@Dennis0302: I think they're talking about WW3 in Europe when they say that, under the assumption that the West Coast Marines (1st and 3rd MarDivs?) would be stuck working in the Pacific. After all, 4th MarDiv (and 4th Air Wing) is the reserve division, so they'd probably be split accordingly.
So it'd be one Division and about another Regiment (1/3rd of the 4th MarDiv), plus one Air Wing and part of a second.
Currently, Marine Air Wings aren't evenly divided.
1st Air Wing (in Japan) only has one F/A-18 squadron and one Cobra squadron.
3rd Air Wing (in Miramar) has 4 F/A-18 squadrons, 2 Harrier and 2 F-35 squadrons, and 4 Cobra squadrons.
2nd Wing (in Cherry Point) has 6 F/A-18 squadrons, 4 Harrier squadrons, 4 Prowler squadrons, and 3 Cobra squadrons.
4th Wing (the reserves) is one F/A-18 squadron and one Cobra squadron.
So, for the USMC Air contribution to the European theater, it'd probably be 4-5 F/A-18 squadrons, 2-3 A-6 squadrons, 4 Harrier squadrons, 2-3 Prowler squadrons, and 4 Cobra squadrons. Though I wouldn't expect the Hornets or most of the Prowlers to be available inland, they'd be on carriers. So really it'd be 4 Harrier squadrons and 4 Cobra squadrons for CAS, with probably one Prowler squadron and maybe one Hornet squadron operating inland. The Intruders would be flying deeper penetration missions, not performing CAS.
examines another pre-painted building for WWII.
