Officially Licensed HMT-301 Windwalkers Squadron Patch

Officially Licensed HMT-301 Windwalkers Squadron Patch — Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 301 Embroidered Patch

The Windwalkers—HMT-301, the Marine Corps' West Coast heavy helicopter training squadron that forged every CH-53 Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion pilot and crew member for decades.

Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 301 (HMT-301), the "Windwalkers," served as the United States Marine Corps' Fleet Replacement Squadron for the CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter community on the West Coast. Based at Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, California, and later at MCAS Camp Pendleton, HMT-301 was responsible for training all pilots, aerial observers, and enlisted aircrew who would serve in the Marine Corps' heavy helicopter squadrons—the units that provide the Corps' unmatched heavy-lift capability for moving troops, equipment, and supplies in the most demanding operational environments.

The CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and most powerful helicopter in the United States military inventory, capable of lifting 36,000 pounds externally—enough to carry a Light Armored Vehicle, a 155mm howitzer with ammunition, or 16 tons of combat supplies in a single sortie. Powered by three General Electric T64-GE-416A turboshaft engines producing 4,380 shaft horsepower each, the Super Stallion can transport 55 combat-equipped Marines internally or conduct heavy-lift external cargo operations at extended ranges. HMT-301's instructors trained student aviators to master this massive aircraft in every environment—from high-altitude mountain operations to overwater flight to desert and arctic conditions.

The Windwalkers' training pipeline produced the aviators and crew members who went on to serve in HMH squadrons across the Marine Corps, deploying to every major operation from Desert Storm through Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. HMT-301 was deactivated as part of the Marine Corps' consolidation of training squadrons, with the heavy helicopter training mission transitioning to other units. The Windwalker legacy lives on in every CH-53 community member who learned their craft under HMT-301's demanding instruction.

Perfect For: HMT-301 Windwalkers members and veterans, CH-53E Super Stallion and CH-53D Sea Stallion community members, Marine heavy helicopter aviators, MCAS Tustin alumni, and Marine Corps rotary-wing training pipeline enthusiasts.

The Windwalkers of HMT-301—where every Marine heavy helicopter pilot and crew member earned the skills to lift the heaviest loads and fly the biggest bird in the Corps.