Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152) provides aerial refueling service to support

Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Flee ...

(FMF) air operations; and provides assault air transport of personnel, equipment, and supplies. The squadron, known as the "Sumos", flies the fixed-wing Lockheed Martin KC-130J aircraft. VMGR-152 is stationed at

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCAS Iw ...

, Iwakuni, Japan and is part of

Marine Aircraft Group 12 Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing fighter and assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), itself an integral part of th ...

(MAG-12) and the

1st Marine Aircraft Wing The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan. A ...

(1st MAW).

Mission

Provide aerial refueling service in support of

Air Operations and provide assault air transport of personnel, equipment, and supplies.

Aerial refueling

VMGR-152 is capable of refueling helicopters, tilt-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft in support of tactical missions, training operations, or ferry flights. This is accomplished through the use of the two refueling pods mounted under the wings of its KC-130J aircraft, outboard of the engines. These pods trail a 93-foot hose attached to a stabilized paradrogue into which receiver aircraft plug.

Assault air transport

Assault air transport is the squadron's secondary mission. VMGR-152 can deliver supplies and troops by airdrop, or through assault landings on unimproved airstrips both during the day as well as at night, using night-vision devices.

History

World War II

Marine Utility Squadron 253 "VMJ-253" was commissioned on March 11, 1942 in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The squadron's first cadre of pilots were airline pilots that were also in the

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned p ...

. Soon after commissioning the squadron joined the joint air transport organization dubbed the

South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command South Pacific OPACCombat Air Transport Command (SCAT) was a joint command of US military logistics units in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It contributed notably to the success of U.S. forces in the battles for Guadalcanal (1942–194 ...

(SCAT). Lieutenant Colonel Perry K. Smith, USMC, became the first Commanding Officer of SCAT. By November 1942, VMJ-253 had supported operations on Guadalcanal and surrounding islands, logging thousands of flight hours. While on Guadalcanal, VMJ-253 was the first combat transport squadron to land at Henderson Field, bringing Brigadier General

Roy S. Geiger General Roy Stanley Geiger (January 25, 1885 – January 23, 1947) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served in World War I and World War II. In World War II, he became the first Marine Corps general to lead a field army. Geig ...

and his staff to take command of the

. Following the Japanese counterattack that forced the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to withdraw, VMJ-253 continued to re-supply fuel, ammunition, food, and medical supplies in support of the besieged ground troops. The squadron's Douglas R4Ds delivered supplies despite being fired upon by Japanese troops lurking near Henderson Field and marauding

A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

s in the skies. Until the end of 1942, it was the Marines of VMJ-253 and other SCAT units that solved the logistical problems of Marines and soldiers on Guadalcanal. Through 1943, VMJ-253 supported operations on Bougainville,

New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the 200th-largest island in the world. Geography New Georgia island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most ...

, Vella Lavella, and numerous islands throughout the Solomon chain. As the island-hopping campaign moved into the Central Pacific in 1944, so did VMJ-253. Detached from SCAT, VMJ-253 officially became a transport squadron and was redesignated VMR-253. VMR-253 was assigned to the Transport Air Group, popularly called TAG, which was the Central Pacific version of SCAT. Continuing the heavy schedule of lifts from

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Kwajalein Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civil ...

, Roi-Namur, and

Eniwetok Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; mh, Ānewetak, , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ja, ブラウン環礁) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with i ...

. In October 1943, VMR-253 moved to

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. Working out of Guam, VMR-253 supported actions on

Tinian Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...

, Saipan, and

Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II. H ...

. VMR-253 remained on Guam until the close of the war, and in May 1946, returned to

MCAS Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the avi ...

Post WW II / Korean War

Curtiss R5C-1 at National Museum of Naval Aviation

From Miramar, VMR-253 moved to

MCAS El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast ...

under

Marine Aircraft Group 25 Marine Air Group (MAG) 25 was a United States Marine Corps combat air transport group that provided logistical support, including cargo and personnel transport and aeromedical evacuation, to forward units during World War II and the Korean War. ...

where the aging fleet of R4Ds was replaced with Douglas R5Ds. VMR-253 continued its primary mission of moving men and supplies wherever the Marine Corps needed them. After a four-year squadron stand down from 1947 to 1951, VMR-253 reactivated for active duty in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

; with only six Curtiss R5C aircraft, 5 officers and 18 enlisted Marines. By the end of the year it had grown to 58 officers and 184 enlisted men; had received 16 new Fairchild R4Qs; and was ready to go to war once again. From January 1952 through June 1953, the squadron logged over 11,000 flight hours, carried 30,170 passengers, and moved of cargo.

