Officially Licensed USMC VMGR-152 Sumos 2021 Squadron Patch — The Pacific's Gas Station Since 1942
If it flies in the Pacific, the Sumos have probably refueled it.
VMGR-152 traces its lineage to March 11, 1942, when the squadron was established as Marine Utility Squadron 253 and began providing trans-oceanic transport throughout World War II. After earning a Distinguished Unit Citation as part of the 1st Marine Division during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the squadron relocated to Japan in 1954 and has been the backbone of Marine aviation logistics in the Pacific ever since — longer than any other Marine aviation unit in the AOR. In 1962, the Hercules arrived and the squadron was redesignated VMGR-152, shifting to aerial refueling as its primary mission. The Sumos earned their nickname in 1992 — a Japanese symbol of strength and courage reflecting the squadron's deep ties to Japan. Flying KC-130J Super Hercules out of MCAS Iwakuni under MAG-12, they've completed eight consecutive wartime deployments to Afghanistan, flown disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, and exceeded 300,000 mishap-free flight hours.
Perfect For: VMGR-152 Marines past and present, KC-130 aircrew and loadmasters, Iwakuni and Futenma veterans, and anyone who knows the tanker is always the most important plane in the sky.
Eighty-plus years in the Pacific — the Sumos keep the fight fueled.
