Marine Aircraft Group 23

Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 23
MATSG-23 insignia
Active	March 1, 1942 – November 1, 1945 January 15, 1982 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Role	Training
Part of	Marine Air, West Coast
Garrison/HQ	Naval Air Station Pensacola
Engagements	World War II * Battle of Guadalcanal
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Russell A. Blauw

Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 23 (MATSG-23) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group that was originally established during World War II as Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23). Squadrons from MAG-23, augmented by Navy and Army flying units formed the Cactus Air Force during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The group was deactivated at the end of the war and was not reactivated until January 15, 1982 when Marine Aviation and Training Support Group Naval Air Station Lemoore was renamed MATSG-23.

Provide administration and training support to all Marines aboard Naval Air Station Lemoore. They also provide ceremonial support for base and local events in the form of color guards and special detail advisers.

Marine Air Group 23 was commissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii, as part of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing on March 1, 1942. The group became the first Marine aviation group to meet the Japanese in the South Pacific. They formed the forward echelon of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW) during the Battle of Guadalcanal and landed its first units at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal on August 20, 1942 when VMF-223 and VMSB-231 were flown off the USS Long Island (CVE-1). Ten days later the group's rear echelon, composed of VMF-224 and VMSB-232, joined the forward echelon at Henderson Field. MAG-23, augmented by Army and Navy land based air under the operational control of 1st MAW, furnished air support to the 1st Marine Division and Army ground forces in the struggle for Guadalcanal. Although the Group itself comprised only four Marine squadrons, personnel and aircraft of six Navy carrier squadrons, (VS-5, VB-6, VF-5, VS-71, VT-8 and VS-3) the 67th Army Pursuit Squadron, and detachments of Marine squadrons stationed at various South Pacific bases operated with MAG-23. This heterogeneous group shot down 244 enemy planes in four weeks. Navy pilots accounted 44, Army flyers, using P-400s shot down eight. The remaining 192 were credited to Marines. The price of that score was 22 Marine pilots killed in action, three by enemy naval gunfire. From Guadalcanal MAG-23 was transferred to the Naval Air Station San Diego where it served as a part of Marine Air, West Coast from November 18, 1942 until January 9, 1943. The group was then transferred to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro until September 1943. On September 19, 1943, the group again landed at MCAS Ewa and remained there as part of Marine Air Hawaiian Area until May 1944. On May 8, 1944, the group transferred to Midway Atoll where it remained until the war ended. MAG-23 later returned to the West Coast and was decommissioned on November 1, 1945.