Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 (MWSS-273) is an aviation ground support unit of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. They are based out of

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort or MCAS Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) air base located northwest of the central business district of Beaufort, a city in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. About 4,700 personnel s ...

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. The squadron falls under the command of

Marine Aircraft Group 31 Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) is a United States Marine Corps aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina that is currently composed of two F/A-18C Hornet squadrons, one F/A-18A++ Hornet squadron, two F/A-18D H ...

and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Mission

Provide all essential aviation ground support to a designated fixed-wing component of a Marine Aviation Combat Element (ACE), and all supporting or attached elements of the Marine Air Control Group (MACG). This support includes: internal airfield communications, weather services, expeditionary airfield services, aircraft rescue and firefighting, aircraft and ground refueling, essential engineering services, motor transport, messing, chemical defense, security and law enforcement, airbase commandant functions, and explosive ordnance disposal. Additionally, in garrison MWSS-273 is tasked to supplement air station facilities and services provided by Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC.

History

On 13 June 1986, MWSS-273 was formed at

, from elements of Marine Air Base Squadron 31, and Detachment Bravo, Marine Wing Support Group 27. In 1989, MWSS-273 provided extensive disaster relief support to the city of Charleston, South Carolina, during the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. During The Persian Gulf War in 1991, Marines were reassigned from MWSS-272 and MWSS-274 to augment the squadron which was deployed in December 1990 and played a direct role in providing aviation ground support for UN forces conducting combat operations against

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

. The Marines of MWSS-273 assisted in the construction of the largest expeditionary airfield in Marine Corps history at Al Khanjar, Saudi Arabia, in addition to several other major construction and transportation projects located at Ras Al Jubail, Ras Mishab, and on the Kuwait/Saudi Arabian border located at "LoneSome Dove". While conducting unit activities at Ras Mishab, the squadron received numerous FROG missile attacks from Iraqi enemy units located north of Ras Al Khafji during the first days of the "Air War Campaign". Throughout the 1990s, the squadron provided extensive operational support for Aviano Air Base, Italy,

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

contingency operations

Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the mis ...

and Provide Promise,

Operation Uphold Democracy Operation Uphold Democracy was a military intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The operation was effectively authorized by t ...

in Haiti,

Operation Joint Forge The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. I ...

in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...

and Joint Task Force Noble Anvil in Taszar, Hungary, and numerous

Marine Expeditionary Unit A Marine expeditionary unit (MEU, pronounced as one syllable "" IPA: ) is the smallest air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force.Operation Enduring Freedom taking place in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. MWSS-273 deployed twice in squadron strength to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The "Sweathogs" have established an impressive record as a forward deployed unit as they conducted 24-hour Aviation Ground Support operations at Al Asad Airbase, the Forward Operating Base at Al Qa'im and the Forward Arming and Refueling Point Mudayasis. During their most recent deployment, MWSS-273 was responsible for the tactical recovery of an unprecedented seven Coalition Aircraft. In only seven months, MWSS-273 provided over 28 million gallons of fuel to Coalition aircraft, conducted over of motor transport operations, rendered safe 126 enemy explosive devices, destroyed ten enemy weapons caches, conducted over 11,000 hours of heavy equipment operations, two water main repairs, and four outside-the-wire construction missions to improve living conditions at local Combat Outposts. From March to September 2012, MWSS 273 deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. The Squadron: provided over 9 million gallons of fuel to over 25,000 aircraft and 2500 ground vehicles; built the largest High Power Run-Up in Marine Corps history; executed two aircraft recoveries including the first-ever combat recovery of an MV-22B Osprey; executed numerous Combat Logistics Patrols; constructed an air-site at Combat Outpost (COP) Shukvani; and prepared 1.78 million square feet of Aluminum Matting 2nd Generation for redeployment – all while providing first-class Aviation Ground Support to seven different air sites. As a result of their efforts, the Sweathogs earned three unit awards:

Marine Corps Aviation Association Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Militar ...

's 2012 James E. Hatch Marine Wing Support Squadron of the Year;

Marine Corps Engineer Association Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Militar ...

Engineer Company of the Year; and the

American Petroleum Institute The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the largest U.S. trade association for the oil and natural gas industry. It claims to represent nearly 600 corporations involved in production, refinement, distribution, and many other aspects of the ...

Tactical Unit of the Year.

Awards

Unit Awards include the Navy Commendation Streamer, the National Defense Service Streamer, and the Southwest Asia Streamer with three bronze stars. MWSS-273 earned the James E. Hatch Marine Wing Support Squadron of the Year five times: 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and 2012. * Navy Unit Commendation Streamer * National Defense Service Streamer *

Southwest Asia Service Streamer The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east ...

with three Bronze stars

External links

MWSS-273's Official Website
{{2ndMAW MWSS273

Mission

History

Awards

See also

External links