Official VMM-268 MRF-D ACE Australian Patch — Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268, Marine Rotational Force–Darwin Aviation Combat Element Embroidered Patch
The Red Dragons go Aussie—VMM-268 serves as the Aviation Combat Element for the Marine Rotational Force–Darwin, bringing Osprey airpower to the Top End of Australia.
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268), the "Red Dragons," deployed as the core of the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) for the Marine Rotational Force–Darwin (MRF-D)—the annual rotation of approximately 2,500 U.S. Marines to northern Australia that serves as a cornerstone of the U.S.-Australia alliance and a key element of the United States' strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific region. This Australian-themed patch commemorates the Red Dragons' service as the ACE during an MRF-D rotation.
The MRF-D was established in 2012 following an agreement between President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, creating a persistent rotational Marine presence in Australia's Northern Territory. The MRF-D ACE provides the rotational force with aviation assault support, enabling combined training with the Australian Defence Force that includes bilateral amphibious exercises, live-fire training events, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness operations across northern Australia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
VMM-268 is assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. The Red Dragons' MV-22B Ospreys bring transformative tiltrotor capability to MRF-D operations, with the aircraft's speed, range, and vertical lift enabling training scenarios across the vast distances of Australia's Northern Territory—from the tropical savannas around Darwin to the remote training areas of the outback. The squadron's deployment strengthens interoperability between U.S. and Australian forces while demonstrating the Marine Corps' ability to project combat power across the Indo-Pacific from multiple forward-deployed locations.
Perfect For: VMM-268 Red Dragons members and veterans, MRF-D ACE personnel, MAG-24 and 1st MAW service members, MCB Hawaii Marines, Australian Defence Force partners, and Indo-Pacific deployment patch collectors.
The Red Dragons of VMM-268—serving as the MRF-D's Aviation Combat Element, building the alliance with Australia one Osprey mission at a time across the Top End.
