VMM-266 honored as tiltrotor squadron of year
The Fred McCorkle Tiltrotor Squadron of the Year Award, which was presented to the squadron in October during the Marine Corps Aviation Association’s annual symposium at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., spotlights their accomplishments and meritorious service in support of II Marine Expeditionary Force from May 2008 through April 2009.
“The Fighting Griffins of VMM-266 set the standard for others to emulate by providing assault support to both the Fleet Marine Force while in (contiguous United States) and to Multi-National Coalition Forces while deployed to Iraq,” as stated in the award citation.
“From flawless execution of pre-deployment training, evaluation and certification during Desert Talon, to the successful execution of sustained combat operations in Al Asad, Iraq, VMM-266 raised the bar for Marine aviation.”
During their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, VMM-266 successfully produced the highest number of MV-22B flight hours during the annual reporting period.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, this effort resulted in the safe completion of more than 2,366 sorties, an estimated 3,550 mishap-free flight hours while safely transporting an approximate 17,599 assault support request passengers and more than 553,661 pounds of cargo.
According to the citation, the squadron’s extensive contributions significantly enhanced the war fighting capability of the individual Marine and the Marine air ground task force, and made tiltrotor aviation a fully integrated reality for the United States Marine Corps.
The squadron was the third and final Osprey squadron to deploy to Iraq. After being there for nearly six months, VMM-266 returned to New River with all 12 of the aircraft used for the three deployments.
“It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Marines that call themselves the Fighting Griffins,” said Lt. Col. Romin Dasmalchi, VMM-266 commanding officer. “They are the ones responsible for building this squadron up and making it what it is today.
“It is their hard work and determination to get the job done that has transformed this squadron into a top-notch support squadron,” he said.
