Hammerheads Over Norway

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 (HMH-366) transports Norwegian Home Guard troops during Exercise Trident Juncture 18 at Vaernes Air Base, Norway, Nov. 2, 2018. Trident Juncture is the largest NATO exercise held since 2002 and allowed for military forces to operate in a collective defense scenario. Marines initiated the exercise in Norway where they executed an air assault and conducted cold weather training to prepare for the live exercise in Norway. The cold weather training allowed Marines to rehearse establishing a bivouac location and familiarized them with their gear in Iceland’s high winds and driving rain.

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 366 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the “Hammerheads”, is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron’s tail code is “HH.” At their activation on September 30, 2008, the squadron had 130 Marines and 8 aircraft on-hand which grew to more than 300 Marines and 16 aircraft in 2009.

Provide assault support transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment during expeditionary, joint or combined operations. Be prepared for short-notice, worldwide employment in support of Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-366 (HMH-366) was originally activated on September 30, 1994 at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii as part of Aviation Support Element Kaneohe (ASEK). As the fourth active CH-53D Sea Stallion squadron, it was the only Hawaiian home-grown helicopter squadron in active service in the Marine Corps. The squadron’s callsign, “Hammerhead,” was inspired by the fact that Kaneohe Bay is home to the world’s largest hammerhead shark population, and the original unit patch featured a hammerhead shark leaping over an airborne CH-53D.
(U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Cody Rowe)