HMLA - 773 Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 ( HMLA - 773 ) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH - 1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH - 1N Huey utility helicopters . The squadron is based at Robins Air Force Base , Georgia and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 49 ( MAG - 49 ) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing ( 4th MAW ) . Due to re - organization within Marine aviation , the squadron relocated to Robins Air Force Base , Georgia on June 23 , 2010 . History . Early years . The squadron was originally commissioned in September 1958 as " Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 773 " ( HMR - 773 ) at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile , Michigan and assigned to the Marine Air Reserve Training Command . They operated the Piasecki HUP - 2 Retriever which were shared with the Naval Reserve . On April 1 , 1962 , the squadron was redesignated " Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 773 " ( HMM - 773 ) . Four months later August 31 the squadron was deactivated . On April 15 , 1968 , HMM - 773 was reactivated at Naval Air Station Los Alamitos and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 46 of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing . The squadron ' s personnel and aircraft , HUS - 1 Sea Horses , came from sister squadron HMM - 764 . HMM - 773 ' s existence was short - lived ; the squadron deactivated in September 1969 . On September 1 , 1971 , " Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 " ( HMA - 773 ) was stood up at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro . The squadron was assigned AH - 1G Cobras , many of which had seen action with Marine squadrons in Vietnam . HMA - 773 relocated to NAS Atlanta , Georgia during June 1976 , absorbing the personnel of HML - 765 which had just been deactivated . In late 1978 , HMA - 773 transitioned to the twin engine AH - 1J Sea Cobra which they operated for the next fourteen years . In November 1990 , HMA - 773 was the first reserve helicopter squadron to be activated and deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . While embarked aboard the USS New Orleans and USS Tripoli , the squadron distinguished itself with mine sweeping escort and combat missions during the war . In recognition of their exemplary performance during combat HMA - 773 received the Navy Unit Commendation . In the fall of 1992 , the squadron received eight , state of the art AH - 1W Super Cobras . In November 1993 , HMA - 773 began receiving UH - 1Ns and personnel from other disestablished units . In October 1994 , HMA - 773 reorganized and re - equipped with the addition of the UH - 1N utility helicopter , pilots , and personnel from HML - 776 , NAS Glenview , Illinois . Having re - designated as a Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 , the squadron now mirrored the active duty HMLA structure and enabled rapid total force integration for current and future combat and contingency operations . Since reorganizing , the " Red Dogs " of HMLA - 773 have deployed on numerous counter narcotic operations throughout the United States , the Caribbean , and the West Indies . In May 1995 the Squadron deployed to the island nation of Antigua for the first in a series of " Weed eater " marijuana destruction missions . They have further developed their eradication tactics on the islands of St . Kitts - Nevis , St . Lucia , Trinidad and Tobago , Grenada , and Nassau , Bahamas . HMLA - 773 counter - narcotics missions in the United States have included joint operations with the Army , Coast Guard and several US Law Enforcement Agencies in Kingsville , Texas , El Paso , Texas , Naco , Arizona , Palm Beach , Florida , and El Centro , California . In the space of two years , the Red Dogs aided in the destruction of over $ 20 billion worth of illegal narcotics . In 2009 , HMLA - 773 ( - ) , HMLA - 773 Det A and HMLA - 773 Det B Louisiana , separated to three locations yet come together to form one complete HMLA squadron that was capable of fulfilling any assigned HMLA mission in the Marine Corps . The current squadron organization is structured to maintain 1 / 3 of the squadron at Robins Air Force Base , Georgia 1 / 3 of the squadron at NAS Belle Chasse , LA ( Det A ) and 1 / 3 of the squadron at McGuire Dix Lakehurst Joint Forces Base , NJ ( Det B ) . Currently , HMLA - 773 Red Dogs are the largest HMLA squadron in the Marine Corps both in terms of personnel and aircraft . Global War on Terror . Following the September 11 , 2001 attacks , HMLA - 773 postured for participation in the Global War on Terror . The squadron activated in October 2003 and deployed to Bagram , Afghanistan , for further deployment along the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan . Since Oct 03 , the Red Dogs have been flying combat missions in support of Combined Joint Task Force 180 / 76 . In addition , the Red Dogs have instituted Operation Red Dog , in which the Marines and Sailors of the unit gather school supplies and other humanitarian items and distribute them to the local population . The squadron was the subject of exclusive documentaries for the Military Channel and ABC Nightline in Afghanistan during its deployment there . This film , " Task Force Red Dog " captured the squadron at war in a way that no other documentaries had done on helicopters in recent memory . Filmmakers Richard Mackenzie and William Skinner spent six months with the Marines of HMLA - 773 at the front line in Afghanistan . After 18 months of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan , the squadron deployed to Camp Pendleton , CA in support of Revised Combined Arms Exercise ( RCAX ) to assist in the preparation of ground forces for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan . During this time , Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans , the home to many of the Marines of HMLA - 773 . The squadron was one of the first military units to arrive in the city for rescue and relief operations . Beginning in October 2005 , the reserve Marines of HMLA - 773 began to demobilize and return to civilian life . And in February 2006 , HMLA - 773 returned to the status of drilling reserve unit . On September 2007 , HMLA - 773 replaced HMLA - 269 in Al Asad Air Base in Iraq for a 6 to 7 month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . On July 30 , 2008 , a ground breaking ceremony was held at Robins Air Force Base for the hangar that is being constructed for HMLA - 773 . The hangar was completed in early 2010 and the squadron officially moved in July 1 , 2010 during a change of command ceremony .