1954 – 1965

In 1954, the squadron relocated to Itami Air Force Base, Japan and then to

, Japan. From Japan, VMR-253 conducted the bulk of Marine air transport in the Pacific for nearly ten years. On February 1, 1962, the famous Lockheed KC-130F Hercules joined Marine aviation in the Pacific. With its ability to refuel fighter and attack aircraft, VMR-253 was redesignated Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152), and the squadron's primary mission became aerial refueling. Less than a year after receiving the Hercules aircraft, the pilots and Marines of VMGR-152 were called upon to support

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

advisors in the latest hot spot, Indo-China. This deployment gave the squadron valuable experience in the employment of the Battle Herc that would soon pay off. On August 24, 1965, a KC-130F ('' BuNo'' 149802) from the squadron veered off runway on take-off from

Kai Tak Airport Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak, or simply Ka ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

hit the seawall and crashed into the sea. This was the first Hercules hull loss in Marine Corps service. It was carrying Marine personnel returning to Vietnam after R&R in Hong Kong; of six crew and 65 passengers, 59 were killed.

Vietnam era

KC-130F VMGR-152 landing at Dong Ha 1967

Beginning in 1965, with increasing U.S. involvement in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, detachments from VMGR-152 were deployed in country with Marine Amphibious Forces to support

F-4 The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...

s and A-4s used by Marine tactical squadrons. To better support the detachments in Vietnam, the squadron relocated to

Okinawa, Japan is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. From 1967 to 1975, the bulk of VMGR-152's missions were directly in support of action in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

. Detachments typically lasted five days, and operated out of Da Nang Air Base. In addition to aerial refueling and Marine Logistic cargo missions, VMGR 152 'GVs' dropped flares in support of ground troop operations at night. At its peak, the squadron was flying 900 missions a month and continued this high tempo of operations well into 1967. On 10 February 1968 a VMGR-152 KC-130F was hit by groundfire during landing at

Khe Sanh Combat Base Khe Sanh Combat Base (also known as Ta Con) was a United States Marine Corps outpost south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) used during the Vietnam War. History US Army Special Forces (Detachment A-101, Company C, 5th Special Forces G ...

, Quang Tri Province. The fuel bladders on board were set alight and the airframe burned out on the runway, with the loss of six on board. Concurrent with the direct support of action in Vietnam, the squadron established itself as a mainstay in the Western Pacific. VMGR-152 conducted numerous trans-Pacific missions, which involved the refueling of entire squadrons of fighter and attack aircraft as they crossed the Pacific on deployment. VMGR-152 also participated in a myriad of exercises and the movement of tons of cargo and thousands of troops, securing VMGR-152's tenure in WESTPAC.

1980s – 1990s

During the 1980s, larger

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

tankers specifically designated for the strategic movement and refueling of aircraft relieved VMGR-152 of its TRANSPAC mission. This allowed the squadron to explore a more tactical employment of the KC-130 in intra-theater refueling and transport operations, and employ a more effective use of the aircraft and its personnel in a tactical environment. In 1987, VMGR-152 became the first PCS (permanent change of station) aircraft squadron on

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military ai ...

KC-130s VMGR-152 refueling VFA-97 F-18Cs 2006

Since the early 1990s, VMGR-152 has experienced a steady increase in the number of missions flown. In June 1993, the squadron acquired five KC-130Rs, which provided the squadron with a significant increase in aircraft range and added to its effectiveness in refueling and transport operations. In January 1995, VMGR-152 joined Special Purpose MAGTF in support of

Operation United Shield Operation United Shield was the codename of a military operation, conducted 9 January to 3 March 1995, bringing a conclusion to the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II). Commanded by the United States, two ships of the Pakistan N ...

, the final withdrawal of all UNOSOM forces from

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. In May 2009, VMGR-152 joined Operation Enduring Freedom with the new KC-130J.

Recent significant operations

In November and December 2004, VMGR-152 participated in Joint Task Force 535, the Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief mission in the

Republic of the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

after several tropical storms and typhoons struck the island of

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. In the wake of the December 26, 2004 earthquake off the coast of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, and subsequent widespread

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...

in the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

region, VMGR-152 deployed aircraft and personnel to

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia in support of ''

Operation Unified Assistance Operation Unified Assistance was the American military's humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. On 28 December 2004, elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to U-Tapao International Airport in Thailand ...

''. In September 2006, VMGR-152 was awarded the Henry Wildfang Aerial Refueler/Transport Squadron of the Year award from the Marine Corps Aviation Association, which recognizes its impact on the community, as well as how well the squadron performs its mission and the types of missions it is involved in. Community work cited include not only the humanitarian missions throughout the Pacific, but also the work in the Okinawan community. In May and June 2008 VMGR-152 operated relief flights in Myanmar to provide assistance in the wake of devastation left by

Cyclone Nargis Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis ( my, နာဂစ်, ur, نرگس ) was an extremely destructive and deadly tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Myanmar during early May 2008. The cyclone m ...

