The squadron provides aerial surveillance, air traffic control, ground-controlled intercept, and aviation data-link connectivity for the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Provide air surveillance, airspace management and the control of aircraft and surface-to-air weapons for anti-air warfare and offensive air support while independently or simultaneously providing continuous all-weather radar and non-radar ATC services as in integral part of the Marine Air Command and Control system (MACCS) in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), and Joint Force Commander.

It arrived on 22 November 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California and began a short period of additional training prior to deployment.

It arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 January 1944 and was transported to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa.

After a short period of time at MCAS Ewa the squadron boarded the USS Mormacport on 12 February and sailed west for its first combat operation.

The first bombing run destroyed AWS-1's VHF radio transmitter necessitating immediate repair so aircraft control could continue.

The squadron's forward echelon departed on 23 February 1946 onboard USS LST-690, arriving back in the States on 29 March 1946.

With stops in Guam and Pearl Harbor en route, the main body did not arrive back at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA until 14 April 1946.

Personnel and gear were loaded onto the USS Alshain and the USNS Marine Phoenix (T-AP-195) and departed the harbor on 17 September.

In April 1955 the unit redeployed to Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, and was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11).

It participated in Operation Desert Shield in Southwest Asia from August until October 1990, though some elements of MACS-1 remained in Saudi Arabia in support of MACS-2.

This was followed by a deployment to Kuwait in February 2003 and participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to present, both as an Air Control agency, and subsequently standing up several Security Companies.

[citation needed] From 2009 through 2014, MACS-1, in concert with MACS-2, supported sustained TAOC operations at Camp Leatherneck, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Utilizing the AN/TPS-59 radar as its primary sensor, these units were responsible for controlling 70,000 square miles of airspace in support of Regional Command Southwest operations.