USMC MWSS-274 Ironmen Patch
Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 (MWSS-274) – "The Ironmen"
Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 was activated on 2 June 1986 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, through the consolidation of personnel and equipment from Marine Air Base Squadron 32 (MABS-32), Wing Engineer Squadron 27 (WES-27), and Wing Transportation Squadron 27 (WTS-27) as part of a sweeping reorganization of aviation ground support across all Marine Aircraft Wings. Known as the "Ironmen" with the motto "Aeternus Adjuvo"—Latin for "Eternal Support"—MWSS-274 provided essential aviation ground support to Marine Aircraft Group 29 under the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, including airfield operations, engineering, crash fire rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, motor transport, fuel operations, medical support, weather forecasting, and communications.
The Ironmen deployed to Southwest Asia in January 1991 for Operation Desert Storm, where they were simultaneously called upon to shift focus to support a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation during Operation Eastern Exit in Somalia. In 2003, MWSS-274 Marines shipped to Kuwait and within a month were providing aviation ground support to airstrips in Iraq during the invasion. The squadron made Marine Corps history in 2004 when, redesignated as MSSG-22 as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, it moved inland from ship to shore to conduct sustained combat operations in Afghanistan—setting a new precedent for expeditionary operations. Deploying to Al Asad Airbase in Iraq in 2006 and again in 2008, and to Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Ironmen's EOD Marines provided direct support during the Battle of Marjah (Operation Moshtarak). MWSS-274 served as the final MWSS detachment to deploy to Afghanistan in 2014, earning II MEF Logistics Unit of the Year and Marine Wing Support Squadron of the Year recognition.
Perfect For: MWSS-274 Ironmen veterans, MWSG-27 and 2nd MAW personnel, MCAS Cherry Point community members, Marine aviation ground support professionals, and combat engineering and EOD collectors.
This patch honors the Marines who built the airfields, fueled the aircraft, and kept the runways open—the Ironmen whose eternal support made Marine aviation possible in every clime and place.
