Lineage:
1943 – 1945
•ACTIVATED 1 JULY 1943 AT EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, AS MARINE TORPEDO BOMBING SQUADRON 242 AND ASSIGNED TO MARINE BASE DEFENSE AIRCRAFT GROUP 43, MARINE FLEET AIR, WEST COAST
•DEPLOYED DURING FEBRUARY 1944 TO ESPIRITU SANTO, NEW HEBRIDES, AND REASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 11, MARINE AIR, SOUTH PACIFIC
•REASSIGNED DURING JUNE 1944 TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 21, 4TH MARINE
BASE DEFENSE AIRCRAFT WING
•REASSIGNED DURING NOVEMBER 1944 TO 4TH MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II CAMPAIGNS: BISMARK ARCHPELAGO, IWO JIMA
•RELOCATED DURING NOVEMBER 1945 TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
•DEACTIVATED 23 NOVEMBER 1945
1960 – 1965
•REACTIVATED 1 OCTOBER 1960 AT CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, AS MARINE ATTACK SQUADRON 242 AND ASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 14, 2D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•DEPLOYED DURING OCTOBER 1962 TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA
•RETURNED DURING NOVEMBER 1962 TO CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA
•DEPLOYED DURING OCTOBER 1963 TO IWAKUNI, JAPAN, AND REASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 12, 1ST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•RELOCATED DURING OCTOBER 1964 TO CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA
•REDESIGNATED 1 OCTOBER 1964 AS MARINE ALL WEATHER ATTACK SQUADRON 242 AND REASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 14, 2D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
1966 – 1989
•DEPLOYED DURING OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1966 TO DA NANG, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, AND REASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 11, 1ST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR IN VIETNAM, NOVEMBER 1966 – SEPTEMBER 1970 OPERATING FROM DA NANG
•RELOCATED DURING SEPTEMBER 1970 TO EL TORO, CALIFORNIA, AND REASSIGNED TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 33, 3D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•REASSIGNED DURING DECEMBER 1970 TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 13, 3D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
•PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TRAINING EXERCISES DURING THE 1970’S AND 1980’S
•PARTICIPATED IN THE SYSTEM OF UNIT DEPLOYMENT BETWEEN MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 12, 1ST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, AND MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 11 AND 13, 3D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING DURING THE 1980’S
•REASSIGNED DURING OCTOBER 1987 TO MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 11, 3D MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
1990 – 2000
•REDESIGNATED 14 DECEMBER 1990 AS MARINE ALL WEATHER FIGHTER ATTACK SQUADRON 242
•PARTICIPATED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM, SOUTHWEST ASIA, AUGUST 1990 – APRIL 1991
•RELOCATED DURING MARCH 1996 TO MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA
2000 – 2020
•DEPLOYED TO IWAKUNI, JAPAN ON THE UNIT DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM, MARCH 2001 – SEPTEMBER 2001, SEPTEMBER 2002 – SEPTEMBER 2003
•PARTICIPATED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II, SOUTHWEST ASIA, SEPTEMBER 2004 – MARCH 2005
•PARTICIPATED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM 05-07, SOUTHWEST ASIA, SEPTEMBER 2006 – MARCH 2007
•RELOCATED DURING MARCH 2008 TO MCAS IWAKUNI, JAPAN
2020 – PRESENT
•REDESIGNATED 16 OCTOBER 2020 AS MARINE FIGHTER ATTACK SQUADRON 242 FLYING THE F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER
