VMM - 261 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 ( VMM - 261 ) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV - 22 Osprey transport aircraft . The squadron , known as the " Raging Bulls " , is based at Marine Corps Air Station ( MCAS ) New River , North Carolina and typically falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 ( MAG - 26 ) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 2nd MAW ) . They are the fourth squadron in the Marine Corps to transition to the MV - 22 Osprey . Mission . Provide assault support of combat troops , supplies and equipment during amphibious operations and subsequent operations ashore . Routinely , VMM squadrons provide the foundation for an aviation combat element ( ACE ) of any level Marine Air - Ground Task Force ( MAGTF ) mission that may include conventional assault support tasks and special operations . History . Early years . Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 261 ( HMR - 261 ) was activated on April 5 , 1951 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina . From 1951 through 1956 , HMR - 261 carried the tail code of " HM . " Since then , it has carried the tail code of " EM " on its helicopters . In 1954 , the squadron moved from MCAS Cherry Point to its current home , MCAS New River , North Carolina . In 1956 , the squadron was redesignated Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron ( Light ) 261 ( HMR ( L ) - 261 ) to reflect the acquisition of the H - 34 Choctaw to replace its HRS - 1 helicopters . The squadron was the first helicopter squadron to conduct troop lifts on the East coast . In 1961 , the squadron was redesignated Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 ( HMM - 261 ) . The squadron was , by then , flying the UH - 34D helicopter . During 1962 , HMM - 261 was embarked aboard the USS Boxer ( CV - 21 ) and subsequently the USS Thetis Bay ( CVE - 90 ) for support during the Cuban Blockade . Returning to MCAF New River , HMM 261 was deployed in the south in support of the civil rights freedom marches in the spring of 1963 . Returning to MAG - 26 , MCAF New River , HMM - 261 prepared to stand down for subsequent transfer of its colors to the Western Pacific . Vietnam War . In 1963 , the Bulls were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16 , and as part of " Operation Shufly " they were based in Danang , Republic of Vietnam . During their time at Danang , HMM - 261 conducted combat operations and delivered troops and supplies throughout the operating area . In 1964 , the squadron , deployed aboard the USS Iwo Jima ( LPH - 2 ) as part of the Ready Landing Force in the Western Pacific , participating in training exercises in the Philippine Islands and Taiwan and was afterwards shore - based at MCAS Futenma , Okinawa until returning the squadron colors to MCAF New River . During the 1965 - 66 tour , the Bulls operated from Danang , Marble Mountain , Chu Lai , and the USS " Valley Forge " . The squadron continued to fly the H - 34 helicopter throughout both tours , and participated in several major offensives including : Operations Starlight , Harvest Moon , Double Eagle , Utah , Nevada , Texas , and Hot Springs . During its 1965 - 66 tour HMM - 261 flew 11 , 859 combat hours , MEDEVAC - ed 2 , 315 wounded , flew 38 , 090 combat sorties , ferried 47 , 522 troops into battle and expended 32 , 610 rounds of ammunition . Throughout its three combat tours in Vietnam , many of the units ' helicopters were badly shot up while performing medevacs and troop insertion missions ; during 1965 - 1966 , its helicopters were hit 273 times with many aircraft destroyed . Squadron members were awarded personal decorations from the Navy Cross on down . In 1966 , the Bulls came home to New River again . During the late 1960s , the squadron accepted their first , brand new CH - 46 Sea Knight helicopters . The squadron still flies an updated model of the same helicopter , the CH - 46E . Throughout the 1970s , the Bulls participated in various training exercises in the Atlantic , Mediterranean , and Caribbean regions . It was during this time that the squadron added to their nickname and became the " Raging Bulls " . 1980s . In 1982 , the Raging Bulls deployed to Beirut , Lebanon . In October 1983 , the squadron was about to be deployed again to Beirut , but was diverted to the Caribbean for the invasion of Grenada , codenamed Operation Urgent Fury . There , the squadron provided assault support during the initial landings and subsequent operations ashore . Two AH - 1 Cobra and two CH - 46 helicopters were shot down and three squadron pilots were killed during the invasion . Several hundred American students received their rides to safety aboard Raging Bull aircraft . Following this operation , HMM - 261 deployed to war - ravaged Beirut . While stationed off Beirut , the squadron conducted medevac missions in support of the Marine Amphibious Unit ashore following the bombing of the Marine Barracks , and flew over 800 American