HMLA-773

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773
HMLA-773 Insignia
Active	September 1958 - August 31, 1962 April 15, 1968 - September 1969 September 1, 1971 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Light/Attack squadron
Role	Close Air Support Assault Support Air interdiction Aerial Reconnaissance
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 49 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Nickname(s)	"Red Dogs"
Motto(s)	"Fit Via Vi" "Strength is the Way"
Tail Code	MP / MN (MM/WG Det. A)
Engagements	Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Julian J. Rivera

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters and UH-1Y Huey utility helicopters. The squadron is based at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, NJ and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 49 (MAG-49) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (4th MAW). Due to re-organization within Marine aviation, the squadron relocated to Joint Base MDL on July 1, 2016.

The squadron was originally established in September 1958 as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 773 (HMR-773) at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan and assigned to the Marine Air Reserve Training Command. They operated the Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever which were shared with the Naval Reserve. On April 1, 1962, the squadron was redesignated Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMM-773). Four months later August 31 the squadron was deactivated.

On April 15, 1968, HMM-773 was reactivated at Naval Air Station Los Alamitos and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 46 of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron's personnel and aircraft, HUS-1 Sea Horses, came from sister squadron HMM-764. HMM-773's existence was short-lived; the squadron deactivated in September 1969.

On September 1, 1971, Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMA-773) was stood up at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The squadron was assigned AH-1G Cobras, many of which had seen action with Marine squadrons in Vietnam. HMA-773 relocated to NAS Atlanta, Georgia during June 1976, absorbing the personnel of HML-765 which had just been deactivated. In late 1978, HMA-773 transitioned to the twin engine AH-1J Sea Cobra which they operated for the next fourteen years.