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Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) is a
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 ...
helicopter squadron consisting of
CH-53K King Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion (Sikorsky S-95) is a heavy-lift cargo helicopter designed and produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. The King Stallion is an evolution of the long running CH-53 series of helicopters which have been in continuous serv ...
transport helicopters. The squadron, known as "Ironhorse", is based at
Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutcheon ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and falls under the command of
Marine Aircraft Group 29 Marine Aircraft Group 29 (MAG-29) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. The group is currently composed of four CH-53E Super Stallion squadrons including the Fleet Replacement ...
(MAG-29) and the
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The Wing provides the aviation combat element for the ...
(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 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...
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 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 Military ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
as part of Marine Base Defense Group 43. The newly formed squadron flew the Vought
F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...
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 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 ...
, assigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 46 Marine Aircraft Group 46 (MAG-46) was a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with subordinate units spread throughout California. It previously composed of one adversary squadron ...
(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 Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...
headed for the east coast of the United States. Arriving at
Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
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 Guantánamo Bay ( es, Bahía de Guantánamo) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off ...
,
Monrovia Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As the ...
, Liberia,
Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, and
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
,
French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
. From February–March 1948 VMF-461, took part in Fleet Exercises, this time operating from
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States Navy base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site operates today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport. History In 1919, future US President Franklin D. Roosev ...
. 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) USS ''Midway'' (CVB/CVA/CV-41) is an aircraft carrier, formerly of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class. Commissioned 8 days after the end of World War II, ''Midway'' was the largest ship in the world until 1955, as well as the ...
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) USS ''Leyte'' (CV/CVA/CVS-32, AVT-10) was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name. ''Leyte'' was commissioned in April 1946, too late to serve in W ...
. In September 1950, VMF-461 was decommissioned. In January 1957, the squadron was reactivated at
Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for General Keith B. McCutcheon ...
, North Carolina as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Medium) 461, HMR(M)-461, assigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 26 Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station New River composed of seven MV-22 Osprey squadrons, one of which is the Fleet Replacement Squadron, an aviation logistics squadron ...
. 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 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
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 The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
and
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. 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 The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It was originally developed in response to a request from the United States ...
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 The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
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 Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pre ...
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 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 362 (VMM-362) is a United States Marine Corps squadron that operates MV-22 Osprey. The squadron, known as the "Ugly Angels", was reactivated on 17 August 2018 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Miss ...
for contingency operations in
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. They deployed again in May and June 1997 when a detachment from this squadron participated in Operation Guardian Retrieval in
Congo-Brazzaville The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
. The detachment then conducted a non-combatant evacuation (NEO) in
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
as part of
VMM-261 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (VMM-261) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Raging Bulls", is based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, No ...
(Rein) which was named
Operation Noble Obelisk Operation Noble Obelisk was the U.S. evacuation of civilians from Sierra Leone in 1997 by the American naval ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. On the 25 May 1997, rebel forces and military officers overthrew the g ...
. The NEO saved U.S., British, and other third-country nationals who were threatened by the
Revolutionary United Front The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was a rebel group that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later transformed into a political party, which still exists today. The three most senior surv ...
.


