{"product_id":"official-vmm-266rein-fighting-griffins-ace-cr-af-27-1-squadron-patch","title":"Official VMM-266(REIN) Fighting Griffins ACE CR-AF 27.1 Squadron Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial VMM-266(REIN) Fighting Griffins ACE CR-AF 27.1 Squadron Patch - Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 Reinforced, Aviation Combat Element, Crisis Response Force Africa rotation 27.1, Official Embroidered Squadron Patch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFighting Griffins identity, forward-deployed readiness, and the Africa crisis response mission captured in one embroidered piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVMM-266 was established on 26 April 1983 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, and transitioned from CH-46E Sea Knights to MV-22B Ospreys when it redesignated as a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron in 2007. The Fighting Griffins fall under Marine Aircraft Group 26 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, with a mission centered on providing tactical mobility and logistical support to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force day or night and in all weather conditions. As a reinforced squadron, VMM-266 serves as the Aviation Combat Element of its assigned MAGTF, integrating tiltrotor, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing detachments into a single composite unit capable of assault support, noncombatant evacuation, air assault, amphibious raids, and joint personnel recovery. In 2022, VMM-266 (REIN) deployed to Djibouti, Africa in support of Crisis Response Force Africa, a forward-postured contingency mission designed to respond rapidly to emerging threats and crises across the continent. The CR-AF 27.1 designation marks a specific rotation of that commitment, giving this patch a precise operational identity that separates it from generic Fighting Griffins memorabilia and ties it directly to the crews, maintainers, and support personnel who served that particular deployment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: VMM-266 veterans and alumni, MV-22B Osprey aircrew, Fighting Griffins maintainers and ground support personnel, Crisis Response Force Africa participants, Marine aviation collectors, MAG-26 and 2nd MAW enthusiasts, shadow box builders, deployment keepsake displays, challenge coin and patch boards, reunion gifts, and family members honoring a Marine who served with the ACE during the CR-AF 27.1 rotation. It also suits serious unit-history collectors who want a deployment-specific patch that documents a named operational commitment rather than a general squadron identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFighting Griffins heritage, stitched to a specific mission, a specific rotation, and the Marines who answered the call in Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45757379674221,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/4Patch_20_ea5afb96-f301-4dc9-a7ae-69abaf706913.png?v=1788279269","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-vmm-266rein-fighting-griffins-ace-cr-af-27-1-squadron-patch","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}