A Marine Corps fighter squadron has earned one of the Air Force’s rarest unit honors for extraordinary combat service across the Middle East during the spring and summer of 2025.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 received the Gallant Unit Citation following a deployment packed with more than 1,099 combat sorties.
The citation recognizes the squadron’s actions from March 15 through Oct. 7, 2025, according to an Aug. 19 Marine Administrative Notice announcing new awards.
The honor places the Marine aviators among a very small group of units recognized for exceptional heroism against an armed enemy.
The Gallant Unit Citation was established in 2004 to honor “Air Force active duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force on or after Sept. 11, 2001,” according to the Air Force personnel center.
The citation ranks below the Presidential Unit Citation, but it carries serious weight. It is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star, one of the nation’s highest awards for valor in combat.
Only a handful of formations have received the award since its creation.
Previous recipients include the 385th Air Expeditionary Group and the 621st Contingency Response Group, both honored for their roles during the chaotic evacuation of Kabul in August 2021.
A spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed that Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 received the Air Force award.
The administrative notice, however, did not disclose the precise combat actions that led to the citation.
The notice identified the squadron as an “additional participating unit” attached to the Air Force’s 378th Air Expeditionary Wing.
That provisional force operates under Air Force Central Command and received the same citation during an October 2025 change of command ceremony.
The August notice marked the first public Marine Corps announcement that the fighter squadron had also been awarded the citation.
That recognition arrived nearly a year after the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing formally received its honor.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 deployed into the United States Central Command area of responsibility during the spring of 2025.
By the end of its deployment, the squadron had flown more than 1,099 combat sorties, according to an October 2025 release from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The Marine Corps did not identify every operation in which the squadron participated.
Instead, the service said that “VMFA-542 not only enhanced deterrence, supported regional maritime security, and deepened interoperability through combined training with allied and partner air forces.”
“During the deployment, VMFA-542 made a significant operational and strategic impact in the CENTCOM AOR,” the October 2025 release said.
That assessment reflects a demanding mission schedule in one of the world’s most volatile military regions.
“The squadron conducted Close Air Support, Armed Overwatch, and Defensive Counter-Air missions in support of Marine, Navy, Army, coalition, and partner nation forces.”
Those missions placed the Marine aviators directly in the business of protecting American troops, backing allied forces, and confronting threats across the theater.
The award period overlapped with several major American aerial combat operations.
In March 2025, the United States resumed strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, launching a two month campaign in which fighter aircraft hit targets throughout the country.
Some pilots involved in that campaign later received Distinguished Flying Crosses and Silver Stars.
American fighter aircraft also conducted intercept missions against Iranian missiles during the 12 Day War between Israel and Iran.
Then came Operation Midnight Hammer in late June, when dozens of American aircraft supported B 2 Spirit stealth bombers striking Iranian nuclear sites.
Several airmen involved in those operations later received Distinguished Flying Crosses and other honors during award ceremonies held in the spring and summer.
The Marine Corps has not said whether Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 participated in any specific one of those engagements.
Still, the timing, combat sortie count, and rare citation make clear that these Marines were not merely circling the neighborhood and collecting flight hours.
Their Gallant Unit Citation recognizes a squadron that delivered combat airpower across a dangerous theater while supporting American, coalition, and partner forces.
For Marine aviation, it is a rare Air Force honor and a fitting tribute to warriors who answered the call when the Middle East once again turned hot.
