| Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263 | |
|---|---|
 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 Insignia | |
| Active | 16 June 1952 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Medium-lift Tiltrotor Squadron |
| Role | Conduct air operations in support of theFleet Marine Forces |
| Size | approx 250 Marines |
| Part of | Marine Aircraft Group 26 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station New River |
| Nickname | "Thunder Chickens" |
| Motto | Gopher Broke |
| Tail Code | EG |
| Mascot | Ready Ape |
| Engagements | Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Terry A. Carter Jr. |
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) is aUnited States Marine Corpstiltrotor squadron consisting ofMV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Thunder Chickens", is based atMarine Corps Air Station New River,North Carolina and falls under the command ofMarine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW).
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 was activated initially as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (HMR-263) on 16 June 1952 and was outfitted with Sikorsky HRS helicopters. For its first two years of operations the squadron was based atMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,North Carolina. During these early months the squadron was occupied in proficiency training, which contributed to the growing body of knowledge of rotary wing aircraft and their employment and ultimately became the basis for the doctrine ofvertical envelopment then being developed by the Marine Corps.
On 7 July 1954, HMR-263 relocated toMarine Corps Air Facility New River, North Carolina, where it remained home based for the next eleven years. During this time the squadron participated in over fifteen major exercises and deployments including disaster relief inTampico,Mexico in October 1955 and operations from the submarineUSS Sealion in March 1956. During December 1956 the squadron was redesignatedHMR(L)-263. SixCaribbean deployments and numerous local training exercises ensued. During February 1962, the squadron was reequipped with theHUS-1 (UH-34) helicopter. In October 1962, HMM-263 was deployed to the Caribbean when the United States initiated alarge-scale response to theSoviet Union’s deployment ofintercontinental ballistic missiles toCuba. In June 1964, the squadron was a participant in Exercise Steel Pike off the coast ofSpain, then the largest amphibious exercise sinceWorld War II.
During April and May 1965, HMM-263 was deployed to theDominican Republic in support ofOperation Power Pack. On 23 August 1965, HMM-263 was transferred toMarine Corps Air Station Futenma and placed under control of the1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). On 11 October 1965, the squadron moved from MCAS Futenma toMarble Mountain Air Facility,South Vietnam. For the next two years HMM-263 served in Vietnam participating in over twenty-four named combat operations.
During November 1967, HMM-263 was transferred toMarine Corps Air Station Santa Ana,California where it was re-equipped withCH-46D helicopters before redeploying to South Vietnam in January 1969.
On 18 November 1970 a squadron CH-46D crashed into terrain in theQuế Sơn District after extracting a Marine patrol killing all 15 onboard. Among those killed was Lieutenant ColonelWilliam G. Leftwich Jr. commander of the1st Reconnaissance Battalion.[1]
The squadron remained in Vietnam until April 1971 and then transferred toMarine Corps Air Station Quantico,Virginia and began flying the CH-46F helicopter. HMM-263 remained home based at Quantico for four years and participated in several cold weather exercises, twoMediterranean cruises, and one Caribbean deployment in addition to numerous smaller training exercises.
During August 1975, HMM-263 relocated to Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. While home based at New River, the squadron completed the transition to the CH-46E helicopter over the summer of 1980. For the next seventeen years the squadron deployed in four majorNATO exercises, made six Mediterranean cruises, and deployed on goodwill cruises toAfrica,South America and the Caribbean. During the squadron's 1984 deployment, it served with the Commander Joint Task ForceLebanon in support of Marine Security Forces ashore in Beirut. The squadron first served in Lebanon from October 1982 until March 1983, then again from April 1984 until August 1984.
During their 1986 deployment the squadron served as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of the26th Marine Amphibious Unit (26th MAU), which operated in support of Combined Task Force 60 (CTF-60) during operations inLibya. HMM-263 deployed in May 1987, under command of Lt. Colonel J.R. Pruden, as the ACE for the24th Marine Amphibious Unit (24th MAU). During this time contingency operations in thePersian Gulf necessitated splitting the squadron into three sections, operating from the United States, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. While deployed, squadron aircraft participated in the seizure of theIranian mine laying ship "Iran Ajar".
In August 1990 the squadron again found itself headed for the Persian Gulf region. As a part of the4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (4th MEB), the squadron’s aircraft flew countless hours in support of the amphibious task force, participated in numerousamphibious assault exercises, and conducted anon-combatant evacuation operation of the U.S. Embassy inMogadishu,Somalia (Operation Eastern Exit). The squadron also assisted in the interdiction of two Iraqi vessels in support of the United Nations mandated embargo of Iraq.
In March 1993 the squadron was called upon to supportUnited States Central Command (USCENTCOM) deployment to Somalia participating inOperation Restore Hope andOperation Continue Hope.
In 1995, the squadron deployed aboardUSS Kearsarge (LHD-3) as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) for the24th MEU(SOC). During this deployment the squadron participated in six large scale, multinational exercises while providing Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) support for NATOOperation Deny Flight andOperation Provide Promise in theAdriatic Sea. The squadron also conducted the successful TRAP rescue mission ofAir Force pilot CaptainScott O'Grady on 8 June 1995. In July 1996 the squadron was selected as the Marine Corps Aviation Association’s "Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron of the Year."
In 1997, HMM-263 went on another deployment providing a U.S. presence in the Mediterranean Sea andBlack Sea, as well as participating inOperation Joint Guard in the Adriatic Sea, andOperation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf.
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During the nine-month deployment as part of the 24th MEU in 2002-2003, the Thunder Chickens, as they were then known, flew an unprecedented 9568 hours and participated inOperation Enduring Freedom in theHorn of Africa, andOperation Iraqi Freedom in and aroundBaghdad,Tikrit, andAl Kut, Iraq.
In June and July, 2004 HMM-263 (Rein) was deployed toAl Taqqadum, Iraq. They once again engaged in support of combat operations. While participating in operations such asSecond Battle of Fallujah, Citadel II, Riverwalk, andPlymouth Rock, HMM-263 (Rein) totaled 7,472.5 combat flight hours, of which an amazing 4,664.9 were onNVG’s. During this tour, the squadron executed the first all-Iraqi heliborne assault in support of the newly createdIraqi Security Forces. The squadron re-deployed in February 2005 with only seven CH-46E’s in anticipation of the transition to the MV-22.
The squadron was officially stood down June 3, 2005, for transitioning from theCH-46 Sea Knight to theMV-22 Osprey. HMM-263 was re-designated VMM-263 and reactivated March 3, 2006 as the first operational MV-22 squadron.[2]
On 17 September 2007, VMM-263 left with 10 Ospreys from MCAS New River for Iraq aboard the amphibious assault shipUSS Wasp (LHD-1).[3] The squadron is currently training to become the first MV-22 squadron to support aMarine Expeditionary Unit. They will be part of the22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and are due to float in the spring of 2009.[4]
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. VMM-263 has been presented with the following awards:
| Ribbon | Unit Award |
 | Presidential Unit Citation with twoBronze Stars |
 | Joint Meritorious Unit Award |
 | Navy Unit Commendation with oneSilver Star and Bronze Star |
 | Meritorious Unit Commendation with four Bronze Stars |
The Medal of Honor is the highestmilitary decoration awarded by theUnited States. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself "... conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States ...".[5]Raymond M. Clausen, Jr. was awarded theMedal of Honor for valor on 31 January 1970 while serving with HMM-263.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.| Leadership |
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