USMC g VMGR 252 Air Refueling Squadron Patch KC 130 US Marine Corps Aviation

US Marine Corps Aviation Marine Refuelling Squadron VMGR 252 Death Rattlers Patch 1962 MCAS El Toro KC 130 Hercules Tankers Embroidered on twill cut edge 102mm by 100mm four inches by three and seven eighth inches.

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Marine Transport Squadron VMR 252 relocated to MCAS Cherry Point and was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 21 after the war and in July 1946 moved to MCAS Miramar as part of Marine Aircraft Group 25. The Squadron moved again on 14 October 1946 to MCAS El Toro.

In October 1961 VMR 252 reequipped with KC 130 Hercules tankers and retasked for aerial refuelling missions. The Squadron was redesignated Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron VMGR 252 on 1 February 1962. In December 1965 one of the Squadrons KC 130 refuelled a CH 3 helicopter the first time a tanker drogue system was used to refuel a helicopter.

The late sixties and early seventies VMGR 252 provided support to US Forces in the Republic of Vietnam transporting essential equipment parts and personnel. VMGR 252 also supported the introduction of the AV 8A Harrier and in August 1973was involved in the development of safe and standardized aerial refueling procedures to be used with the Harrier.

In 1990 VMGR 252 deployed aircraft to Freetown Sierra Leone in support of 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit operations following civil unrest in nearby Liberia before deploying six aircraft for Operation Desert Shield as VMGR 252 Detachment Alpha. On 16 January 1991 Operation Desert Storm commenced and the Detachment transitioned to combat operations and provided over 10 million pounds of fuel to strike aircraft during 937 combat sorties.

During the remainder of the 1990s VMGR 252 continued to support East Coast Marine Expeditionary Units for operations in Kenya Rwanda the Republic of the Congo Albania Liberia Sierra Leone and Kosovo while continuing to support Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch.

After the attacks on 11 September 2001 VMGR 252 provided logistical and assault support operations during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and provided similar support for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the spring of 2003.

This patch dates from 1962.