MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- An advance party of Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was welcomed home by families and friends March 19 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar after a seven month deployment to Al Asad, Iraq.

The mission of HMH-466 is the movement of heavy supplies and equipment. Personnel transportation falls secondary, according to Lt. Col. John H. Celigoy, commanding officer, HMH-466.

“We were in charge of the Al Anbar province of Iraq,” said Capt. David M. Dowd, CH-53E Pilot, HMH-466. “If it was heavy, we moved it. We also transported personnel.”

“Wolfpack” provided support for several major operations during their deployment.

HMH-466 was involved in Operation River Gate. The goal of the operation was to deny the terrorists the ability to operate in areas near the Euphrates River.

The squadron also provided support for Iraqi Army soldiers, Marines, sailors and soldiers during Operation Steel Curtain, which began in November 2005. The objectives of the operation were to restore Iraqi control to the areas around the Iraqi and Syrian border and to eliminate the terrorists operating throughout the Al Qa’im region.

“We did a lot of troop insertion and pre-staging before the combat operations,” said Capt. Matt W. Quigley, CH-53E pilot, HMH-466.

HMH-466 also provided transportation for various VIP missions, Iraqi police recruits and the Iraqi elections, according to Quigley, a 27-year-old native of Harleysville, Pa.

On Feb. 18, “Wolfpack” set a squadron record when they surpassed 60,000 “Class A” mishap-free flight hours. The squadron has never had a “Class A” mishap during its 22-year history. 
The Marines and sailors were relieved to be home and away from the stresses of deployment.

“I feel relieved to be home,” said Lance Cpl. W. O. Hammons, avionics technician, HMH-466.