22 December 2023.

References

Bibliography
Web

External links

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