Marine Aircraft Group 25

  July 1942 to May 1947 & February 1950 to January 1956

  United States of America

TYPE: US Navy unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Noumea Tontouta, New Caledonia (1942-?), Tsingtao, Shandong, China (1945-1946), MCAS El Toro, CA (1950-?)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil

Marine Air Group 25 was a US Marine Corps combat air transport group that provided logistical support, including cargo and personnel transport and aeromedical evacuation, to forward units during World War II and the Korean War. During World War II, it formed the nucleus of SCAT (South Pacific, later Solomons Combat Air Transport Command).

MAG-25, comprising transport squadron VMJ-253, deployed to New Caledonia in September 1942, flying missions in support of the Battle of Guadalcanal. It was soon joined by the USAAF 13^th Troop Carrier Squadron, an uncommon inter-service cooperative effort. In late November 1942, MAG-25 formed the nucleus of SCAT, with its senior officer serving as SCAT's commanding officer throughout the organization's existence. MAG-25 soon grew to include VMJ-152 and the USAAF 801^st Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron (MAETS). In March 1943 it was joined by VMJ-153.

SCAT provided rapid transport of personnel and cargo, including munitions, food, replacement parts, and medical supplies, to and from forward areas. On rearward flights SCAT frequently provided aeromedical evacuation of wounded or sick personnel. Aircraft typically included a flight nurse, corpsman, or flight surgeon as part of the crew, split between USAAF personnel of the 801^st MAETS and the Navy medical personnel of MAG-25. The "South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command" was dissolved and reconstituted as the "Solomons Combat Air Transport Command" after its USAAF troop carrier units departed in July 1944, with MAG-25 continuing to utilize the "SCAT" acronym. At that time VMR-253 departed MAG-25 to join the Transport Air Group (TAG) in the Central Pacific. SCAT was finally dissolved in February 1945 as MAG-25’s primary mission shifted to support 1^st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW-1) operations in the Philippines.

MAG-25, including the attached 13^th Troop Carrier Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for the Guadalcanal campaign. SCAT received a Navy Unit Commendation for its operations in the South Pacific from December 1942 to July 1944.

In October 1945, MAG-25 began moving to Tsingtao, Shandong, China, where VMR-153 participated in the evacuation of liberated prisoners from the Weixian Internment Camp. MAG-25 returned to the United States in June 1946 and was deactivated in 1947.

MAG-25 was reactivated in February 1950 at MCAS El Toro, CA with VMR-152 and VMR-352 attached, equipped with Douglas R5D aircraft. During the Korean War the group's forward echelon supported the operations of the 1^st Marine Division and 1^st Marine Aircraft Wing, flying mostly personnel and cargo transport missions while based at Itami, Japan. VMR-253, flying the Curtiss R5C and Fairchild R4Q, was reattached to the group in 1951. After the Korean Armistice Agreement, VMR-253 deployed to Itami to assist in post-armistice airlift operations.

1943 to February 1947 & 1951 to unknown date

• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: 39517, 39520, 39523, 39532, 39535, 39550, 39553, 39555, 39556, 39558, 39559, 39560, 39562, 39566, 39567, 39570, 39571, 39581, 39586, 39597, 39598, 39600, 39605, 39611, 50690, 50698, 50717