AL ASAD, Iraq -- Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 774 recently assumed duties from HMM-764, marking the beginning of their second combat deployment in as many years.
The Wild Geese, a reserve squadron headquartered in Naval Station Norfolk, Va., is the sister squadron of HMM-764. The two were activated to fill a medium lift billet in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for two years, and HMM-774 is serving the requirement’s final seven-month rotation.
With a Chief of Naval Operations’s Safety Award under their belt, the squadron’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. John G McGonagle, said the key to accomplishing the mission this time around is keeping his Marines focused.
“My biggest concern the first time was getting our reserve maintenance personnel up to speed,” said the Simsbury, Conn., native. “This time, the challenge is maintaining morale through the seven months.”
During the last deployment, HMM-774 flew more than 4,000 combat hours. McGonagle said he expects that operational tempo to repeat. To fly 4,000 hours successfully, the experiences of the past two years will come in handy.
“It’s like we’ve been gone for two weeks,” said Sgt. Maj. Steven M. Golder, the squadron sergeant major. “We brought about 85 percent of the people we had last time, and that’s a plus.”
In addition to experience with the mission, HMM-774 had an unusual amount of experience in rotating into the area of operations. Their current deployment is the third time in two years the Wild Geese had rotated with HMM-764, and the transition was noticeably easier.
“I think this has been a better deployment that the last one,” said Cpl. Etienne G. Barsanti, a flightline mechanic and Orinda, Calif., native. “People are more experienced and the rotation has been a lot smoother.”
The smooth rotation has allowed HMM-774 to hit the ground running. With so many Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans in the unit, those new to the squadron have a firm foundation to build on when adjusting to the mission and the long hours it sometimes requires.
“There’s a little bit of a culture shock,” said Golder, a Baltimore native.
“We retained a lot of the experience from the past deployment,” said Gunnery Sgt. Brain S. Mahanes, the squadron’s maintenance control chief. “We had a few new Marines, but they fell right in because of everyone around them.”
McGonagle couldn’t be prouder with his squadron’s performance. Because he has many reservists, some members of his squadron have spent all of the past two years far from their home either deployed or preparing for deployment. It’s been hard work, but HMM-774 is ready to get the job done, and McGonagle said it will all be worth it in the end.
“It’s an endurance race, not a sprint. We want to fly as much as possible to support the II Marine Expeditionary Force,” he said. “Getting these two years behind us will pay dividends for our squadron for years to come.”