 VMU-2 returned from Afghanistan in May 2011 after conducting nearly 20,000 hours of combat flight operations.Throughout the spring and summer of 2011 the squadron continued conducting flight operations in Eastern North Carolina in preparation for domestic training exercises.In January 2012, VMU-2 was, once again, preparing for another deployment and was conducting unit level training and completing Alternate Mission Rehearsal Exercise while supporting Enhanced Mojave Viper from 29 Palms, CA.