The Third Marine Aircraft Wing was commissioned on the 167th anniversary of the Marine Corps, November 10, 1942, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Following the conclusion of World War II, the wing was deactivated, and those who remained on active duty were reassigned to units across the Corps. In 1952, the wing was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Miami during the height of the Korean Conflict. Five years later, the wing relocated to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Orange County, California. There the wing remained for 42 years before moving to its current home at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego in 1999.
The band regularly performs in military ceremonies and as musical ambassadors to the public at home and abroad. Notable appearances from recent years include the airshows at Marine Corps Air Stations Miramar and Yuma; Victoria Day events in Victoria, Canada; Los Angeles Fleet Week; the Pleasanton Scottish Gathering and Games; and military appreciation games with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco 49ers.
When not actively performing, band Marines hone their military readiness and train for combat. The band has deployed to combat theaters numerous times since its inception—including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom–and the Marines must be ready to go when the nation calls.
Whether representing the Corps at festivals and sporting events, marching along fellow troops in military reviews, or honoring the fallen with a sounding of “Taps,” the musicians of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band take pride in telling the story of its command as well as the United States military and veteran community through the universal language of music.