In late 1940, Congress authorized a naval air fleet of fifteen thousand aircraft. The Marine Corps was allotted a percentage of these planes to be formed into two air wings with thrity-two operational squadrons. On the advice of Navy and Marine Corps advisors returning from observing the war in Europe these numbers were doubled very soon after. It was under this expansion program that the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing was commissioned in San Diego, California on July 10, 1941. Its first subordinate command was Marine Air Group Two which was based at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii. This gave 2dMAW some of the oldest squadrons in Marine aviation