VMFA-232

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232
VMFA-232 insignia
Active	September 1, 1925 – November 16, 1945 June 3, 1948 – present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Fighter/Attack
Role	Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 11 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Nickname(s)	Red Devils
Tail Code	WT
Engagements	World War II Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 Invasion of Iraq Operation Enduring Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol. Douglas R. Miller
Notable commanders	William L. Nyland
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Great Lakes BG Douglas SBD Dauntless Grumman TBF-1C Avenger
Fighter	Vought VE-7 Boeing FB-1 Boeing FB-5 Curtiss F6C-4 Boeing F4B-4 Vought F4U Corsair North American FJ Fury Vought F-8 Crusader McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II F/A-18 Hornet

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Nicknamed the "Red Devils", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW). The Red Devils are the oldest and most decorated fighter squadron in the Marine Corps.

VMFA-232 can trace its lineage back to VF-3M, which was commissioned on September 1, 1925, at Naval Air Station San Diego, California. Originally equipped with Vought VE-7s, the squadron received three of the new Boeing FB-1s in the first part of 1926, allowing them to operate one division of modern aircraft while retaining the older VE-7s for training purposes. With the civil war in China threatening American interests, it was decided to deploy U.S. forces and in November and December 1926, seven additional FB-1s were transferred to VF-3M from VF-1M and VF-2M on the east coast, bringing the squadron's complement to 10 FB-1s. As diplomacy and planning was taking place on the international level, the squadron concentrated on familiarizing itself with their new aircraft and training the influx of new pilots.

On April 7, 1927, VF-3M departed San Diego bound for China on the transport USS Henderson, but upon arrival, no airfield was available for operations. After waiting in the Philippines for almost two months, the squadron returned to China and eventually operated from airfields at Tientsin and Hsin-Ho, where they supported the 3rd Brigade. Shortly after setting up camp and starting flight operations, the squadron was redesignated VF-10M on July 1, 1927, the first of many changes in designation caused by the reorganization of naval aviation assets. The mission to China demonstrated that Marine Aviation was vital to the expeditionary role Marine forces were called on to perform and the squadron performed photography, mapping and reconnaissance missions while deployed. Another change in designation occurred while the squadron was still in China, when on July 1, 1928, the squadron was redesignated VF-6M. With its mission in China completed, the squadron withdrew on October 3, 1928, arriving back at San Diego on October 31, 1928, after stops at Guam and Hawaii.