HMLA-267 heads to the fight

Courtesy Photo | An HMLA-267 AH-1W Super Cobra flies over the border city of El Paso, Texas, assisting U.S. Border Patrol in keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants. HMLA-267 has been the squadron dedicated to sending detachments in support of the 31st MEU in Okinawa, Japan, and southern California expeditionary units for the past few years is now deployed to Afghanistan as a full squadron for the first time since 2003.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRIMAR, CA, UNITED STATES

05.02.2011

Story by Sgt. Zach Griffith 

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRIMAR, Calif. -- Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 departed this week to support combat operations in Afghanistan.

This deployment marks the first squadron deployment since Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003 as a full light attack squadron, according to 1st Lt. Dana R. Howe, the unit information officer and an AH-1 Cobra pilot for HMLA-267. For the past few years, the squadron has been dedicated to sending detachments in support of the 31st MEU in Okinawa, Japan, and Southern California expeditionary units.

“We’ve been preparing for a year,” he added. “The Marines are all excited to deploy together for the first time in years.”

According to Howe, their focus will be on taking care of the Marines on the ground by providing close air support, resupply, over watch, casualty evacuation, and joint tactical air strikes, for troops on the ground throughout Helmand province.

“When Marines are in trouble and need close air support or resupply, we’ll be there,” he said.

The squadron has spent the last seven years as basically the sole provider of AH-1 and UH-1 detachments to the 31st MEU and WestPac MEUs, said Lt. Col. Matt Mowery, the commanding officer of HMLA-267.

“The unit has done an incredible job performing this mission but the constant turnover of personnel, programs, and aircraft was beginning to have a negative effect on the squadron as a whole,” he said.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work my Marines have done to prepare for this combat deployment and have absolute confidence in our ability to execute our assigned mission” Mowery continued. “We will continue to live up to our motto ‘Any Time, Any Where.’”

• Date Taken: 05.02.2011
• Date Posted: 05.04.2011 12:13
• Story ID: 69836
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRIMAR, CA, US