Officially Licensed HMLA-269 Gunrunners PVC Squadron Patches — The Last Light Attack Helicopter Squadron Standing on the East Coast Before Deactivation
The Gunrunners brought the fight to the enemy with Vipers and Venoms for decades. This patch carries that legacy in durable PVC.
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 (HMLA-269) — the 'Gunrunners' — flew the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom from MCAS New River, North Carolina, under Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Gunrunners were one of the Marine Corps' premier light attack helicopter squadrons, deploying repeatedly in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, providing close air support, armed escort, armed reconnaissance, and casualty evacuation for Marine ground forces in some of the most kinetic environments of the Global War on Terror. The AH-1Z Viper carried AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 2.75-inch rocket pods, and the 20mm M197 Gatling gun, while the UH-1Y Venom provided utility transport, command and control, and casualty evacuation. Known as 'Skid Kids' for the skid landing gear on their H-1 aircraft, HMLA-269's Marines were the tip of the spear in the rotary-wing world. The squadron was deactivated as part of Force Design 2030, making these PVC patches a tribute to a squadron that no longer exists but whose legacy endures in the Marines who served in it. The durable PVC construction ensures this patch lasts as long as the Gunrunners' reputation.
Perfect For: HMLA-269 Gunrunners Marines past and present, AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom community members, MAG-29 and MCAS New River personnel, Skid Kids everywhere, and anyone who served with the Gunrunners before deactivation.
