1932 -- We begin our existence as the "Pigeon and Flag Handler Platoon"

1942 -- 5 October; Activated as the Signal School, Signal Battalion at Quantico, VA

1943 -- Move to Camp Lejeune, NC remaining there throughout the Second World War

• Eventually offering 15 courses in the communications field

1946 -- August; post-war relocation to Camp Del Mar in Camp Pendleton, CA

• Continue to train communications personnel, but in vastly reduced numbers

1949 -- December; redesignated as the Signal and Tracked Vehicle School Battalion

1950 -- The Battalion moves to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA

• Outbreak of Korean hostilities precipitated expansion to meet the urgent need for trained combat-ready communication personnel

• September; another name change; now known as the Signal School Battalion

• Added technician & repairmen training

1953 -- Redesignated as the Communication-Electronics School Battalion

1967 -- Began the move to Marine Corps Base, 29 Palms, CA

• First, with Company C and Company E

1971 -- February; redesignated to our present unit title of

• Company A and Company D following to 29 Palms

• Trained over 5,000 Marines annually

• Established a formal school designed to train officers in Air Support/Defense skills

1975 -- Company B moved from San Diego to 29 Palms which completes the entire unit move, and establishes MCCES as the largest formal school in the Marine Corps

2000 – October, MCCES realigned from CG MAGTF Training Command to CG Training Command

2003 -- Company D merged with Company B then Company D dissolved.

2005 -- The on board average student population was 1,240. The School conducts 44 separate courses producing 37 MOS's. 303 classes are scheduled annually varying from 2 to 54 weeks in duration. This represents upwards of 25,000 academic days. MCCES graduates nearly 6,500 service personnel annually.

C&E (our local/colloquial term) has played a vital role in the Corps' combat-readiness; recognized as such in the form of unit awards to include:

• American Campaign Streamer

• World War II Victory Streamer

• National Defense Service Streamer w/3 Bronze Star

• Meritorious Unit Commendation w/3 Bronze Stars

• Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer

Carrying out its primary mission to train personnel in the fields of operational communications, communication-electronics maintenance, and air control/anti-air warfare operations ... MCCES currently consist of a headquarters company and 3 training companies/schools which are:

Company A / CEMS - Communication-Electronics Maintenance School

Company B / TCTS – Tactical Communications Training School

Company C / AIRS - Air School

2006 -- The on board average student population was 1,042. The School conducts 56 separate courses producing 35 MOS's. 51 of these courses are conducted at the Formal Learning Center and 5 are Mobile Training Teams. 397 classes are scheduled annually varying from 17 to 168 training days in duration. Also during FY 2006, MCCES partnered with the Army to start a distributed learning environment known as MCCES e-University. This site currently has over 80 Army courses and is being constantly populated with both locally and professionally developed Marine courses available to a Marine anytime/anyplace a computer is available. MCCES graduates nearly 6,000 service personnel annually.

C&E (our local/colloquial term) has played a vital role in the Corps' combat-readiness; recognized as such in the form of unit awards to include:

• American Campaign Streamer

• World War II Victory Streamer

• National Defense Service Streamer w/3 Bronze Star

• Meritorious Unit Commendation w/3 Bronze Stars

• Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer

Carrying out its primary mission to train personnel in the fields of operational communications, communication-electronics maintenance, and air control/anti-air warfare operations ... MCCES currently consist of a headquarters company and 3 training companies/schools which are:

Company A / CEMS - Communication-Electronics Maintenance School

Company B / TCTS – Tactical Communications Training School

Company C / AIRS - Air School

C&E constantly strives to train/graduate operators, repairmen and technicians who are highly skilled in the communications & electronics fields -- and proud, dedicated, professional and highly-motivated Marines!

From our humblest of beginnings as pigeon/flag handlers through numerous years of service, MCCES has evolved to train Marines in the most modern and sophisticated communications and electronics equipment in existence today. We have been a leader among service schools in the development and application of new and innovative instructional theory and techniques.