The Marine Corps will deactivate all remaining F/A-18C/D Hornet squadrons and eliminate six associated maintenance specialties by 2030, according to Marine Administrative Message (MARADMIN) 207/26, issued May 4.
📄 Full MARADMIN text:
Released 4 MAY 2026 at 14:31 UTC (Zulu) / MARADMIN 207/26
Subject: F/A-18 Hornet military occupational specialties personnel transition
1. Purpose. As outlined in Ref (a) F/A-18 C/D Hornet (VMFA) Plan, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA) is transitioning…
— Devil Dog Digest (@DevilDogDigest) May 5, 2026
Released by Maj. Gen. Fridrik Fridriksson, Director of the Manpower Management Division, the order targets Marines in six Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) spanning mechanic, avionics, and technician billets tied to the F/A-18. The designations affected are MOS 6217, 6227, 6257, 6287, 6317, and 6337.
Deactivations follow a regional schedule. Active component operations close at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina by August 1, 2028, and at MCAS Miramar, California by August 1, 2029. Reserve component operations at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth, Texas conclude by August 1, 2030.
Marines in affected specialties may lateral-move to F-35 maintenance roles, retrain in other critical specialties, or separate at the end of their enlistment. Those who do not voluntarily transition will be reclassified based “solely on the needs of the Marine Corps, regardless of remaining contract time,” the MARADMIN stated. No additional service obligation is incurred after completing new MOS schooling.
“No further promotion or retention opportunities will exist for the remaining F/A-18 maintenance population,” it added.
The MARADMIN cites the 2026 Marine Aviation Plan (AVPLAN) as its authorizing document. Released February 10 by Deputy Commandant for Aviation Lt. Gen. William H. Swan, the plan targets a 420-aircraft F-35 fleet and shifts procurement toward the carrier-based F-35C over the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, a variant-mix pivot that runs parallel to the workforce drawdown now formalized by MARADMIN 207/26.
The Corps has flown F/A-18 variants since 1983, through Libya, Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) described the Hornet as “the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation.” The service ended Hornet pilot training in 2018.
