Official MASS 2 Pacific Vagabonds Patch — Marine Air Support Squadron 2 Embroidered Patch
The Pacific Vagabonds—MASS-2, the Marine Corps' forward-deployed air support coordinators who direct the fire and fury of Marine aviation onto targets across the Indo-Pacific.
Marine Air Support Squadron 2 (MASS-2), the "Pacific Vagabonds," is a specialized aviation command and control squadron responsible for coordinating and directing air support for Marine ground forces. MASS-2 operates the Direct Air Support Center (DASC)—the tactical agency that processes and coordinates all requests for immediate close air support, serving as the critical link between Marines in contact with the enemy and the aircraft overhead ready to deliver ordnance.
The DASC is one of the six agencies that comprise the Marine Corps' tactical air command center system, and MASS-2's operators are the experts who manage the airspace, assign aircraft to close air support missions, and coordinate with Forward Air Controllers (FACs) and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) on the ground to ensure that bombs, missiles, and gun runs hit the right targets at the right time. In the chaos of close combat, the DASC operators of MASS-2 are the calm, professional voices that bring order to the airspace and deliver devastating firepower precisely where Marines need it most.
The "Pacific Vagabonds" nickname reflects MASS-2's forward-deployed nature and its mission of roaming across the vast Pacific theater, setting up expeditionary air support coordination centers wherever the Marine Air-Ground Task Force operates. The squadron's personnel deploy with Marine Expeditionary Units, participate in combined exercises with allied nations, and maintain the readiness to establish air support coordination from austere, expeditionary locations across the Indo-Pacific region.
Perfect For: MASS-2 Pacific Vagabonds members and veterans, Direct Air Support Center operators, Marine air support coordinators, close air support professionals, JTAC and FAC community members, and Marine Corps aviation command and control enthusiasts.
The Pacific Vagabonds of MASS-2—directing the fury of Marine airpower onto the enemy, one close air support mission at a time, across the vast Pacific.