Official VMM-163 (REIN) 11th MEU ACE Aircraft Shoulder Patches — Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced) Aviation Combat Element MV-22B / CH-53 / AH-1Z / UH-1Y / F-35B Patch Set
One MEU, one ACE — the Ridge Runners take the whole air wing to sea.
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (VMM-163), the "Ridge Runners," is a USMC MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor squadron based at MCAS Miramar, California, under MAG-16 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Originally commissioned as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 163 (HMR-163) on June 2, 1951, the unit fought in Korea as the first composite helicopter squadron and flew the UH-34D Seahorse extensively in Vietnam — Operation Shufly, Khe Sanh, and across I Corps — before transitioning through the CH-46E Sea Knight and ultimately to the MV-22B Osprey on March 28, 2014. When deployed as the Aviation Combat Element of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, VMM-163 is reinforced (REIN) with detachments from across MAG-16: CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift, AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom light attack and utility, KC-130J aerial refueling support, and F-35B Lightning II strike fighters. As the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's ACE, the squadron deploys aboard the amphibious ready group built around an LHA or LHD flagship — providing assault support, close air support, casualty evacuation, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP), and forward arming and refueling point (FARP) operations across the I MEF area of operations from the Western Pacific to the Arabian Gulf. This shoulder patch set captures every aircraft type the ACE puts in the air over the boat.
Perfect For: VMM-163 Ridge Runners active-duty and veteran Marines, MV-22B Osprey pilots and maintainers, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU) personnel, MCAS Miramar residents, MAG-16 and 3rd MAW Marines, I MEF amphibious ready group sailors, CH-53E and AH-1Z and UH-1Y community, and Pacific theater MEU deployment alumni.
Ridge Runners (REIN) — the 11th MEU ACE.
