MACS-4 Re-Designation and Activation Ceremony

Photo By Sgt. Ethan LeBlanc | U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. John G. Kolb, left, commanding officer and Maj. Robert R. Garcia, center, executive officer of Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS) 4 salute during a unit re-designation and activation ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 18, 2020. The MACS-4 re-designation is a change of the subordinate units from detachments to companies, and a name change of the Tactical Air Operations Center Detachment to Air Defense Company as part of the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 guidance. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ethan M. LeBlanc)  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, JAPAN

12.18.2020

Story by Lance Cpl. Gerardo Cano 

1st Marine Aircraft Wing   

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan – Marine Air Control Squadron 4 uncased their new company guidons during a re-designation and activation ceremony, December 18, 2020 on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.
MACS-4 detachments re-designated into companies, and activated an additional two companies in accordance with the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps General David H. Berger’s Force Design 2030, to create a more expeditionary future focus.
The two new companies activated are Air Defense Company Bravo (AD Co B) and Air Traffic Control Company Mike (ATC Co M). Headquarters Detachment was re-designated to Headquarters and Service Company; Tactical Air Operations Center Detachment was re-designated to Air Defense Company Alpha; Air Traffic Control Detachment Alpha was re-designated to Air Traffic Control Company Kilo; and Air Traffic Control Detachment Bravo was re-designated to Air Traffic Control Company Lima.
“Re-designating from detachments to companies is a transition to common verbiage used throughout the Marine Corps while more appropriately defining the units’ capabilities” said Capt. Timothy Steinberg, Air Defense Control Officer, MACS-4 S-3 Operations.
MACS-4 is the first squadron with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to introduce companies within its squadron, marking an important event in 1st MAW history. The re-designation and activation fulfils the need for medium-range air defense capabilities and conduct of distributed operations.
ATC Co M will be attached at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and is slated to be fully operational before the end of 2022. AD Co B is currently in Okinawa and will eventually rotate to MCAS Iwakuni in 2024. Spreading the locations of the MACS-4 companies throughout the Indo-Pacific aligns with the Force Posture Initiative to have units located strategically across INDOPACOM’s area of responsibility. This postures MACS-4 to better support the future Marine Littoral Regiment and the III MEF as a whole.
“This shift correctly expresses that each subordinate unit is not only a piece of the Squadron, but can stand alone fully functioning in operations, maintenance, and transportation,” said Steinberg. “Additionally, the change to an Air Defense Company shows the capabilities of the unit are not solely deploying as a Tactical Air Operations Center, but also smaller and dispersed aviation command and control capabilities”
With the re-designation and activation of companies, MACS-4 increased its total force by 200 Marines and capability by introducing a new, more mobile and capable AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR).
The re-designation and activation ceremony of MACS-4 marks a movement to the future of the CMC’s Force Design 2030 guidance of a more expeditionary force focus. With larger, more dispersed capabilities, MACS-4’s span of influence is significantly increasing both in area of operation and feasibility of support during overlapping exercises and operations expanding the common operating picture.

• Date Taken: 12.18.2020
• Date Posted: 12.23.2020 06:11
• Story ID: 385580
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, JP