Description
USMC VMFP-3 Det B Mud Rhinos Patch
Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 3 Detachment B (VMFP-3 Det B) — “Mud Rhinos” — Team Spirit 1988
Marine Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (VMFP-3), known as “The Eyes of the Corps,” was the Marine Corps’ sole tactical aerial reconnaissance squadron from its activation on 1 July 1975 until its deactivation on 1 July 1990. Operating the RF-4B Phantom II, VMFP-3 consolidated all Marine reconnaissance assets previously flown by VMCJ-1, VMCJ-2, and VMCJ-3 into a single specialized squadron based at MCAS El Toro, California, under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The “Mud Rhinos” identity was adopted by Detachment B during Exercise Team Spirit 1988, one of the largest joint/combined military exercises in the world at the time, conducted annually in South Korea. VMFP-3 routinely deployed detachments to support Fleet Marine Force operations across the Pacific and Western Pacific, including permanent deployment aboard USS Midway (CV-41) from 1975 to 1984 as part of Carrier Air Wing Five. These detachments provided aerial photographic, infrared, and side-looking airborne radar reconnaissance in support of III Marine Amphibious Force and 7th Fleet operations, including three Indian Ocean deployments during the Iranian hostage crisis.
The RF-4B flew alone and unarmed, relying on speed — exceeding Mach 2 — and crew skill to survive while obtaining critical tactical imagery. The Marine Corps acquired 46 RF-4Bs, and these aircraft served with distinction from Vietnam through the final years of the Cold War until being replaced by the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System aboard F/A-18D Hornets in 1990.
Perfect For: VMFP-3 Eyes of the Corps veterans, RF-4B Phantom II reconnaissance professionals, Team Spirit exercise participants, MCAS El Toro and Iwakuni alumni, and Marine tactical reconnaissance historians.
The Mud Rhinos of VMFP-3 Det B — the Eyes of the Corps in Korea, flying alone, unarmed, and unafraid in the service of Marine reconnaissance.
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