VMM-561

Last updated
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 561
Vmm-561patch.png
VMM-561 insignia
Active31 January 1967—27 October 1969
2 December 2010—7 July 2012
Country United States
Branch United States Marine Corps
TypeMedium-lift Tiltrotor Squadron
Role Assault Support, CASEVAC
Part of Marine Aircraft Group 16
Garrison/HQ Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Nickname(s)"Pale Horse"
Commanders
Current
commander		LtCol Warren J. Curry
Insignia
Theme song Paint It Black
Tail Code PH
Aircraft flown
Multirole helicopter UH-34 Sea Horse
Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 561 (VMM-561) was a medium-lift squadron of the United States Marine Corps flying the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. Known as the "Pale Horse", it was part of Marine Aircraft Group 16 and based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California. They were scheduled to move to Okinawa in 2012. [1] The squadron previously served as a training unit during the Vietnam War but was previously deactivated with the retirement of the HUSS from active service.

Contents

History

Squadron logo from the 1960s HMM-561 insignia.png
Squadron logo from the 1960s

Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 561 (HMM-561) was activated on 31 January 1967, [2] to provide refresher training to UH-34 Sea Horse pilots and crews heading to Vietnam. The squadron, based at Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 56 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Undermanned from the start, the unit remained in cadre status until 9 May 1968 [3] when they were formally stood up. In addition to training, the squadron's mission also included conducting local Search and Rescue missions, providing VIP transport, and other commitments as required by local commands.

Starting in January 1969, UH-34 deployments started to slow down as the Marine Corps transitioned its remaining squadrons to the CH-46 Sea Knight. The squadron was decommissioned on 27 October 1969 and was the last active UH-34 squadron in the Fleet Marine Force. [4] Squadron members were absorbed by the other helicopter communities or given the Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment (MARTD) of their choice as a next duty station.

The squadron was reactivated as VMM-561 on 2 December 2010, after 18 months as a cadre unit. [5] VMM-561 was deactivated on July 6, 2012 and replaced at Miramar by VMM-363. [6]

Unit award

A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. VMM-561 was presented with the following awards and campaign streamers:

StreamerAward
Streamer NDS.PNG National Defense Service Medal

See also

Related Research Articles

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (VMM-262) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Flying Tigers", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-261 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 (VMM-261) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Raging Bulls", is based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina and typically falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. They are the fourth squadron in the Marine Corps to transition to the MV-22 Osprey.

VMM-165 Military unit

Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 (VMM-165) is a United States Marine Corps Tilt-rotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "White Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-161 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (VMM-161) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron that operates the MV-22 Osprey. The squadron, known as the "Greyhawks", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron has the distinction of being the first helicopter transport squadron in the world and regularly utilizes the phrase “The First, The Best”.

VMM-263 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Thunder Chickens", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Marine Aircraft Group 16 Military unit

Marine Aircraft Group 16 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of five V-22 Osprey squadrons, four CH-53 Super Stallion squadrons, one Personnel Support Detachment, an aviation logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. The group falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

VMM-268 United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 transport

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 (VMM-268) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of MV-22 transport. The squadron, known as the "Red Dragons", is based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-774 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 774 (VMM-774) is a United States Marine Corps medium helicopter squadron consisting of V-22 Osprey transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Wild Goose", is a United States Marine Corps Reserve unit based at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 49 (MAG-49) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-162 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Golden Eagles", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. HMM-162 officially stood down December 9, 2005 to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey. On August 31, 2006, the squadron was reactivated as the second operational Osprey squadron in the Marine Corps.

VMM-166 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 (VMM-166) was a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "SeaElk", was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Activated in 1985, HMM-166 was the youngest CH-46 helicopter squadron in the Marine Corps. The squadron was redesignated as a tiltrotor squadron on June 23, 2010. The squadron was deactivated on October 1, 2021.

VMM-266 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (VMM-266) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Fighting Griffins", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-264 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 (VMM-264) was a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", was based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, and normally fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. They were the last east coast CH-46 Sea Knight squadron to transition to the Osprey. VMM-264 was decommissioned on June 24, 2020.

VMM-364 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 (VMM-364) is a United States Marine Corps medium-lift tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Ospreys. The squadron, known as the "Purple Foxes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-365 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Blue Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

VMM-764 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 764 (VMM-764) is a United States Marine Corps Reserve squadron consisting of MV-22B Ospreys. The squadron, known as "Moonlight," is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, CA and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

Marine Aircraft Group 41 Military unit

Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A++/C squadron, one KC-130J squadron, an aviation logistics squadron, as well as detachments from wing support and air control squadrons. Following decommissioning of Marine Aircraft Group 46 in 2009, MAG-41 also assumed command responsibility for the geographically separated Northrop F-5F aggressor squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and a Boeing Vertol CH-46 squadron HMM-764 based at Edwards Air Force Base, California. HMM-764 transitioned to the MV-22B in 2013 and relocated to MCAS Miramar.

VMM-164 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (VMM-164), is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron operating the MV-22B Osprey. Known as the Knightriders, they fall under the command Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton.

VMM-363 Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (VMM-363) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Ospreys. The squadron, known as the "Lucky Red Lions", is based at MCB Hawaii and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-11. Retrieved 2010-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ CG 3d MAW message 242223Z Jan 67
  3. ↑ HMM-561 Command Chronology (9 May to 30 June 1968)
  4. ↑ Fails(1978), p. 127.
  5. ↑ Posy, Cpl Steven H. (6 December 2010). "From Huey to Osprey, Marine squadron starts from scratch". the Flight Jacket (MCAS Miramar). United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : VMM-561 Deactivates. YouTube .
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