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Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18
	MWCS-18 Insignia
Active	1 September 1967 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Aviation Command & Control
Role	Communications
Part of	Marine Air Control Group 18; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	MCB Camp Foster
Nickname(s)	MWCS-18
Motto(s)	"Warriors from the Ground Up"
Engagements	Vietnam War; Operation Enduring Freedom
Commanders
Current; commander	LtCol Kevin Soeder

Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18 (MWCS-18) is a United States Marine Corps communications squadron. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at MCB Camp Foster and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Although a subordinate squadron of MACG-18, MWCS-18 is considered a 1st MAW asset and therefore serves to augment the entire 1st Marine Air Wing with communications support.

Mission

Provide expeditionary communications for the deployed Aviation Combat Element (ACE) and Command Element (CE) of the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) and its supporting Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) including the phased deployment of task-organized elements thereof.

Components

~Alpha Company

Wire – Telephone Switching and Cabling
Terrestrial- Ground Communications i.e. AN/TRC-170/MRC-142
Cyber- Cyber Network Operations
Transmissions- Radio and Satellite Communications
HQ- Administration, Training and Operations

~Headquarters and Support

Supply- Issues supplies*'S' Shops- Maintain Operations
EM- Electronic Maintenance Platoon
MT/UT- Motor Transport i.e. vehicular maintenance/Utilities (i.e. power, heating, and cooling)

~Bravo Company

~Leadership

Company Commander - Major Tribble
Company First Sergeant - 1stSgt Leon

~Elements

Network/Data Communications - Provides tactical, automated switching, and telephone services for the aviation combat element within 1st MAW, and Tactical Air Command Center (TACC)
Transmissions - Radio and Satellite Communications
Headquarters - Administration, Training and Operations

Tasks

Provide for the effective command of subordinate elements.
Assist in the systems planning and engineering of ACE communications; and install, operate, and maintain expeditionary communications for command and control of the MEF ACE.
Provide operational System Control Centers, as required, to coordinate communication functions internally and externally to the ACE.
Provide collaboration and repair facility for all ground common Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) in the Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW).
Provide maintenance support for Ground Common Communications Equipment in the MAW.
Provide the digital backbone communications support for the ACE Command Element (CE), forward operating bases, and Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) agencies for up to two airfields per detachment.
Provide tactical, automated switching, and telephone services for the ACE CE, and Tactical Air Command Center (TACC).
Provide electronic message distribution for the ACE CE, primary MACCS agencies, and tenant units.
Provide external, single-channel radio and radio retransmission communications support for ACE operations, as required.
Provide deployed Wide Area Network, and deployed Local Area Network server support for the ACE CE, and primary MACCS agencies.
Provide the Support Cryptographic Site (SCS), for all Ground Common and MACCS assigned Communication Security Equipment within the ACE.
Plan and coordinate individual and unit training, as required to qualify subordinate detachments for tactical deployment and combat operations.

History

Marine Wing Communication Squadron 18 (MWCS-18) was activated 1 September 1967 at Danang, Republic of Vietnam, as Marine Wing Communications Squadron 1 (MWCS-1), Marine Wing Headquarters Group 1, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron was redesignated as Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 on July 1, 1971.^[1]

Notes

^ "Status of Forces - July-September 1971" (PDF). United States Marine Corps History Division. United States Marine Corps. 7 July 1971. p. 52. Retrieved 23 May 2022.