VMF-211

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211
VMFA-211 Insignia
Active	1 January 1937 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Fighter/Attack
Role	Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 13 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Nickname(s)	"Wake Island Avengers"
Tail Code	CF
Engagements	World War II * Battle of Wake Island * Bougainville campaign (1943–45) * Philippines campaign (1944–45) * Battle of the Bismarck Sea * Battle of Leyte Gulf Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom * Camp Bastion attack Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq
Commanders
Commanding Officer	LtCol. Chad A. Vaughn
Executive Officer	Maj. Paul J. Holst
Sergeant Major	SgtMaj. Allen B. Goodyear
Notable commanders	Gen. Vernon E. Megee LtCol. Christopher K. Raible
Aircraft flown
Attack	AD-4N Skyraider (1952–57) A-4 Skyhawk (1957–89) AV-8B Harrier II (1985–2016)
Fighter	Grumman F3F-2 (1937–42) Brewster F2A-3 F4F Wildcat (1942–43) F4U Corsair (1943–52) F-35B Lightning II (2016-present)

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) is a United States Marine Corps fighter attack squadron, currently consisting of F-35B Lightning II stealth STOVL strike fighter jets. Known as the "Wake Island Avengers" and the "Bastion Defenders", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).

In September 2012, while (then) VMA-211 was deployed to Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked and destroyed several of the squadron's Harrier aircraft. Despite being armed with only a handgun, the squadron's commander, LtCol. Christopher K. Raible, lead a counterattack against the Taliban insurgents, but was killed by an explosion.

VMFA-211 is one of two F-35B Lightning II squadrons assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Its mission is to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft under all weather conditions and attack and destroy surface targets in support of Marine expeditionary forces.

VMFA-211 can trace its lineage to 1 January 1937 when Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M) was activated at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. Although it was the second time a VF-4M had existed, the previous one was decommissioned in 1931 and it was not considered the same squadron. The squadron was decommissioned in 1933 but was recommissioned as "VF-8M" in 1935. On 1 July 1937, VF-8M was re-designated Marine Fighting Squadron 2 (VMF-2) and by the end of the year, had completely reequipped with Grumman F3F-2s which replaced their F3F-1s and a few even older F2F-1s. The squadron participated in annual Fleet Problems while at San Diego and even played a part in the making of the movie Dive Bomber. Several future Medal of Honor recipients served with the squadron during this period, including Henry Elrod, Robert Galer, and Gregory Boyington. In January 1941, the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii and was re-designated VMF-211 on July 1, 1941.