Authentic USMC VMM-263 Thunder Chicken Embroidered Morale Patch

Description

Officially Licensed USMC VMM-263 Thunder Chicken REIN Patch — First Ospreys, First to Fight

They didn’t just fly the Osprey first — they took it to war first.

VMM-263 “Thunder Chickens” is a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron flying the MV-22B Osprey out of MCAS New River, North Carolina, under MAG-26 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Thunder Chickens hold a place of honor in Marine Corps aviation history as the first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron, reactivated on March 3, 2006, after standing down from their CH-46 Sea Knight mission. In September 2007, VMM-263 deployed to Iraq with 10 Ospreys aboard USS Wasp — the first combat deployment of the MV-22 in history. The squadron’s lineage stretches back to 1952, with combat service in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam (where squadron member Raymond M. Clausen Jr. earned the Medal of Honor), Desert Storm, and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 22nd and 24th MEUs. The “REIN” designation means Reinforced — indicating the squadron was augmented with additional aircraft and personnel for MEU deployment.

Perfect For: VMM-263 Thunder Chickens Marines past and present, MV-22 Osprey community, MCAS New River squadrons, MAG-26 and 2nd MAW personnel, MEU veterans, and anyone who knows the Thunder Chickens wrote the first chapter of Osprey combat history.

VMM-263 — Thunder Chickens, Reinforced, and ready to roll.

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