MCAS Cherry Point

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point is located in Havelock, North Carolina. Congress authorized the facility on July 9, 1941, and construction began in August 1941 under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Cushman. It was commissioned as Cunningham Field on May 20, 1942, named in honor of the first Marine Corps aviator, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred A. Cunningham. The site was later renamed for a local post office. During World War II, the station trained units for the Pacific theater and supported anti-submarine operations. In the Korean War and Vietnam War, the base provided personnel replacements and deployed A-6 Intruder squadrons. During Operation Desert Storm, the installation supported the deployment of AV-8B Harrier, A-6E Intruder, KC-130 Hercules, and EA-6B Prowler squadrons. Personnel from the station also participated in strike missions during Operation Enduring Freedom. From 1957 until 1963, the United States Air Force operated a radar station at the facility as part of the Air Defense Command.

The air station is operated by the U.S. Marine Corps under Marine Corps Installations – East and hosts the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Garrison units include Marine Aircraft Group 14, Marine Air Control Group 28, and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group’s Combat Logistics Company 21. Flying units stationed at the facility operate aircraft including the AV-8B Harrier II, F-35B and F-35C Lightning II, KC-130J Hercules, and RQ-21A Blackjack.

The air station and its support locations encompass more than 29,000 acres. It hosts the Fleet Readiness Center East, which provides maintenance and logistics support under the Naval Air Systems Command. Infrastructure includes V/STOL pads, and the airfield is designated as an alternate emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle. Cherry Point also manages several satellite airfields: MCALF Bogue for Field Carrier Landing Practice, MCOLF Oak Grove for operations on unimproved surfaces, and MCOLF Atlantic, which serves as an arming and refueling point.