Marines and aircraft from 2dMAW participated in major battles or campaigns at Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Midway, Saipan, Tinian, Guam and Okinawa.

[4] During three months of combat over the skies of Okinawa, squadrons from 2dMAW accounted for 484½ planes shot down helping to create 21 new Marine Corps aces.

[6] In April 1946, 2dMAW relocated to its present home at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

In the 1980s, 2nd MAW units were active participants in exercises and operations around the globe, to include those in Lebanon, Cuba, Grenada, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.

F/A-18 Hornet squadrons deployed aboard the USS Harry S. Truman with Carrier Air Wing 3; and Marine Wing Support Group 27 and Marine Air Control Group 28 deployed personnel in support of all exercises and operations in which 2nd MAW flying squadrons were participating.

[citation needed] During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing units flew over 7,800 combat sorties, expended over 3.9 million pounds of ordnance, carried over 10,000 troops and 6.2 million pounds of cargo, built five base camps, two expeditionary airfields (EAFs), ten forward area arming and refueling points (FARPS) and three forward operating bases (FOBs).

2nd MAW eventually headquartered at Al Asad Airbase to serve as the aviation combat element of Multi-National Forces West for the remainder of the Iraq War.