{"product_id":"official-mwss-371-sandsharks-afops-coin","title":"Official MWSS-371 Sandsharks AFOPS Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial MWSS-371 Sandsharks AFOPS Coin - Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 (MWSS-371) Sandsharks Airfield Operations Challenge Coin, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSandsharks on the ground, keeping the airfield alive so every aircraft can fly the mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarine Wing Support Squadron 371 has been an aviation ground support unit since its activation on 2 June 1986, assigned to Marine Wing Support Group 37 under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The Sandsharks carry a broad and demanding mission set that includes expeditionary airfield operations, heavy equipment operation, motor transportation, aircraft rescue and firefighting, fuels, utilities, explosive ordnance disposal, weather services, food service, and combat engineering. That airfield operations mission, abbreviated AFOPS within the Marine Corps aviation ground support community, is the thread this coin honors. MWSS-371 has taken that mission into combat across multiple theaters, with elements participating in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, Operation Southern Watch over Iraq, multiple rotations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a deployment to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. At home station, the Sandsharks support the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course at MCAS Yuma, providing vehicle, personnel, and airfield augmentation to units executing the most demanding aviation training curriculum in the Marine Corps. This coin captures the identity of the Marines who build, fuel, protect, and sustain the airfield so that every aircraft and aircrew can execute the mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: MWSS-371 veterans and active-duty Sandsharks, aviation ground support Marines, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing collectors, MCAS Yuma alumni, WTI course participants and supporters, combat deployment keepsakes from OIF and OEF, shadow box displays, unit reunion gifts, challenge coin boards, and anyone who wants to honor the engineers, fuelers, firefighters, and heavy equipment operators who keep expeditionary airfields operational in any environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSandsharks heritage, minted for the Marines who keep the airfield ready when it matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45856444153965,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/WhatsAppImage2026-09-15at10.31.54.jpg?v=1789487063","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-mwss-371-sandsharks-afops-coin","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}