Patches
HMR-163
HMR(L)-163
HMM-163
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163
HMM-163
Evil Eyes
HMM-163's 50+ years of distinguished service includes typhoon relief in Japan in the 1950s, combat in Vietnam, and participation in numerous training exercise and deployments. Most recently, HMM-163 was deployed to Afghanistan as the Combat Aviation Element of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in support of Operation "Enduring Freedom".
Lineage
1951-1961
Activated 1 December 1951 at Santa Ana,
California, as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 163 and
assigned to Air, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.
Reassigned during March 1952 to Marine Aircraft Group 16.
Deployed during August 1953 to Hanshin, Japan. Reassigned to 1st
Marine Aircraft Wing.
Redeployed during May 1954 to Oppama, Japan.
Redesignated 1 December 1956 as Marine Helicopter Transport
Squadron (Light) 163.
Relocated during May 1959 to Santa Ana, California. Reassigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 36, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Deployed during June 1960 to Futenma, Okinawa. Reassigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Relocated during August 1961 to Santa Ana, California. Reassigned
to Marine Aircraft Group 36, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.
1962 - 1990
Redesignated 1 February 1962 as Marine Medium
Helicopter Squadron 163.
Deployed during July 1962 to Futenma, Okinawa and reassigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Redeployed during August 1962 to Republic of Vietnam.
Redeployed during January 1963 to Futenma, Okinawa.
Relocated during September 1963 to Santa Ana, California.
Reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36, 3d Marine Aircraft
Wing.
Deployed during December 1964 to Futenma, Okinawa. Reassigned to
Marine Aircraft Group 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Redeployed during February 1965 to the Republic of Vietnam.
Participated in the War in Vietnam
August 1962 - January 1963
February - October 1965
January - July 1966
October 1966 - August 1968
Operating from
Soc Trang
Da Nang
Marble Mountain Air Facility
Hue/Phu Bai
Quang Tri
Temporarily located at Futenma, Okinawa
October 1965 - January 1966
August - October 1966.
Participated at various times throughout the period as part of
the Special Landing Force of the Seventh Fleet.
Relocated during September 1968 to Santa Ana, California.
Reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 56, 3d Marine Aircraft
Wing.
Reassigned during July 1971 to Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3d
Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana renamed during July 1978 as
Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.
Participated in the system of Unit Deployment between Marine
Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Aircraft
Group 16, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing during the 1970s and 1980s.
Relocated to Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, California.
1990-2003
Participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003.
Unit Honors
PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER with 3
bronze stars
Vietnam
1965 - 1967
1967
1968
Iraq
2003
NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER with 3 bronze stars
Vietnam
1962 - 1963
1965
1968
Southwest Asia
1990 - 1991
MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER with 1 silver and 1 bronze
star
1978 - 1980
1981 - 1982
1983 - 1985
1987
1987
1988 - 1989
1994
NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER with 3 bronze stars
KOREAN SERVICE STREAMER
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER
VIETNAM SERVICE STREAMER with 1 silver and 3 bronze stars
VIETNAM CROSS of GALLANTRY with PALM STREAMER