passengers and 265 cargo pallets in less than two days. The 1990s The squadron began conversion to the CH-53E Super Stallion on 23 August 1990. On 5 November 1992, the squadron deployed to Okinawa as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), the first MEU to utilize a CH-53E squadron as the nucleus. Here they were joined by detachments of CH-46E's from HMM-262, AH-1W's, and UH-1N's from HMLA-267 and AV-8B's from VMA-311 to become HMH-361 (REIN), the first CH-53E composite squadron in history. In November 1994 the squadron was quadruple sited while on their tenth deployment to Okinawa. Detachments were sent to the 13th and 31st MEU', the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground task force in support of Operation United Shield while the main body remained on Okinawa. In August 1995, the squadron was awarded the Marine Corps Aviation Association's Keith B McCutcheon award as Marine Heavy Helicopter squadron of the year and in June 1996 were awarded the 1995 CNO Aviation Association Safety Award. After returning from Okinawa and reintegrating its MEU detachments in May 1997, the squadron assumed the Alert Contingency Marine air-ground task force (ACM) status. Once again they were awarded the Marine Corps Aviation Association's Keith B McCutcheon award as Marine Heavy Helicopter squadron of the year. The squadron also supported HMX-1 and the President of the United States, transporting three CH-53E's to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, aboard Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft. The squadron deployed from MCAS Tustin for the last time in 1999 and would return to a new home base at MCAS Miramar after the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered the closing of MCAS El Toro and Tustin the transfer of its activities to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. During the squadron’s 1999 UDP four members of the Flying Tigers were killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion went down at sea during a night-vision goggle training flight off Okinawa. Returning to MCAS Miramar in mid-1999, the Flying Tigers started preparing for the next deployment. The squadron conducted training throughout the Southwest U.S., readying the squadron's main-body for deployment to Okinawa, Japan, and CH-53E detachments for the 11th and 31st MEU. In August 2000, the Flying Tigers faced a tremendous training challenge for the upcoming 2001 Unit Deployment Program (UDP). This was due to the grounding of the Marine Corps’ entire fleet of CH-53Es because of