Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Wolfpack", 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). In the past 25 years, the Wolfpack has participated in fourteen Marine Expeditionary Units, Special Operations Capable [MEU (SOC)] Deployments and has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Phoenix Award for outstanding maintenance (1987), the Fleet Marine Force Pacific (FMFPAC) Annual Aviation Safety Award (1986), the Mike Yunck Award for best overall squadron in the Third Marine Aircraft Wing (3d MAW) (1988, 1999, 2010), Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC) (1986), Navy and Marine Corps Unit Commendation (NUC) (1992, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) (2010), the Keith B. McCutcheon Award for Heavy Lift Squadron of the Year (1999, 2006, 2010), the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Aviation Safety Award (1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011). History Early years Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466), the “Wolfpack,” was commissioned on 30 November 1984, as the Marine Corps’ third, and Marine Aircraft Group 16's (MAG-16), second CH-53E squadron. By December 1984, the squadron was 180 Marines strong and growing, and had accepted two of sixteen CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft Company in Stratford, Connecticut. The Wolfpack conducted its first operational flight on 19 December 1984, and by 30 June 1985, the squadron had accepted eleven of its sixteen aircraft. In its first seven months as an operational squadron, HMH-466 had flown 1100 hours, carried 1000 passengers, and lifted 175,000 pounds of cargo. Delivery of aircraft continued until 5 August 1985, when the squadron received its sixteenth CH-53E. Gulf War & the 1990s When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the Wolfpack became the first CH-53E squadron to deploy to Saudi Arabia. While in support of operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, HMH-466 recovered downed aircraft, conducted the first Night Vision Goggle (NVG) troop insertion, and provided heavy lift support from port facilities to staging areas in preparation for the ground phase of the operation. Upon cessation of hostilities, the Wolfpack returned to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Tustin having sustained no losses of personnel or aircraft. In May 1992, the Wolfpack embarked upon its first Unit