Description
Officially Licensed USMC VMM-161 Greyhawks Squadron Patch — The First, The Best
Because somebody had to be the world’s first helicopter transport squadron, and the Greyhawks weren’t about to let anyone else have it.
VMM-161, the Greyhawks, holds the distinction of being the first helicopter transport squadron in the world, commissioned on January 15, 1951 at MCAS El Toro, California. That alone would be enough, but the Greyhawks kept going — deploying to Vietnam in 1965, flying combat operations from Phu Bai to Da Nang, and later serving in Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Somalia, East Timor, and multiple tours in Iraq. During OIF II, the squadron made 752 consecutive mission launches while logging over 3,000 combat flight hours. In 2009, they became the first west coast squadron to transition to the MV-22 Osprey, and in 2012, deployed as the first west coast Osprey unit to Afghanistan. Based at MCAS Miramar with MAG-16 and 3rd MAW, the Greyhawks live their motto every day: “The First, The Best.”
Perfect For: VMM-161 Greyhawks past and present, MAG-16 and 3rd MAW Marines, MCAS Miramar Osprey community, and anyone who understands that being first isn’t luck — it’s a habit.
First to fly. First to fight. First to wear this patch.
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