and Lebanese citizens to safety . The Gulf War and the 1990s . In 1990 , the squadron took part in Operation Sharp Edge , which consisted of the evacuation and protection of American citizens in Liberia . In January 1991 , following a quick turnaround in New River , the squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . With the ground war in full swing , the Raging Bulls flew numerous medevac and assault support missions in support of 2nd Marine Division . The squadron returned home to New River on May 13 , 1991 . April 15 , 1997 saw HMM - 261 prepared for a pending Noncombatant Evacuation Operation ( NEO ) in the country of Zaire , leaving behind a detachment of ( 4 ) CH - 46 ' s and ( 2 ) UH - 1N ' s to board the USS " Ponce " . The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit ( MEU ) Forward , which included HMM - 261 ( REIN ) Det . A departed on time and entered the Mediterranean Sea to cover the 22nd MEU ' s commitments . During the deployment , the main body of the 22nd MEU participated in two major operations : Operation Guardian Retrieval , operating out of Brazzaville , Congo ; and Operation Noble Obelisk , in Freetown , Sierra Leone , which resulted in the evacuation of more than 2 , 500 American citizens and foreign nationals . Meanwhile , HMM - 261 ( REIN ) ' s Det . A participated in Operation Silver Wake in Tirana , Albania . A year later , in October 1998 , HMM - 261 was called upon to help provide hurricane relief in Puerto Rico . Global War on Terror . In July 2002 , the MEU was called upon to conduct operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) . Once off the coast of Pakistan , the MEU continued to plan for interdiction operations in Afghanistan . Concurrently AV - 8 ’ s flew the MEU ’ s first reconnaissance flights over the country . Advanced parties were dispatched into Pakistan to conduct liaison with host nation agencies . 2003 brought about pre - deployment planning for Operation Iraqi Freedom II . Upon arriving in the Persian Gulf , HMM 261 flew into 1st Marine Expeditionary Force ’ s Area of Operation , where it was attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Al Asad Airbase . This was the first such integration of this scale in Marine Corps History , and the Raging Bulls were integral to its success . While in Iraq , HMM - 261 was fully engaged in various operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II . The squadron continued to perform direct support missions in the form of Casualty Evacuation ( CASEVAC ) , Command and Control ( C & C ) standby , general support , re - supply , troop movements , VIP lifts and Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel ( TRAP ) / Quick Reaction Force ( QRF ) during the day and night . In September 2004 , HMM - 261 returned to MCAS New River , where it was attached to Marine Aircraft Group 29 . During the deployment , HMM - 261 successfully completed over 2 , 000 Aviation Support Requests ( ASRs ) , transported 8 , 358 passengers and 815 , 274 lb of cargo , flew 3 , 058 . 2 hours and executed 1 , 941 sorties , with zero combat casualties or loss of any aircraft . On November 8 , 2005 , HMM - 261 ( REIN ) conducted their onload to the USS " Nassau " to begin their current deployment as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit . They were based at Al Asad air base in western Iraq and on their third tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . The squadron finished its latest tour in Iraq in late March 2006 , accomplishing 1 , 845 sorties and over 3 , 000 combat flight hours providing medevacs and close air support . In late 2007 , the squadron served as the aviation combat element for the 22nd MEU . From September 25 to October 11 , 2007 , AV - 8B Harrier II ' s attached to HMM - 261 flew 70 combat missions over Afghanistan providing aerial reconnaissance , close air support and convoy escort in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . Following the impact of Cyclone Sidr on November 15 , 2007 , helicopters from the squadron operating from the USS " Kearsarge " off the coast of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal provided humanitarian assistance to those affected by the cyclone . On April 10 , 2008 , VMM - 261 transitioned to the MV - 22 Osprey after 42 years of flying the venerable CH - 46 Sea Knight . VMM - 261 deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . It marked the first deployment of the MV - 22 Osprey to Afghanistan and in early December the squadron supported their first major combat operation when they lifted troops and supplies in support of Operation Cobra ' s Anger . Notable accidents . On 11 April 2012 , an MV - 22 from the VMM - 261 crashed near Agadir , Morocco , during a joint training exercise after taking off from USS Iwo Jima . Two Marines were killed and two others were seriously injured , and the aircraft was lost . A Marine Corps investigation later deemed the crash was due to pilot error , not a mechanical or safety problem .