Official HMH-466 Wolfpack 4th of July PVC Glow Patch

HMH-466 Wolfpack 4th of July PVC Glow Patch

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466), the legendary "Wolfpack," was commissioned on 30 November 1984 at Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, California, as the Marine Corps' third and Marine Aircraft Group 16's (MAG-16) second CH-53E Super Stallion squadron. By December 1984, the squadron had grown to 180 Marines and accepted its first two of sixteen CH-53E helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut. The Wolfpack conducted its first operational flight on 19 December 1984, and by 30 June 1985 had accepted eleven aircraft, logging 1,100 flight hours, carrying 1,000 passengers, and lifting 175,000 pounds of cargo in just seven months.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, HMH-466 became the first CH-53E squadron to deploy to Saudi Arabia. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the Wolfpack recovered downed aircraft, conducted the first-ever Night Vision Goggle (NVG) troop insertion, and provided critical heavy-lift support. From December 1992 to March 1993, the squadron detached aircraft to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope. In November 1993, the Wolfpack attained 25,000 flight hours, becoming the only CH-53E squadron to reach this milestone Class "A" mishap-free. By May 1995, they exceeded 30,000 Class "A" mishap-free hours—another Marine Corps first—and by November 2010, the squadron surpassed 80,000 flight hours without a Class-A mishap.

The Wolfpack deployed to Iraq in 2008-2009, providing heavy-lift support at Al Asad and the Expeditionary Airfield at Sahl Sinjar. In January 2010, HMH-466 took over heavy-lift combat operations at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and participating in Operation Moshtarak—the largest helicopter-borne raid of OEF. Returning to Afghanistan in January 2012, the squadron flew 222 named operations, conducted 27 raids, logged 4,370 combat flight hours, and transported over 4.1 million pounds of cargo. The Wolfpack has earned the Presidential Unit Citation, the Keith B. McCutcheon Award for Heavy Lift Squadron of the Year three times (1999, 2006, 2010), and the CNO Aviation Safety Award seven times. Today, HMH-466 continues to serve under MAG-16 at MCAS Miramar.

Perfect For: HMH-466 squadron members and veterans, MAG-16 personnel, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing service members, CH-53E Super Stallion enthusiasts, Marine heavy-lift aviation collectors, and Desert Storm or OEF campaign veterans.

A patriotic celebration of one of the Marine Corps' most decorated and safety-conscious heavy helicopter squadrons, whose Wolfpack legacy spans four decades of combat excellence worldwide.