USMC Helicopter Squadrons
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Official VMM-263 Thunder Chickens "Ready Ape Miami Vice" Shoulder Patch — Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 MV-22B Osprey Maintenance / Ready Room Embroidered Patch
Ready Ape, neon Miami Vice — Thunder Chickens maintenance, the bird flies because the apes work.
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263), the "Thunder Chickens," is a USMC MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor squadron based at MCAS New River, North Carolina, under MAG-26 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron holds the distinction of being the first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron in the United States Marine Corps and the first MV-22 squadron to deploy as part of an Aviation Combat Element (ACE) — a heritage now built on more than seven decades of continuous service. VMM-263 was originally activated on June 16, 1952 at MCAS Cherry Point as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 263 (HMR-263), relocated to Marine Corps Air Facility New River on July 7, 1954, and was redesignated through HMR(L)-263 (1956), HMM-263 (1962), and finally VMM-263 on March 3, 2006. Across that history the squadron has flown the HRS, UH-34 Seahorse, CH-46 Sea Knight, and now the Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey, with combat tours in Vietnam (1965 and 1969 deployments, 24+ named operations), Operation Desert Storm, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and continuous II MEF Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments. The "Ready Ape" tradition refers to the maintenance Marines — the silver-bullet-and-tools side of the squadron whose ready-line tempo determines how many Ospreys make it to the flight schedule each day — and the Miami Vice neon-pink-and-teal color scheme is a nod to the squadron's '80s-themed maintenance morale patches.
Perfect For: VMM-263 Thunder Chickens maintenance Marines, plane captains, and avionics, powerplants, structures, and ordnance maintainers, MV-22B Osprey crew chiefs and maintenance officers, MCAS New River residents, MAG-26 and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing personnel, II MEF and MEU veterans, and 1980s Miami Vice morale-patch enthusiasts.
Ready Ape Miami Vice — Thunder Chickens maintenance flies the bird.
If you want to swap patches on/off gear, choose hook & loop (velcro). If you’re attaching permanently to uniforms or fabric, choose sew-on. If you want quick application on compatible fabric, choose iron-on / heat seal (when offered). Backing options are shown on the page and update based on the variant you select.
Size is shown on the product page and updates with the variant you select (example: 3"). If you’re mounting on a hat or small panel, choose smaller sizes; for plate carriers and display boards, larger sizes fit better.
If the product is officially licensed, it will say “Officially Licensed” in the title and/or in the product details. If it doesn’t, it’s still a legitimate product—just not part of a licensed program.
Yes. If you see a note like “bulk reruns available,” that means we can support group orders or reruns. If you don’t see it, contact us with the unit/squadron and quantity and we’ll confirm options.
Yes—custom solutions are available (patches, name tags, lanyards, apparel). Use the custom request page and include artwork, size, backing preference, and quantity.
