Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) is a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and is under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).
The squadron is best known as the Black Sheep of World War II fame and for one of its commanding officers, Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, whose memoirs also inspired the 1970s television show Baa Baa Black Sheep, later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron, which dramatized the squadron's exploits during the war.
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Immediately following an extended fleet-wide grounding of all Harrier activities, the Black Sheep split the squadron and deployed simultaneously in support of two separate Marine Expeditionary Units. The Squadron (-) deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, while Detachment Bravo sailed in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard USS Tarawa. During this deployed period, the Marines of VMA-214 participated in humanitarian operations in East Timor and Indonesia. One month later, Det Bravo was off the coast of Yemen with the 13th MEU(SOC) participating in Operation Determined Response - the recovery of the destroyer USS Cole. During this operation, Black Sheep Marines trained in the region and helped provide stability with a constant fixed wing presence.
VMA-214 has twice deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first time was for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and again from February to August 2004, where they were based out of Al Asad.[10] The squadron deployed to Afghanistan in May 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They returned to MCAS Yuma in November 2009 having flown some 3,000 hours during their six-month tour. During the deployment, they were based out of Kandahar International Airport as part of Marine Aircraft Group 40 and provided close air support and aerial reconnaissance.[11][12] They were part of the 17,000 troop increase announced by President Obama in mid-February 2009.[13]
Beginning in May 2009, a detachment from VMA-214 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. During the deployment they supported the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in southern Afghanistan and counter piracy operations off the coast of Africa.[14] The Black Sheep were recognized for the fourth time with the Lawson H. M. Sanderson Award as the 2010 Attack Squadron of the Year as a result.
