page_title: HMH-461
section_title: The 1990s
hierarchical_section_title: HMH-461 / History / The 1990s
caption_attribution_description: English: A CH-53E "Super Stallion" from HMH-461, MCAS New River, North Carolina, externally lifts an M998 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) during HST (Helicopter Support Team) training at Observation Post (OP) Crampton during Combined Arms Exercise. From the Depart of Defense image search website - Defense Visual Information Center. Picture comes up if you search for HMH-461. ID: DM-SD-03-01429 Service Depicted: Marines Command Shown: II MEF 970517-M-0416K-002 Operation / Series: CAX 6-97 Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA (CA) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) Camera Operator: LCPL R. L. KUGLER JR., USMC Date Shot: 17 May 1997
context_page_description: Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as "Ironhorse", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. With its lineage starting in 1944, HMH-461 is the oldest active Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron in the Marine Corps.
context_section_description: In February 1990, HMH-461 deployed four aircraft aboard ship to support the presidential visit to the Anti-Drug Summit in Colombia.
  Beginning in August 1990 through April 1991, the squadron deployed aboard USS Iwo Jima and headed to the conflict in the Persian Gulf.  On 5 January 1991, Detachment Delta was retasked from DESERT STORM to support the non-combatant evacuation (NEO) of American citizens from war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia.  The IRONHORSES flew almost 500-miles from the sea to successfully begin the NEO of American citizens and open Operation EASTERN EXIT.
  Ironhorse Marines again deployed in October 1993 through June 1994 when a detachment of four aircraft left with HMM-362 for contingency operations in Haiti.
  They deployed again in May and June 1997 when a detachment from this squadron participated in Operation Guardian Retrieval in Congo-Brazzaville. The detachment then conducted a non-combatant evacuation (NEO) in Sierra Leone as part of VMM-261(Rein) which was named Operation Noble Obelisk. The NEO saved U.S., British, and other third-country nationals who were threatened by the Revolutionary United Front.
caption: A CH-53E from HMH-461 doing external lifts during Combined Armed Exercise 6-97 (CAX 6-97).
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "A CH-53E \"Super Stallion\" from HMH-461, MCAS New River, North Carolina, externally lifts an M998 HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) during HST (Helicopter Support Team) training at Observation Post (OP) Crampton during Combined Arms Exercise (CAX) 6-97.  CAX 5/6-97 is a MAGTF (Marine Air Ground Task Force) exercise being conducted at MCAGCC (Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center), 29 Palms, California.  The command element for this exercise is MAGTF-6, which is built around the 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  Many commands from the II MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force) have sent units to this desert warfare exercise, to fill key billets in the Ground Combat Element (GCE), Air Combat Element (ACE) and the Combat Service Support Element (CSSE).", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "152", "Image YResolution": "152", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop 7.0", "Image DateTime": "2002:11:21 08:36:40", "Image Artist": "LCPL R. L. Kugler Jr., USMC", "Image ExifOffset": "1016", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1154", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "4565", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1524", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1012"}