HMM-263

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-263
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 Insignia
Active	June 16, 1952 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Medium-lift Tiltrotor Squadron
Role	Conduct air operations in support of the Fleet Marine Forces
Size	approx 250 Marines
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 26 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station New River
Nickname(s)	"Thunder Chickens"
Tail Code	EG
Engagements	Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol Jeffrey D. Cabana

Vietnam War Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa

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 (2nd MAW).

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 was activated initially as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (HMR-263) on June 16, 1952 and was outfitted with Sikorsky HRS helicopters. For its first two years of operations the squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. During these early months the squadron was occupied in proficiency training, which contributed to the growing body of knowledge of rotary wing aircraft and their employment and ultimately became the basis for the doctrine of vertical envelopment then being developed by the Marine Corps.

On July 7, 1954, HMR-263 relocated to Marine Corps Air Facility New River, North Carolina, where it remained home based for the next eleven years. During this time the squadron participated in over fifteen major exercises and deployments including disaster relief in Tampico, Mexico in October 1955 and operations from the submarine USS Sea Lion in March 1956. During December 1956 the squadron was redesignated HMR(L)-263. Six Caribbean deployments and numerous local training exercises ensued. During February 1962, the squadron was reequipped with the HUS-1 (UH-34) helicopter. In October 1962, HMM-263 was deployed to the Caribbean when the United States initiated a large-scale response to the Soviet Union’s deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles to Cuba. In June 1964, the squadron was a participant in Exercise Steel Pike off the coast of Spain, then the largest amphibious exercise since World War II.