HMLA-773

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773
HMLA-773 Insignia
Active	September 1958 - 31 August 1962 15 April 1968 - September 1969 1 September 1971 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Light/Attack squadron
Role	Close Air Support Assault Support Air interdiction Aerial Reconnaissance
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 49 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base McGuire-Dix-LakehurstandNaval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans
Nickname(s)	"Red Dogs"
Motto(s)	"Fit Via Vi" "Strength is the Way"
Tail Code	MP / MN(MM/WG Det. A)
Mascot(s)	Red Dogs
Engagements	Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Carl Heim

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773(HMLA-773) is aUnited States Marine Corpshelicopter squadron consisting ofBell AH-1Z Viperattack helicopters andBell UH-1Y Venomutility helicopters. The squadron is based atJoint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst,NJ andNaval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleansand falls under the command ofMarine Aircraft Group 49(MAG-49) and the4th Marine Aircraft Wing(4th MAW).

History

Early years

The squadron was originally established in September 1958 asMarine Helicopter Transport Squadron 773(HMR-773) atNaval Air Station Grosse Ile,Michiganand assigned to the Marine Air Reserve Training Command.They operated thePiaseckiHUP-2 Retrieverwhich were shared with theNaval Reserve.On 1 April 1962, the squadron was redesignatedMarine Medium Helicopter Squadron 773(HMM-773). Four months later 31 August the squadron was deactivated.

On 15 April 1968, HMM-773 was reactivated atNaval Air Station Los Alamitosand assigned toMarine Aircraft Group 46of the4th Marine Aircraft Wing.The squadron's personnel and aircraft,HUS-1 Sea Horses,came from sister squadronHMM-764.HMM-773's existence was short-lived; the squadron deactivated in September 1969.

On 1 September 1971,Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 773(HMA-773) was reactivated atMarine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana.The squadron was assignedAH-1G Cobras,many of which had seen action with Marine squadrons inVietnam.HMA-773 relocated to NAS Atlanta, Georgia during June 1976, absorbing the personnel of HML-765 which had just been deactivated. In late 1978, HMA-773 transitioned to the twin-engineAH-1J Sea Cobrawhich they operated for the next fourteen years.

Bell AH-1G Cobra of HMA-773 squadron at NAS Atlanta in 1976

In November 1990, HMA-773 was the first reserve helicopter squadron to be activated and deployed to thePersian Gulfin support ofOperation Desert ShieldandOperation Desert Storm.While embarked aboard theUSSNew OrleansandUSSTripoli,the squadron distinguished itself with minesweeping escort and combat missions during the war. In recognition of their exemplary performance during combat HMA-773 received theNavy Unit Commendation.

In the fall of 1992, the squadron received eight, state of the artAH-1W SuperCobras.In November 1993, HMA-773 began receivingUH-1Nsand personnel from other disestablished units. In October 1994, HMA-773 reorganized and re-equipped with the addition of the UH-1N utility helicopter, pilots, and personnel from HML-776,NAS Glenview,Illinois.Having re-designated as a Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773, the squadron now mirrored the active-duty HMLA structure and enabled rapid total force integration for current and future combat and contingency operations.

Since reorganizing, the "Red Dogs" of HMLA-773 have deployed on numerous counter-narcotics operations throughout the United States, theCaribbean,and theWest Indies.In May 1995 the Squadron deployed to the island nation ofAntiguafor the first in a series of "Weed eater" marijuana destruction missions. They have further developed their eradication tactics on the islands ofSt. Kitts-Nevis,St. Lucia,Trinidad and Tobago,Grenada,andNassau, Bahamas.HMLA-773 counter-narcotics missions in the United States have included joint operations with theArmy,Coast Guardand several US Law Enforcement Agencies inKingsville, Texas,El Paso, Texas,Naco, Arizona,Palm Beach, Florida,andEl Centro, California.In the space of two years, the Red Dogs aided in the destruction of over $20 billion worth of illegal narcotics.

HMLA 773 Cobras in Afghanistan

In 2009, HMLA-773(-), HMLA-773 Det A and HMLA-773 Det B, separated to three locations yet come together to form one complete HMLA squadron that was capable of fulfilling any assigned HMLA mission in the Marine Corps. The current squadron organization is structured to maintain 1/3 of the squadron atNaval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans,LA (Det A) and 2/3 of the squadron atJoint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,New Jersey.

Global War on Terror

Following theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks,HMLA-773 prepared for participation in the Global War on Terror. The squadron activated in October 2003and deployed toBagram,Afghanistan,for further deployment along the international border between Afghanistan andPakistan.Since 3 Oct, the Red Dogs have been flying combat missions in support ofCombined Joint Task Force 180andCombined Joint Task Force 76.In addition, the Red Dogs have instituted Operation Red Dog, in which the Marines and Sailors of the unit gather school supplies and other humanitarian items and distribute them to the local population.

The squadron was the subject of exclusive documentaries for the Military Channel and ABC Nightline in Afghanistan during its deployment there. This film, "Task Force Red Dog" captured the squadron at war in a way that no other documentaries had done on helicopters in recent memory. Filmmakers Richard Mackenzie and William Skinner spent six months with the Marines of HMLA-773 at the front line in Afghanistan.

After 18 months of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan, the squadron deployed to Camp Pendleton, CA in support of Revised Combined Arms Exercise (RCAX) to assist in the preparation of ground forces for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. During this time,Hurricane Katrinastruck New Orleans, the home to many of the Marines of HMLA-773. The squadron was one of the first military units to arrive in the city for rescue and relief operations.

Beginning in October 2005, the reserve Marines of HMLA-773 began to demobilize and return to civilian life. And in February 2006, HMLA-773 returned to the status of drilling reserve unit.

In September 2007, HMLA-773 replacedHMLA-269inAl AsadAir Base in Iraq for a 6 to 7-month deployment in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.

On 30 July 2008, a ground breaking ceremony was held at Robins Air Force Base for the 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) hangar that is being constructed for HMLA-773. The hangar was completed in early 2010 and the squadron officially moved on 1 July 2010 during a change of command ceremony.

Due to re-organization withinMarine aviation,the squadron headquarters relocated to Joint Base MDL on 1 July 2016 with Detachment A remaining at NASJRB New Orleans.

TheBell AH-1W SuperCobrawas retired on 14 October 2020.

HMLA 773 ITX 4-21

See also

• List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
• United States Marine Corps Aviation

References

Citations

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.

Bibliography

• Bernstein, J (2005).AH-64 Apache Units Of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd.ISBN1-84176-848-0.

External links

• HMLA-773's official websiteArchived22 May 2022 at theWayback Machine
• Robins Air Force Base's official website