HMM-266
Encyclopedia
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) is a United States Marine Corps
tiltrotor
squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Fighting Griffins", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River
, North Carolina
falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26
(MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
(2nd MAW).
to the arctic climes of northern Norway
.
in August 1990, HMM-266 initially provided aircraft and personnel to other MAG-26 squadrons as they prepared for deployment. On December 31, 1990, HMM-266 became the first CH-46E squadron from II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) to deploy to Southwest Asia (SWA). On January 4, 1991, the squadron arrived in Jubail
, Saudi Arabia
, and provided assault support in the form of Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP), troop movement, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC
), and re-supply missions. The squadron moved to Combat Outpost Lonesome Dove with the rest of MAG-26 for Operation Desert Storm and conducted combat support from this location until offensive operations ceased on February 28, 1991. In May, the Fighting Griffins were the last MAG-26 squadron to return to MCAS New River.
In 1992, while off the coast off Italy
, the CH-46s of HMM-266 (Rein) made worldwide news. They provided heavy lift support when Mount Etna
erupted and lava flow threatened to wipe out the town of Zafferana, Sicily.
In February - March 1994, the squadron supported Operation Continue Hope and Operation Quick Draw in Somalia
. After successfully completing these operations, the Fighting Griffins proceeded to the Adriatic Sea
in support of Operation Provide Promise
and Operation Deny Flight
. HMM-266 (Rein) returned to MCAS New River on 23 June, and ten days later was recalled to deploy to the Caribbean
in support of Operation Support Democracy in Haiti
.
The squadron deployed in November 1998 and immediately detached three CH-46Es and its two UH-1Ns to conduct contingency operations off the coast of Albania
concurrent with Operation Silver Knight.
In March 1999, the Fighting Griffins were designated the TRAP stand-by force in support of Operation Allied Force
and Joint Task Force (JTF) Noble Anvil strike missions into Serbia
. Upon arriving on station, the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) assigned the aviation combat element
(ACE) AV-8Bs six excess combat strike sorties per day. The AV-8Bs flew their first combat sortie on April 14 with strike missions into Kosovo
. A total of thirty four combat sorties and 65.3 combat hours were flown in support of Operation Allied Force/JTF Noble Anvil. In addition to AV-8B strike missions, two CH-46Es successfully extracted a Navy Special Warfare Team Personal Security Force from Petrovic, Macedonia
.
In February 2004, the HMM-266 (Rein) boarded the USS Wasp
and sailed east for the Mediterranean Sea
. They passed through the Suez Canal
and debarked in April to establish a base of operations in Kandahar
, Afghanistan
to participate in Operation Mountain Storm. Operation Mountain Storm was extended one month, and HMM-266 (Rein) ceased combat operations on July 10, returning home on September 16, 2004.
On August 7, 2005, the Fighting Griffins deployed to Al Asad
, Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Fighting Griffins assumed the mission of medium lift assault support from HMM-264
at 0700HRS on August 20, 2005.
The squadron stood down as Marine Medium Helicopter 266 on June 15, 2006, as a CH-46E squadron and stood up as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) on March 23, 2007. After VMM-263
and VMM-162, VMM-266 became the third operational Osprey unit of the Marine Corps. In September 2008, the squadron again deployed to Al Asad Airbase to support OIF.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
tiltrotor
Tiltrotor
A tiltrotor is an aircraft which uses a pair or more of powered rotors mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles at the end of a fixed wing for lift and propulsion, and combines the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft...
squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Fighting Griffins", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26
Marine Aircraft Group 26
Marine Aircraft Group 26 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River that is currently composed of seven MV-22 Osprey squadrons one of which is the Fleet Replacement Squadron and one aviation logistics squadron...
(MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
(2nd MAW).
