Aviation in the Marine Corps achieved permanent status in 1920 after Congress authorized two air stations and 1,020 personnel. It became the aerial extension of U.S. foreign policy as it accompanied expeditionary forces to Latin America and Asia. Marine aviators assisted their fellow Leathernecks on the ground during combat operations against guerilla forces in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
The mission of Marine aviation evolved with the establishment of the amphibious Fleet Marine Forces in 1933. Marine fighting and scouting squadrons participated in fleet exercises, simulated amphibious assaults, and performed in war games, all of which provided the foundation for the Marine air-ground team.