, a tropical storm that caused a reported 32,000 deaths. During this time the Sumos launched 312 sorties to total 481.8 hours and delivered of cargo. The squadron took delivery of its first KC-130J Super Hercules on 4 June 2007 with the first operational flight of the new aircraft on 19 June. A second KC-130J was delivered in September that year. In June 2008 the squadron participated in Exercise Pitch Black, which is a biennial military exercise hosted by the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) and based on

RAAF Base Tindal RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and civil aviation airfield located east southeast of the town of Katherine, Northern Territory in Australia. The base is currently home to No. 75 Squadron and a nu ...

. The aim of the exercise is to practice Offensive Counter Air and Defensive Counter Air combat, in a simulated war environment and consists of a “red team” and a “blue team”. As a member of the “red team”, the Sumos acted as the force multiplier of the exercise by providing Fixed Wing Aerial Refueling. In May 2009 the squadron sent two KC-130Js as a detachment with VMGR-352 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). It was the Sumos' first combat deployment since 1975 during the Vietnam War. A total of 40 VMGR-152 Marines deployed to

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

, Afghanistan to provide additional support in the War on Terror. In November VMGR-152 sent a second detachment to OEF. In July 2010 a two-aircraft detachment departed for the country of Bangladesh carrying Marines from MWSS-171 and their equipment to support their mission in building schools for Bangladeshi children. VMGR-152's role in this mission resulted in carrying over of cargo and 42 passengers to the poverty stricken country. During October 2010, VMGR-152 flew relief operations in the Republic of the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Megi. In December that year VMGR-152 completed its transition to the KC-130J. After the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on 11 March 2011, the squadron sent eight of its KC-130Js to Iwakuni for disaster relief and support for the Japanese Government and people in what became “Operation Tomodachi”. The first crews left with less than a 24-hour notice and were not given an expected return date. In the month of April the squadron continued support for Operation Tomodachi. A three-aircraft detachment shifted to Atsugi, and most crews were moved back home to the squadron and based out of Futenma for the remaining support. In July 2012 the final deployment of three crews, two aircraft and 40 maintenance Marines to Afghanistan returned after five weeks in theater because of operational draw downs. Their return marked the end of eight consecutive wartime deployments of VMGR-152 to OEF and the restoration of a 15-aircraft fleet now available for future operational commitments tasked to the Sumos throughout the Pacific Command. Since summer of 2012, VMGR-152 has been involved in exercises and operations throughout all of its Area of Responsibility and beyond to include Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, Thailand, Nepal, and Mongolia. In July 2014, VMGR-152 completed a permanent change of station from MCAS Futenma back to MCAS Iwakuni for the first time since 1987. The squadron was the first to move from Futenma as the Marine Corps begins to turn the airfield over to the Japanese. With the move VMGR-152 takes its place as only the second PCS squadron aboard MCAS Iwakuni, joining Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 (VMFA-242). KC-130J

Awards and Safety

VMJ-253 was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation as part of the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is th ...

(Reinforced) for the Guadalcanal Campaign. The squadron also received a Navy Unit Commendation for its operations as part of SCAT from December 1942 to July 1944.Armstrong, William. (2017). ''Marine Air Group 25 and SCAT (Images of Aviation)''. Arcadia. . VMGR-152's commitment to safety and maintaining readiness levels have earned the squadron numerous unit citations and awards. These include the CNO Aviation Safety Award for 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005, the MCAA Commandant's Aviation Efficiency Trophy for 1992, 1993, 2011 and 2013 and the National Defense Transportation Unit Award for 1993, 1995, and 2000, and the MCAA Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron of the Year Award (Henry Wildfang Award) for 1994, 2001, and 2005. On July 16, 2001, the Sumos of VMGR-152 exceeded 230,000 mishap free flight hours. In July 2005, the Sumos exceeded 250,000 mishap-free flight hours.

Notes

References

: ;Bibliography * * * ;Web
VMGR-152's official website
* Clifton, Bryan S
"VMGR-152: backbone of the Pacific"
''Naval Aviation News'', May–June 2003. URL accessed December 30, 2005. * Biscuiti, Scott M

MCAS Futenma press release, July 15, 2005. URL accessed December 30, 2005. * Springstead, Glen R

''Okinawa Marine'', March 15, 2002. URL accessed December 30, 2005.
"Iwakuni, Okinawa pilots perform aerial refueling operation"
''Marine Corps News", October 19, 2005. URL accessed December 30, 2005. *

External links

Marine Corps Air Transport Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vmgr-152

KC-130 The Lockheed Martin (previously Lockheed) KC-130 is a family of the extended-range tanker version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The KC-130J is the latest variant operated by the United States Marine Corps (USMC), with 48 delivered ...