HMH - 462 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 ( HMH - 462 ) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH - 53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopters . The squadron , known as the " Heavy Haulers " , is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 ( MAG - 16 ) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 3rd MAW ) . History . World War II . Marine Fighting Squadron 462 ( VMF - 462 ) was activated Marine Corps Air Station El Centro , California on April 15 , 1944 . On October 10 , 1944 the squadron absorbed personnel and equipment from VMF - 481 and they were redesignated a fighter pilot replacement training unit . Shortly thereafter they transferred to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California and remained there until the end of the war . The squadron was quickly deactivated after the war ' s end on September 10 , 1945 . 1950s and early 1960s . On November 1 , 1957 , 462 was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana , California as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron ( Medium ) 462 HMR ( M ) - 462 . In March 1958 the squadron received the Sikorsky HR2S - 1 ( CH - 37 Mojave ) , known as the " Deuce . " In July 1958 the squadron participated in NASA ’ s abort recovery tests of the Mercury space capsule in the Salton Sea . During July 1959 HMR ( M ) - 462 worked with the United States Army in El Paso , Texas to conduct the initial aerial transport tests of the Hawk missile system . One year later , the squadron worked with Convair Astronautics Corporation in San Diego to help construct Atlas missile silos . Also during 1960 , HMR ( M ) - 462 joined with the Federal Aviation Administration , Sikorsky Aircraft , the U . S . Army , New York Airways and British technical representatives of the Decca Corporation to establish Instrument Flight Procedures for helicopters . During the mid - 1960s the squadron changed their logo and began acceptance of the CH - 53A " Stallion " . Vietnam War . In August 1968 , the " Heavy Haulers " deployed to the Republic of Vietnam for combat operations . Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36 at Phu Bai , the squadron was tasked with the tactical retrieval of downed aircraft and heavy equipment during Operation End Sweep . In March 1971 , HMH - 462 was transferred to Okinawa to provide support to Marine forces in Japan . In 1975 HMH - 462 , still stationed in Okinawa , was assigned to the 9th MAB and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit . On 12 April 1975 the " Heavy Haulers " operating from USS Okinawa ( LPH - 3 ) , participated in Operation Eagle Pull , the evacuation of Phnom Penh . Seventeen days later from 29 – 30 April , HMH - 462 participated in Operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation of Saigon . Shortly thereafter , the squadron was embarked upon the USS Hancock ( CV - 19 ) and sailed back towards Cambodia to participate in the rescue operation of the SS Mayaguez . The Mayaguez rescue was completed before the Hancock arrived on station and the Hancock returned to Subic Bay . Post Vietnam and the 1990s . After nearly ten years of continuous overseas service , HMH - 462 was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Tustin , California and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16 . They also participated in the Unit Deployment Program to MCAS Futenma , Okinawa , In December 1989 , a squadron detachment was assigned to participate in coup contingency operations in the Republic of the Philippines as part of Marine Aircraft Group 90 . In August 1990 , the " Heavy Haulers " were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 70 and deployed to Jubail , Saudi Arabia as part transport , MEDEVAC , VIP , and F ARP support to MAG - 70 / 16 and I Marine Expeditionary Force operations . In February 1991 , the squadron relocated to Tanajib , Saudi Arabia , where it provided support for Operation Desert Storm . Following the conclusion of hostilities , the squadron returned to MCAS Tustin . During March 1991 , the squadron received the 1990 Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award . In September , the squadron reached another milestone when it completed 15 , 000 class A mishap free flight hours . In 1992 it was also announced that HMH - 462 had been selected for transition to the CH - 53E Super Stallion . In June , the Heavy Haulers took possession of their first CH - 53E Super Stallion and began the transition process . In 1996 , the squadron reached another milestone when it completed 28 , 000 class A mishap free flight hours . In May of the same year , after completing another unit deployment to Okinawa , Japan . The " Heavy Haulers " received the Heavy Helicopter Squadron of the Year Award from the Marine Corps Aviation Association for 1996 . In March 1997 , HMH - 462 surpassed 30 , 000 class A mishap free flight hours . After returning home in May 1998 from another unit deployment cycle . They became the first helicopter squadron in MAG - 16 to make the transition from Tustin to MCAS Miramar , California . In December of the same year , HMH - 462 surpassed yet another class A mishap free flight hour milestone of 35 , 000 hours and received the Heavy Helicopter Squadron of the Year award for 1998 . The Global War on Terror . HMH 462 served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2003 to September 2003 and Operation Enduring Freedom from September 2004 to May 2005 . They flew many missions supporting logistics and combat missions involving insertion and extraction of special forces groups . The squadron is currently preparing for another deployment in support of the Global War on Terror .