VMU - 4 Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 ( VMU - 4 ) is an unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) squadron in the United States Marine Corps that operates the RQ - 7B Shadow . It is the fourth UAV squadron in the Marine Corps and the first in the reserve component . The squadron , nicknamed the “ Evil Eyes ” , entered the force structure on July 1 , 2010 , when Marine Observation Squadron 4 ( VMO - 4 ) was reactivated and redesignated VMU - 4 . The squadron inherited the history of VMO - 4 which was an observation squadron that saw extensive action during World War II . They were last based at Naval Air Station Atlanta near Atlanta , Georgia and were deactivated on May 23 , 1993 as part of the post - Cold War drawdown of forces . VMU - 4 is a subordinate unit of Marine Air Control Group 48 and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing . Mission . Provide aerial fire support spotting and intelligence in support of the Marine Air - Ground Task Force . History . World War II . The squadron was originally activated as " Artillery Spotting Division ( Marine Observation Squadron 951 ) " ( ASD ( VMO - 951 ) ) on December 20 , 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico , Virginia . This happened because the Marine Corps ' field artillery school was located at Marine Corps Base Quantico . Less than a month later they were redesignated as Marine Observation Squadron 4 ( VMO - 4 ) as they trained to fly the OY - 1 Grasshopper . The squadron would later move to San Diego , California and the deploy overseas to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa in Hawaii for further training where they would be assigned to support the V Amphibious Corps . In April 1944 they were sent to Maui for duty with the 4th Marine Division and on May 29 , 1944 they left Pearl Harbor for their first combat mission . The first two planes from VMO - 4 landed on Charan - Kanoa airstrip during the Battle of Saipan on June 17 , 1944 and began operating immediately . Six days later all squadron gear and personnel were ashore and the squadron shifted operations to Aslito Field . During the battle they their mission was to conduct tactical reconnaissance for ground troops and direct artillery and naval gunfire strikes . VMO - 2 was the only other similar squadron to fly during the invasion of Saipan . Two months later two planes from the squadron would assist their fellow Marines during the week long Battle of Tinian . During these two battles , the squadron flew 400 sorties and suffered 2 pilots killed . One after he crash landing after getting hit by enemy fire and another over Tinian . The Ground echelon of the squadron suffered 3 dead and 9 wounded during an enemy air raid . On August 10 , 1944 the squadron set sail for Pearl Harbor to rest and refit . VMO - 4 personnel and gear remained in Hawaii until January 1945 when they set sail for Guam . While in Guam they received new aircraft and which were then flown to Saipan to be loaded upon escort carrier s for movement to their next mission , the Battle of Iwo Jima . The squadron waited offshore to support Marines on the ground at Iwo until two planes from the USS Wake Island ( CVE - 65 ) were able to land at the airstrip on February 26 , 1945 . These were the first two aircraft to land on the newly captured airstrip and they did so while still under heavy small - arms and mortar fire . In time the mere presence of these small planes overhead would influence Japanese gunners to cease fire and button up against the inevitable counter - battery fire to follow . Often the pilots would undertake pre - dawn or dusk missions simply to extend this protective " umbrella " over the troops , risky flying given Iwo ' s unlit fields and constant enemy sniping from the adjacent hills . During the battle the squadron would fly 204 sorties in 19 days totaling 366 . 4 hours of flying . This would leave Six of the seven planes used so badly damaged that they were scrapped afterwards . After the battle they returned to Maui in April 1945 where they would remain until the end of the war . Following the surrender of Japan , the squadron returned to San Diego , California where they were deactivated on October 21 , 1945 . Cold war years . VMO - 4 was reactivated on September 1 , 1962 at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile , Michigan , from the personnel of HMR - 761 and HMR - 773 , which had recently deactivated . VMO - 4 flew SH - 34G / Js until 1968 , when the squadron received its first OV - 10As . They would later relocate to Naval Air Station Atlanta during July 1976 , until their decommission . The squadron was activated during the Gulf War time - period and become part of Marine Aircraft Group 29 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina however they did not deploy overseas . The squadron was deactivated on March 31 , 1994 as part of the general drawdown of US forces following the Cold War . Reactivation as VMU - 4 . The squadron was reactivated on July 1 , 2010 and redesignated Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 ( VMU - 4 ) . VMU - 4 is a subordinate unit of Marine Air Control Group 48 , 4th Marine Aircraft Wing . VMU - 4 ' s first flight with the RQ - 7B Shadow was 29 Sep 2010 in Yuma , AZ .