hmh-461

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53K King Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as "Ironhorse", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 (MAG-29) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW). With its lineage starting in 1944, HMH-461 is the oldest active Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron in the Marine Corps.

Mission

Support the MAGTF Commander by providing assault support transport of heavy equipment, combat troops, and supplies, day or night under all weather conditions during expeditionary, joint, or combined operations.

History

Early years

Marine Fighting Squadron 461 (VMF-461) was commissioned on March 15, 1944, at Marine Corps Air Station El Centro, California as part of Marine Base Defense Group 43. The newly formed squadron flew the Vought F4U Corsair and its callsign was "Red Raider" with a squadron insignia depicting a red bearded Viking. In January 1945, the squadron was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 46 (MAG 46), and designated as a replacement training squadron for the remainder of the war.

On February 25, 1946, VMF-461 sailed on board the USS Palau (CVE-122) during her initial shakedown cruise and on March 16, 1946, the squadron departed Naval Base San Diego headed for the east coast of the United States. Arriving at Naval Station Norfolk on March 16, 1946, VMF-461 flew south to MCAS Cherry Point, NC for temporary duty with Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11). From May - August 1947 the squadron again sailed on the USS Palau visiting Guantánamo Bay, Monrovia, Liberia, Recife, Brazil, and Dakar, French West Africa. From February–March 1948 VMF-461, took part in Fleet Exercises, this time operating from Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. The squadron again boarded the USS Palau in August 1948 for a three-week cruise to Guantánamo Bay and in November 1948 took part in arctic exercises. The squadron boarded the USS Midway (CV-41) in January 1949 for a two-month Mediterranean Cruise and took part in multiple shorter cruises between March–June 1949 on board the USS Midway and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. On July 1, 1949, VMF-461 was assigned to MAG-11 at MCAS Cherry Point. From September 1949 until January 1950, the squadron deployed on a Mediterranean Cruise as part of Marine Aircraft Group 11 on board the USS Leyte (CV-32). In September 1950, VMF-461 was decommissioned.

In January 1957, the squadron was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Medium) 461, HMR(M)-461, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 26. The squadron was equipped as the initial squadron with the HR2S-1 (later to be designated as the CH-37), then the newest and largest helicopter in the Marine Corps inventory. The "Deuce," as it was called, was capable of carrying 26 troops, or 8,000 pounds of cargo at speeds up to 110 knots. The aircraft was powered by two R2800-54 engines and carried a crew of four. As part of the U.S. Space Program in 1961, HMR(M)-461 participated as the primary recovery vehicle for NASA AeroBee Rocket launches at Wallops Island, Virginia In February 1962, HMR(M)-461 was redesignated Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-461 (HMH-461).

While deployed aboard USS ''Boxer'' and USS ''Guadalcanal'' from 1962 to 1965, HMH-461 participated in various deployments and exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and Caribbean Sea. In February 1966, the squadron was reduced to cadre status to await arrival of the CH-53A helicopter, which replaced the CH-37. In November 1970, the CH-53A was replaced by the CH-53D helicopter. Throughout the 1970s, HMH-461 continued its support of Fleet Marine operations in such places as the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and Great Britain.

New CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters marked another chapter in HMH-461 history with the first operational flight in October 1987. In September 1988, HMH-461 took delivery of its first lot of eleven CH-53Es from Sikorsky Aircraft and would go on to make history as the first Marine Corps aviation unit to aerial refuel using night vision goggles, perform Hover In-flight Refueling (HIFR) over a naval vessel, externally lift a Riverine Assault Craft, load a CH-53E into a C-17 Globemaster, and lift two HMMWVs simultaneously..

The 1990s

In February 1990, HMH-461 deployed four aircraft aboard ship to support the presidential visit to the Anti-Drug Summit in Colombia.

Beginning in August 1990 through April 1991, the squadron deployed aboard USS ''Iwo Jima'' and headed to the conflict in the Persian Gulf. On 5 January 1991, Detachment Delta was retasked from DESERT STORM to support the non-combatant evacuation (NEO) of American citizens from war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia.  The IRONHORSES flew almost 500-miles from the sea to successfully begin the NEO of American citizens and open Operation EASTERN EXIT.

Ironhorse Marines again deployed in October 1993 through June 1994 when a detachment of four aircraft left with HMM-362 for contingency operations in Haiti.

They deployed again in May and June 1997 when a detachment from this squadron participated in Operation Guardian Retrieval in Congo-Brazzaville. The detachment then conducted a non-combatant evacuation (NEO) in Sierra Leone as part of VMM-261(Rein) which was named Operation Noble Obelisk. The NEO saved U.S., British, and other third-country nationals who were threatened by the Revolutionary United Front.

21st century

Following the attacks on 11 September  2001, HMH-461 was the first Marine Corps helicopter unit deployed to Djibouti, Africa, in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.  The deployment conducted multiple operations in support of special operations during the Global War on Terror. In June, while on a routine training mission (7) 1000 lbs bombs were dropped on two CH-53Es standing Casevac on the Godoria Range by an Air Force B-52. Captain Seth Michaud was killed in the mishap and both aircraft were destroyed. In October 2003, HMH-461 retrograded home to MCAS New River but would return again with detachments in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012.

At the same time that the squadron main body was deployed to the Horn of Africa, HMH-461's Marines supporting the 22 MEU also encountered difficult flying in the treacherous mountains of Afghanistan. The 22 MEU ACE was stationed at the Kandahar airport in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and designated as part of Task Force Linebacker. The CH-53E proved invaluable in the challenging environmental conditions of Afghanistan. Throughout the spring and summer, the detachment helped efforts to battle Taliban forces, register 58,000 Afghan voters, and treat 2,000 medical and dental patients. After their successful 7-month deployment, the Ironhorses attached to HMM-266 returned to MCAS New River on 16 September 2004.

On August 29, 2005, HMH-461 received the order to deploy with 18 hours notice in support of relief operations for Hurricane Katrina. HMH-461 became the parent squadron and formed HMH-461(-)(REIN) with Marines and equipment from HMH-464, VMM-365, HMT-302 and VMM 264 to support the Special Marine Air-Ground Task Force for the disaster area. HMH-461 self-deployed to NAS Pensacola and started relief operations the next day in New Orleans

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