Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 ( MWSS 272 ) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps . They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River , North Carolina . The squadron , nicknamed " The Untouchables , " falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . Provide all essential Aviation Ground Support ( AGS ) requirements to a designated rotary - wing component of an Aviation Combat Element ( ACE ) including all supporting or attached elements of the Marine Air Control Group . When tasked with operating an airfield the squadron must conduct all aviation and ground refueling , aircraft recovery and firefighting , expeditionary airfield services , explosive ordnance disposal and weather services . When tasked with supporting airfield functions the squadron provides essential engineer services ; field messing facilities ; internal airfield communications ; individual and unit training ; motor transport support ; nuclear , chemical and biological defense ; routine and emergency sick call and aviation medicine ; security and law enforcement ; and an Airbase Commandant . The Squadron is the enabling organization for the employment of Marine Aviation ashore History . Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 was activated on 6 June 1986 at Marine Corps Air Station New River , North Carolina . MWSS - 272 was organized from the assets of Marine Air Base Squadron 26 , Marine Air Base Squadron 29 and Detachment " A " , Marine Wing Support Group 27 , which were deactivated on 5 June 1986 . Global War on Terror . In late 2001 , MWSS - 272 augmented several Marine Expeditionary Unit s in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) . MWSS - 272 deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) in February 2003 and remained there until June 2003 . MWSS - 272 was responsible for providing aviation ground support to three Forward Operating Bases ( FOBs ) at Al Jabr , Ali Al Salem , and Joe Foss . FOB Joe Foss was the largest expeditionary airfield built since World War II , and it was vitally important to air assault and medevac operations during the war . In 2004 , MWSS - 272 augmented both MWSS - 271 and MWSS - 273 with personnel for their AGS mission in Iraq again as well as providing personnel to support operations for OEF in the Horn of Africa . In August 2005 the Squadron deployed to Al Asad Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom , and provided aviation ground support for the entire airbase at Al Asad as well as FOB Al Qaim . The Squadron deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , again providing aviation ground support at various locations across Helmand Province . On February 29 , 2012 , operational control of MWSS - 272 transferred from Marine Wing Support Group 27 to Marine Aircraft Group 26 , in advance of the deactivation of MWSG - 27 during May , 2012 . As a result of this permanent change , and to reflect the all - MV22 type / model / series make - up of MAG - 26 , the Squadron patch was redesigned to incorporate elements that reflect its mission of expeditionary airfield construction and aviation ground support . The elements are a M970 refueling truck and a Medium Crawler Tractor bulldozer , at the end of an AM - 2 airfield matting runway . An Osprey tiltrotor aircraft now dominates the top half of the patch , included to reflect the airframe flown by MWSS - 272 ' s sister squadrons of MAG - 26 .