VMM - 165 Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 ( VMM - 165 ) is a United States Marine Corps Tilt - rotor squadron consisting of MV - 22B Osprey transport aircraft . The squadron , known as the " White Knights " , is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , California and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 ( MAG - 16 ) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 3rd MAW ) . Mission . Provide assault support transport of combat troops , supplies and equipment during expeditionary , joint or combined operations . Be prepared for short - notice , worldwide employment in support of Marine Air - Ground Task Force operations . History . Vietnam War . Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 was activated on July 1 , 1965 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana , California as part of Marine Aircraft Group 36 , 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing . During August 1965 , the White Knights were reassigned to Marine Wing Service Group 37 . In September 1966 , the White Knights deployed to the Republic of Vietnam , where they were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing . From October 1966 to August 1969 , the squadron operated from Ky Ha , Hue / Phu Bai , the , the , Marble Mountain area near Da Nang , and from the . On June 6 , 1968 , HMM - 165 had two of their CH - 46As shot down in the vicinity of Khe Sanh . There were no deaths on the first incident but the second crash which occurred at LZ Loon , southeast of Khe Sanh , resulted in the death of 12 of the 23 Marines on board . In August 1969 , the squadron redeployed to Okinawa where it was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 15 of the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade . In December 1969 , the squadron again became part of Marine Aircraft Group 36 . During the early 1970s , HMM - 165 participated as part of the Special Landing Force in support of activities in the Republic of Vietnam . During July and August 1972 , the White Knights took part in Philippine flood relief operations , flying in food and supplies to local populations . At the end of April 1975 , helicopters of HMM - 165 played a key role in the evacuation of Saigon , Operation Frequent Wind . At 0500 on 30 April 1075 , under direct orders from President Gerald Ford , the crew of " Lady Ace 09 " evacuated U . S . Ambassador Graham Martin from the US Embassy , Saigon , prior to the Fall of Saigon . Post Vietnam and the 1980s . In November 1977 , the White Knights moved to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii where they were reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 24 , the air combat element of the 1st Marine Brigade . At this time the name of the squadron was changed from White Knights to Hawaiian Warriors . The logo on the tail of the aircraft was changed from a traditional knight to that of a profile of a Hawaiian king that resembled the logo of Primo Beer , causing the squadron enlisted to affectionately refer to themselves as , The Primo Warriors . . In December 1979 at a time of high international tension arising from the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , HMM - 165 deployed to the Arabian Sea with the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit ( 31st MAU ) on board the USS Okinawa ( LPH - 3 ) . Their mission was to deter Soviet Aggression under the orders of then President Jimmy Carter . This policy would later be named the Carter Doctrine . At the same time , the quadron served in a minor support role for the Hostage Rescue Attempt in Iran . Upon returning to Hawaii in June 1980 , the following winter produced a severe storm that damaged electrical lines crossing Oahu and HMM - 165 assisted local officials in replacing these downed lines . In 1981 , HMM - 165 was again deployed to the Western Pacific and Arabian Sea with the 31st MAU on board the USS Belleau Wood ( LHA - 3 ) . Their name changed back to The White Knights and replaced the tail insignia with a traditional White Knight helmet . HMM - 165 performed humanitarian work assisting the government of Sri Lanka in delivering television transmitters to a remote site providing the people of Sri Lanka full national coverage of their television station for the first time . During April 1983 HMM - 165 became the Air Combat Element ( ACE ) of the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit . The squadron was reinforced with 2 UH - 1s , 4 AH - 1s , 4 CH - 53s , and 6 AV - 8s in addition to its 12 CH - 46s and was redesignated as HMM ( C ) Rein - 165 . The squadron deployed to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans and completed contingency operations in the Okinawa , Philippines , Thailand , Malasia , Kenya , and Somalia . The reinforced squadron was diverted to Beirut , Lebanon , where they conducted contingency operations in Lebanon , Cyprus , and Israel from the deck of the USS " Tarawa " ( LHA - 1 ) . The squadron returned to Kaneohe Bay in time for Christmas . In December 1989 , the White Knights supported American interests , to include reinforcement of the American Embassy , in the Republic of the Philippines during that country ' s coupe attempt . The Gulf War & the 1990s . In August 1990 , the squadron was sent to Saudi Arabia to participate in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . The White Knights returned home from Saudi Arabia in March 1991 . HMM - 165 was the " last squadron in the Philippine Islands " when they supported the special purpose MAGTF from July to November 1992 . From September to October 1992 a detachment was sent to Cambodia to participate in Joint Task Force Full Accounting . The squadron aided the task force in the search for remains of MIA ' s from the war in Vietnam . In March 1993 , another detachment from HMM - 165 was sent to Cambodia to participate in Joint Task Force Full Accounting ; this time the mission was cut short when the task force base camp was attacked by mortar fire in April 1993 . As a result of the Base Realignment And Closure Committee ' s ( BRAC ) actions HMM - 165 was reassigned from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Aviation Support Element , Marine Corps Base Hawaii , to Marine Aircraft Group 16 , 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing , Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California on May 15 , 1996 . HMM - 165 moved to MCAS Miramar , San Diego , California in November 1998 as the result of additional BRAC requirements . In December 1998 HMM - 165 was designated the Aviation Combat Element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit . Global War on Terror . In July 2001 , HMM - 165 was designated the Aviation Combat Element for the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit . After the terror attacks of September 11 , 2001 , HMM - 165 deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . The White Knights received orders to deploy to Iraq in December 2002 . Beginning in January , HMM - 165 deployed on the USS Boxer ( LHD - 4 ) and cruised to the Persian Gulf . After offloading in Kuwait , the squadron was tasked with supporting Regimental Combat Team 1 ( RCT - 1 ) for the duration of Operation Iraqi Freedom . On the night of April 1 , 2003 , HMM - 165 comprised the CH - 46 element of Task Force 20 , the special team that extracted prisoner of war Army PFC Jessica Lynch . The squadron redeployed to Iraq in September 2006 attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit . On December 3 , 2006 a helicopter carrying 16 personnel made an emergency landing on Lake Qadisiyah in Anbar Governorate . Four of the passengers drowned in the incident . They returned to Camp Pendleton on May 30 , 2007 . In June 2010 , the unit again sailed with the 15th MEU aboard , marking the last deployment of its CH - 46s . They transitioned to the V - 22 Osprey on March 1 , 2011 and were re - designated Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 ( VMM - 165 ) . On 6 October 2012 , a MV - 22 Osprey tilt - rotor aircraft from squadron VMM - 165 land and refueled on board the . This operation was part of an evaluation of the feasibility of the MV - 22 as a potential replacement for the C - 2 Greyhound carrier onboard delivery ( COD ) cargo transport aircraft . Unit awards . A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited . Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation . HMM - 165 has been presented with the following awards :