Official 31st MEU HMLA-169 Skids DET Patch — 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit HMLA-169 Detachment Embroidered Patch
Skid Kids on deployment — HMLA-169 brings the venom to the 31st MEU.
This detachment patch commemorates HMLA-169's deployment as the skid detachment ("Skids DET") for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 (HMLA-169), the "Vipers," detached AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters to serve as the light attack helicopter element of the 31st MEU's Aviation Combat Element. "Skid" is the informal term for the AH-1 and UH-1 helicopter families, referring to their landing skid gear as opposed to the wheeled landing gear of larger helicopters.
The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps' only permanently forward-deployed MEU, based in Okinawa, Japan, and responsible for crisis response across the Indo-Pacific theater. HMLA-169's Skids DET provided the MEU with close air support, armed reconnaissance, armed escort, casualty evacuation, and command and control capabilities during the deployment. Detachment patches are highly prized collectibles in the military aviation community, marking the specific deployment and the unique bond between the detachment Marines who operated far from their parent squadron in one of the world's most strategically dynamic regions.
Perfect For: HMLA-169 Vipers who deployed with the 31st MEU, Skid Kids across all Marine attack helicopter squadrons, 31st MEU veterans, AH-1Z and UH-1Y enthusiasts, and detachment patch collectors who value deployment-specific insignia.
Skid Kids deployed — HMLA-169 brings the fight to the 31st MEU.
