operational on 12 March and was assigned to support the newly landed 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (9th MEB). On 6 May the squadron was reassigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and on 15 May the squadron was relieved by HMM-365, it returned to Okinawa and then the U.S. 1980s In 1983, the squadron deployed as part of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit aboard the USS Iwo Jima to Beirut, Lebanon. While in theater, the squadron provided helicopter support during the deployment, and provided critical support during the aftermath of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. Gulf War and the 1990s While filling the role as the Strategic reserve for Operation Desert Storm, HMM-162 participated in the Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO), Operation Sharp Edge in war-torn Liberia. During this operation the "Golden Eagles" evacuated 226 American Citizens and 2,400 third-country nationals. The squadron also participated in Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq and in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia in 1993 while as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU). Global War on Terror In 2003, HMM-162 initially deployed on amphibious shipping to the Persian Gulf to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The squadron operated afloat, flying long range combat missions with other Marine Aircraft Group 29 squadrons. When ramp space became available at Jalibah Airfield the squadron moved ashore. During the two-month period that it flew in support of the I Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq, HMM-162 transported more than 500,000 pounds of cargo, 2,200 passengers and flew more than 900 flight hours. HMM-162 officially stood down December 9, 2005 to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey. On August 31, 2006, the squadron was reactivated as the second operational Osprey squadron in the Marine Corps. In early April 2008, VMM-162 quietly deployed to Iraq to take over from VMM-263, the first operational V-22 combat unit. While in Iraq, VMM-162 transported several high-profile people around the country including then presidential candidate Barack Obama. 2010 Haiti earthquake After the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake on 12 January, VMM-162, serving as the aviation combat element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) was diverted from its scheduled Middle East deployment to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Haiti, as part of Operation Unified Response. The squadron's Ospreys, operating from the were the first ever used for a humanitarian mission. Unit