Official HMLA-369 Gunfighters AVI Qualification Shoulder Patch - Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 (HMLA-369) Aviation Qualification Embroidered Shoulder Patch, officially representing earned aviator or aviation crew status within the Gunfighters squadron at MCAS Camp Pendleton, California.
Gunfighters identity, earned through study, flight hours, and the trust of a light attack squadron that has answered every call since Vietnam.
HMLA-369 was commissioned on 1 April 1972 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, and deployed to North Vietnam just two months later for Operation MARHUK. The squadron went on to serve as the first Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron in theater during Operation Desert Shield in 1990, distinguished itself across the planning and execution phases of Desert Storm, and later deployed to Somalia, Iraq, and multiple rotations in Afghanistan. Today the Gunfighters operate the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom under Marine Aircraft Group 39 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, providing offensive air support, armed escort, and airborne fire support coordination for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force in any weather, day or night. An AVI qualification shoulder patch within this squadron carries real weight. It marks a Marine who has completed the required aviation training, demonstrated competency through practical examination, and earned the trust of a community where precision and accountability are non-negotiable. The embroidered construction gives the insignia the durability and detail expected of a qualification piece worn on the flight line, in the cockpit, or preserved in a shadow box long after the last sortie.
Perfect For: HMLA-369 Gunfighters aviators and aviation crew veterans, AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom community members, Marine light attack helicopter collectors, MAG-39 and 3rd MAW alumni, qualification patch display boards, shadow boxes, reunion keepsakes, deployment mementos, and family members who want a specific, earned piece tied to a Marine's aviation service rather than a generic squadron souvenir. It also suits serious military patch collectors building a complete record of Marine aviation qualification insignia across HMLA squadrons and West Coast Marine aircraft wings.
Gunfighters heritage, qualification earned, stitched for the flight line and the shadow box.