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 Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" is ...
on the Godoria Range by an
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
B-52 The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
. 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 Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. HMH-461 became the parent squadron and formed HMH-461(-)(REIN) with Marines and equipment from
HMH-464 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 (HMH-464) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron is known as the "Condors" and is based at Marine Corps Air Station New Rive ...
,
VMM-365 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Blue Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Car ...
,
HMT-302 Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron 302 (HMHT-302), is a United States Marine Corps helicopter training squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. Known as the "Phoenix", HMHT-302 trains newly designated Naval ...
and VMM 264 to support the Special
Marine Air-Ground Task Force Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...
for the disaster area. HMH-461 self-deployed to
NAS Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
and started relief operations the next day in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
and
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. Their operations would continue for a month and would also serve to relieve the effects felt after Hurricane Rita made landfall. Shortly after returning home, the squadron received a warning to embark HMH-461 to go to
Mar Del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" is a s ...
,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
to support the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
in support of the
4th Summit of the Americas The 4th Summit of the Americas was held at Mar del Plata, about southeast of Buenos Aires in Argentina, on November 4–5, 2005. This summit gathered together the leaders of all the countries of the American continent, except Cuba. Major se ...
. Two and a half weeks were spent in Argentina before returning to United States. While simultaneously deploying detachments to the Horn of Africa in 2005 and 2006, the squadron's detachment to HMM-261 in support of the 22 MEU, deployed from the Persian Gulf more than 456 miles inland to conduct operations supporting 2d MAW in Al Asad, Iraq. They supported OIF 04 -06 through daily operations within the Multi-National Forces-West Area of Operations. Following their operations in Iraq, the detachment then supported Operation Image Nautilus 2006 in Djibouti, Africa. The next HMH-461 MEU detachment, attached to
VMM-365 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Blue Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Car ...
in August 2007 and would deploy to
Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, 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 ...
,
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 ...
in March 2008. The Marines of HMH-461 Det A continued to support the assault support and heavy lift requirements of the 24th MEU operating in the volatile
Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
of Afghanistan until they all returned home safely in November 2008. Notice came again to deploy in June 2009 with five days warning in order to support Operation Jupiter Sentinel. The squadron rapidly embarked 4 aircraft and all available Ironhorse Marines aboard the USS ''Iwo Jima'' (LHD-7) which quickly started steaming towards the
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
ian coast to support President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's visit to
Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
and
Cape Coast Castle Cape Coast Castle ( sv, Carolusborg) is one of about forty "slave castles", or large commercial forts, built on the Gold Coast of West Africa (now Ghana) by European traders. It was originally a Portuguese "feitoria" or trading post, established ...
. In January 2010 the squadron was mobilized at short notice and transported the
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. They are currently based out of M ...
to aid relief efforts in
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
after the recent devastating earthquake (
Operation Unified Response Operation Unified Response was the United States military's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. It was conducted by Joint Task Force Haiti and commanded by United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) Military Deputy Commander Lieutenant Gene ...
). At the same time, the squadron's MEU detachment deployed early via strategic lift to support disaster relief operations in Pakistan following historic flooding. In January 2011, HMH-461, joined by a detachment from HMH-465, deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 11.1. During the deployment, Ironhorse moved more than 7.7 million pounds of cargo, carried over 35,000 passengers, and conducted two Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) missions retrieving two crashed H-47 aircraft. The squadron would deploy again to Camp Bastion in 2013, this time as an entire unit, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 13.1; moving more than 4.3 million pounds of cargo, 23,800 passengers, and completing more than 130 named tactical raids and assaults.  For its operational excellence in Afghanistan, HMH-461 was awarded the Keith B. McCutcheon, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron of the Year Award in 2012 and 2014. In May 2015, HMH-461, like before in the Horn of Africa, would be the lead active duty heavy lift detachment to send regular rotations to
Soto Cano Air Base Soto Cano Air Base is a Honduran military base to the south of Comayagua in Honduras and from November 2021 will be the principal gateway to Honduras. It houses 1,200–1,500 U.S. troops and is also used by the Honduran Air Force academy. The ...
, Honduras as part of SPMAGTF-SC. The rotation would return in May 2018 to support volcano disaster relief and VIP visits including the Vice President of the United States. In May 2019, HMH-461 detached 4 CH-53E's and 50 Marines to attach to VMM-365 (REIN). They comprised the heavy lift detachment of the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) for the 26th MEU. During the workups for the 26th MEU, Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas. The 26th MEU executed Foreign Disaster Relief (FDR) operations and provided aid to the Bahamas. The 26th MEU deployed December 2019 and operated in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations (AOR) until returning in July 2020. During the deployment, the HMH detachment operated in various Middle-Eastern countries in support of the 26th MEU operations in order to increase foreign relationships in the AOR. The HMH detachment was responsible for Expeditionary Airbase Operations (EABO) and Forward Arming and Refueling Points (FARP) operations to support the MAGTF commander. The squadron would again send a detachment of 4 CH-53E's to VMM-263 in August 2020, to support the ACE for the 22nd MEU. In January 2022, HMH-461 became the first operational unit in the Marine Corps to replace its
CH-53E Super Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...
with the upgraded
CH-53K King Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion (Sikorsky S-95) is a heavy-lift cargo helicopter designed and produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. The King Stallion is an evolution of the long running CH-53 series of helicopters which have been in continuous serv ...
.


Gallery

File:31860 b007547-00115.jpg, Squadron Insignia taken from the USS Leyte Cruisebook (September 1949 - January 1950)


HMH-461 Squadron Commanders


Unit awards

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. HMH-461 has been presented with the following awards:


See also

*
United States Marine Corps Aviation United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providing six ...
*
List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons This is a list of all of the active Squadron (aviation), squadrons that exist in the United States Marine Corps, sorted by type. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current desi ...


Citations

;Notes : *


References

;Bibliography * * ;Web *


External links


HMH-461's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hmh-461 H461