Marine Corps Air Transport Association

06/09/2026

The 2026 Spring/Summer MCATA Newsletter is published and online. In it you'll find information about the reunion, memorials, historical stories, topical news and news about the activities in each of our squadrons. In this addition you'll also find some information about the Commandant's Guidance on Marine Aviation and plans for the KC-130.

06/03/2026

I just had a question about how to find out who is registered for the MCATA reunion. If you go to the MCATA.com website and click on the registration page tab it will open to the registration page where you can see who else has registered. This is if they didn't opt out. You can also find that information on our mobile app under the events section.

06/02/2026

Transporters,
Planning for the 2026 MCATA Reunion and Convention is complete and we are ready to open event registration. This will be a very special reunion that will be held in Quantico and hosted by the Fairfield Inn in Stafford and the National Museum of the Marine Corps. For those of you who have never been to this museum, you are in for a special treat. We also plan to have a re-dedication of the VMGR Memorial for those who couldn't make the first one and a nighttime bus tour of Washington DC. We hope you can join us for this celebration. Below please find the schedule of events, hotel registration details and an event registration link where you can register online. Be aware that we have already sold out 60 of the 80 rooms we blocked for this event. There is also a link to a downloadable paper registration form for those that wish to do it the old-fashioned way, but we'd appreciate an online registration if you can.
Details can be found on our MCATA website at www.mcata.com/Reunion-Registration
Hope to see you there!
Semper Fi
Dave "Bags" Harshbarger-President

The Marine Corps Air Transport Association is a fraternal association of current and former Marines who are or have in the past been assigned to serve in a Marine Corps Air Transport Refueler unit. Members may be of any rank and have served in any capacity in any of those units. Here is our mission....

05/19/2026

See post below if anyone wants to visit the memorial. It's open to the public during the same hours as the museum grounds.

If anyone wants to visit the VMGR Memorial at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Virginia, please save this map.

Most maps provided by the museum don't have the new section of the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park added to them yet.

#61 near the upper left side is the location of the VMGR memorial, not far from the pavilion.

05/06/2026

Event Registration for MCATA Reunion:

The details of our reunion are mostly finalized. In a few days the online registration portal will open, and you'll be able to register. If you have not made reservations at the hotel and are planning to attend, don't hesitate. We'll probably sell out. The hotel is the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott in Stafford.
Here's a link to hotel reservations:
https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1765231088706&key=GRP&app=resvlink&_branch_match_id=1580667832255289484&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MtNLCrKzC8p0UvOz9UvSi3OyczLtgdK2ALZZSCOWmaKraG5mamRsaGBhYW5gZladmqlrXtQgFpdUWpaKlB3Xnp8UlF%2BeXFqka1rSnoqAGz8cHheAAAA
For those who are not computer savvy, they can call and ask for the MCATA rate (540) 720-1299.

The reunion's schedule is as follows:
Schedule of events:
Wed Oct 14 0800-2359 Early Bird Check-in
1500-2359 Hospitality Room Open
1800-2000 No Host Dinner Place: TBD

Thurs Oct 15 Official Check-in
0800-2359 Hospitality Room Open

Fri Oct 16
0800-2359 Hospitality Room Open
1830-2230 Night Washington DC Monument Guided Bus Tour

Sat Oct 17
0900-0945 Board Meeting, Board Members Only
1100-1200 MCATA General Membership Meeting, All Members
1100-1300 Ladies Luncheon/Bingo. (TBA) Spouses/partners ONLY
1200-1600 Hospitality Room Open
1530-1745 Buses Start Shuttle to Museum of the Marine Corps
1700-1800 Social Hour and rededication of VMGR Memorial Monument
1830-2200 Banquet in Atrium of National Museum of Marine Corps
2200-2300 Buses Shuttle return to Fairfield Inn
2200-2359 Hospitality Room Open

Sun Oct 20
0800-1200 Farewell and Drive/Fly away

Standby for additional information soon!

05/04/2026

Marines!

Have you signed up for the reunion yet? Come join us!! You won’t regrets it! Maintenance folks, Air Crew, Pilots! Come one, come all!

The Marine Corps Air Transport Association is a fraternal association of current and former Marines who are or have in the past been assigned to serve in a Marine Corps Air Transport Refueler unit. Members may be of any rank and have served in any capacity in any of those units. Here is our mission....

04/24/2026

04/24/2026

A week in Italy! Myself, my wife, Lori Marshall, Rich & Carol Driscoll, Chuck & Donna Burgess, Matt & Caroline Pillere, Pat & Deb Lemoine, and Kim Howelldel. Rome, A fantastic Villa in Florence, trips all over. Family style dinners, great food but most importantly the connection of MCATA Marines! This was a wonderful trip to reconnect with our other families. If you can get together locally with your fellow members DO IT! What an amazing experience. Not something I will ever forget! Stories told, memories made!

04/11/2026

Marines, there is someone trying to sell t shirts using our name and logo. It is NOT MCATA. Don't buy them.

04/01/2026

I have the very sad duty to report our brother Dave Lewis has taken his final flight. He passed away a couple of days ago. I don't have further details yet, but will pass them along as soon as I have them.