Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan as part of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan and later Marine Aircraft Group 40 which is the aviation combat element of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. For this high altitude deployment the T64-GE-413 engines of the squadron's CH-53Ds were upgraded to the T64-GE-416 engine which is used in the CH-53E Super Stallion. The squadron arrived in Afghanistan on April 15 and began supporting combat operations on April 22. The squadron moved from Kandahar International Airport to operate from Camp Bastion on May 17 and resumed operations on May 18. The Ugly Angels provided assault support as part of Operation Kanjari, a heliborne insert of approximately 4,000 Marines into the heart of Taliban country in the Helmand River Valley earning the most prestigious U.S. unit award for combat gallantry, the Presidential Unit Citation. The squadron returned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii on August 18, 2009, 40 years to the day after receiving their first CH-53. The squadron did not receive any enemy caused damage throughout the entire deployment. Operation Enduring Freedom Following an extremely safe and successful combat tour, the Ugly Angels conducted a Change of Command on 15 Sep 2009 and quickly transitioned from combat operations to garrison operations that would focus on a robust Pre-deployment Training Program (PTP). This training plan would be executed over a compressed 10-month timeline. During this PTP cycle, the Ugly Angels supported Lava Viper, a joint operations live fire exercise on the Big Island of Hawaii within the U.S. Army's Pohakuloa Training Area, Weapons and Tactics course 2-10 and a desert training package at Marine Corps Station in Yuma, AZ. Toy for Tots were flown by Ugly Angels from Oahu to Molokai just in time for Christmas. The squadron conducted the first external lift of an 11th Marines M777A2 cannon at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii airfield in 2010. Gunnery Sergeant Donald Wilson was recognized as the 2010 Marine Corps Aviation Associations “Willie D. Sproule” Maintenance Marine of the year and Sergeant Steve Boungnadeth was recognized as 2010 MCAA Paul G. Vess' Avionics Marine of the year. The Ugly Angels would again deploy to the Helmand Province from August 2010 to March 2011. In August 2010 the Ugly Angles departed Hawaii for Camp Bastion to conduct a Relief in Place (RIP) with fellow Hawaiian squadron HMH-363. On 7 September 2010, during a Transfer of Authority