Mission
Support the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) commander by providing tactical mobility and logistical support for the MAGTF, day or night, in all weather conditions. VMM-266 does this by conducting mission essential tasks, which include shipboard operations, sea and air deployment operations, air assault, amphibious assaults and raids, distribution of supplies and other transport services, joint personnel recovery, and conduct of noncombatant evacuation.The Early years
HMM-266 was activated on April 26, 1983 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina. In its first year, the squadron established a foundation that would make it the cold weather assault support experts for 2nd MAW. Over the course of the next six years, the squadron participated in fourteen exercises from the High Sierras of the Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) in Bridgeport, CaliforniaBridgeport, California
Bridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010...
to the arctic climes of northern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
The Gulf War and the 1990s
Following the invasion of KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in August 1990, HMM-266 initially provided aircraft and personnel to other MAG-26 squadrons as they prepared for deployment. On December 31, 1990, HMM-266 became the first CH-46E squadron from II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) to deploy to Southwest Asia (SWA). On January 4, 1991, the squadron arrived in Jubail
Jubail
Jubail , is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Old Town of Al Jubail, which was originally a small fishing village, up to 1975 and the new industrial area....
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and provided assault support in the form of Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP), troop movement, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC
CASEVAC
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air...
), and re-supply missions. The squadron moved to Combat Outpost Lonesome Dove with the rest of MAG-26 for Operation Desert Storm and conducted combat support from this location until offensive operations ceased on February 28, 1991. In May, the Fighting Griffins were the last MAG-26 squadron to return to MCAS New River.
In 1992, while off the coast off Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the CH-46s of HMM-266 (Rein) made worldwide news. They provided heavy lift support when Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...
erupted and lava flow threatened to wipe out the town of Zafferana, Sicily.
In February - March 1994, the squadron supported Operation Continue Hope and Operation Quick Draw in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. After successfully completing these operations, the Fighting Griffins proceeded to the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
in support of Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history....
and Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. HMM-266 (Rein) returned to MCAS New River on 23 June, and ten days later was recalled to deploy to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in support of Operation Support Democracy in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
The squadron deployed in November 1998 and immediately detached three CH-46Es and its two UH-1Ns to conduct contingency operations off the coast of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
concurrent with Operation Silver Knight.
Operation Allied Force
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
and Joint Task Force (JTF) Noble Anvil strike missions into Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Upon arriving on station, the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) assigned the aviation combat element
Aviation combat element
In the United States Marine Corps, the aviation combat element or air combat element is the air arm of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force . It provides rotary-wing, tiltrotor, and fixed-wing aircraft, support equipment, pilots, maintenance personnel, as well as command and control assets to the...
(ACE) AV-8Bs six excess combat strike sorties per day. The AV-8Bs flew their first combat sortie on April 14 with strike missions into Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. A total of thirty four combat sorties and 65.3 combat hours were flown in support of Operation Allied Force/JTF Noble Anvil. In addition to AV-8B strike missions, two CH-46Es successfully extracted a Navy Special Warfare Team Personal Security Force from Petrovic, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
Global War on Terror
USS Wasp (LHD-1)
USS Wasp is a U.S. Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship, the tenth to bear the name, the flagship of the Second Fleet and the lead ship of her class. She was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Navy-Marine Corps team's newest amphibious warship...
and sailed east for the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. They passed through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and debarked in April to establish a base of operations in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to participate in Operation Mountain Storm. Operation Mountain Storm was extended one month, and HMM-266 (Rein) ceased combat operations on July 10, returning home on September 16, 2004.
On August 7, 2005, the Fighting Griffins deployed to Al Asad
Al Asad
Al Asad Airbase is the second largest US military airbase in Iraq and is located in the largely Sunni western Province of Iraq Al Anbar. It was formerly the home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force until January 2010...
, Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Fighting Griffins assumed the mission of medium lift assault support from HMM-264
HMM-264
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and normally falls under the command of Marine Aircraft...
at 0700HRS on August 20, 2005.
The squadron stood down as Marine Medium Helicopter 266 on June 15, 2006, as a CH-46E squadron and stood up as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) on March 23, 2007. After VMM-263
VMM-263
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft...
and VMM-162, VMM-266 became the third operational Osprey unit of the Marine Corps. In September 2008, the squadron again deployed to Al Asad Airbase to support OIF.
See also
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- Organization of the United States Marine CorpsOrganization of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy . The most senior Marine officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for...
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons