ACE stands for Aviation Combat Element; Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) is its typical composition.

• A. Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW)
• B. Aviation Combat Element; Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW)
• C. Air Wing
• D. Carrier Air Wing

Answer: (B)

The Aviation Combat Element is the air power portion of a MAGTF, and its typical organization is a Marine Aircraft Wing. That makes the choice that states both the expansion of the acronym and the standard composition the best answer: it captures what ACE stands for and what unit normally makes up the ACE—the MAW, which brings together the aircraft, squadrons, and support to execute air operations for the MAGTF.

Choosing just the Marine Aircraft Wing would miss the meaning of ACE itself, while terms like Air Wing or Carrier Air Wing come from Navy terminology and don’t reflect the Marine Corps’ ACE structure.