HMLA - 369 Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 ( HMLA - 369 ) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH - 1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH - 1Y Huey utility helicopters . The squadron , also known as the " Gunfighters " , is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton , California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 ( MAG - 39 ) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 3rd MAW ) . Mission . Support the Marine Air - Ground Task Force commander by providing offensive air support , utility support , armed escort and airborne supporting arms coordination , day or night under all weather conditions during expeditionary , joint or combined operations . History . Vietnam War . HMA - 369 was activated on April 1 , 1972 , at Marine Corps Air Station Futema , later Marine Corps Air Station Futenma , Okinawa , assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . Two months after being activated , the squadron was deployed to Vietnam to participate in Operation MARHUK ( Marine Hunter Killer ) . " Pistol Pete " as the squadron was then known , had the distinction of being the first attack helicopter squadron in Marine Corps history to conduct offensive air operations . This occurred on June 20 , 1972 when HMA - 369 AH - 1J Seacobras , operating from the USS Denver ( LPD - 9 ) , began interdicting enemy barges and ferries and acting as low lying FACs for Navy carrier strikes . The squadron subsequently transferred to USS Cleveland ( LPD - 7 ) and finally USS Dubuque ( LPD - 8 ) while conducting MARHUK operations . < ref : " Tails Through Time : Operation MARHUK " , http : / / aviationtrivia . blogspot . com / 2011 / 02 / operation - marhuk - cambat - debut - of . htm > The Marine Corps Aviation Association honored HMA - 369 with their " Helicopter Squadron of the Year Award " in 1972 . HMA - 369 was also awarded a Navy Unit Citation for this period . The squadron redeployed to Okinawa in January 1973 , but remained active in the conflict through Operation Eagle Pull and Operation Frequent Wind in 1975 , flying numerous sorties supporting the evacuation of Saigon . Post Vietnam . In April 1977 , HMA - 369 was disestablished on Okinawa and reestablished at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California as a member of Detachment Marine Aircraft Group 16 , 3rd MAW . In August 1983 , HMA - 369 had the distinction of being the first helicopter squadron of any service to participate in the United States Air Force Red Flag aviation combat exercise . In October 1985 , HMA - 369 was in Hong Kong to support then Vice - President George H . W . Bush ' s trip to the People ' s Republic of China . On two separate occasions , the Gunfighters flew four UH - 1Ns from Hong Kong across the Red Chinese border to the cities Guangzhou and Shenzhen . This historic trip marked the first time since 1949 that a tactical Marine squadron had entered Communist China ' s airspace . Also during 1987 , UH - 1Ns were made a permanent part of the HMA - 369 and on September 15 , 1987 HMA - 369 was officially re - designated as Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 ( HMLA - 369 ) . In October 1987 , the majority of AH - 1J pilots attended the AH - 1W pilots familiarization course in Dallas , Texas and on October 30 , 1987 , HMLA - 369 received its first AH - 1W . Gulf War & the 1990s . In 1990 , HMLA - 369 was chosen as the HMLA component of Marine Aircraft Group 70 ( MAG - 70 ) in support of Operation Desert Shield . The Gunfighters arrived in Saudi Arabia on August 16 , 1990 , operating as the first Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron in theater . During Desert Shield the Gunfighters were the first HMLA called to war . Throughout the war , the Gunfighters distinguished themselves both in the planning and execution phases of the air and ground wars . On 10 March 1991 , the Gunfighters departed Saudi Arabia , returning to Camp Pendleton . In November , the Gunfighters received the MCAA Squadron of the Year Award On November 28 , 1992 , HMLA - 369 began planning for Operation Restore Hope , the international United Nations humanitarian relief effort in Somalia . On December 3 , 1992 , the Gunfighters were assigned as the force in readiness and by January 1 , 1993 , the entire squadron was deployed to Baledogle , Somalia , as the sole light attack helicopter squadron in theater operating under Marine Aircraft Group 16 HMLA - 369 flew a variety of missions including Close In Fire Support , Command and Control , MEDEVAC , Escort , Visual and Photo Reconnaissance , Logistical Supply , VIP , and Non Governmental Organization ( NGO ) support . HMLA - 369 logged 1 , 098 flight hours during January . The Gunfighters returned to Camp Pendleton in April 1993 . November 1993 saw the Gunfighters depart for Okinawa in support of the UDP deployment Program . Additionally , the Gunfighters provided detachments for the 11th and 31st Marine Expeditionary Units ( Special Operations Capable ) ( MEU ( SOC ) ) . The Gunfighter 11th MEU ( SOC ) Detachment supported Operation Continue Hope and Operation Distant Runner , aiding in the evacuation of Americans from war torn Rwanda . Global War on Terror . The Gunfighters of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard , received word from Central Command on March 3 , 2002 that their assets would be needed to support the Coalition Joint Task Force ( CJTF ) operating out of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan . The Gunfighter ' s six AH - 1Ws flew 22 days of continuous combat operations which included attached , detached and combined escort , close air support ( CAS ) , forward air control ( FAC ( A ) ) , and armed reconnaissance . HMLA - 369 arrived in Kuwait on April 13 , 2003 and within three days began conducting combat operations in the skies of Iraq . In April 2003 the Gunfighters carried out over 300 combat missions into Iraq , from Ali Al Salem , Kuwait , providing combat support to Marines on the ground . Amassing over 600 mishap free hours , the Gunfighters directly supported the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force . The Gunfighters flew over 1 , 300 mishap free flight hours while performing offensive air and utility support missions . In the month of May alone , HMLA - 369 flew 948 . 3 hours and completed 638 combat sorties . Working mostly out of Blair Field , a forward operating base ( FOB ) in Al Kut , Iraq , the Gunfighters provided continuous air coverage in northeastern Iraq . From June 27 to July 1 , the Gunfighters flew air support for British allies in southeastern Iraq . The British ground forces requested close air support for their sweep of the towns of Al Amarah and Al Silah . The month of July was short for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 . The Gunfighters concluded flight operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on July 12 . The Gunfighters finished up their second rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and are based at Forward Operating Base , Al Taqaddum , Iraq . As part of 2nd MAW ( FWD ) , MAG - 26 ( FWD ) . During the course of the deployment , on November 2 , 2005 , an AH - 1W Super Cobra from the squadron was shot down near Ramadi , killing the two Marines on board . The unit deployed to Iraq again from April 2007 to November or 2007 and from November 2008 to May 2009 . The Gunfighters then deployed to Afghanistan from April 2010 to November 2010 . While in suppourt of Operation Enduring Freedom ( OEF ) , HMLA - 369 had an AH - 1W shot down , killing the two Marines on board .