| Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 | |
|---|---|
 MWSS-473's insignia | |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Aviation ground support battalion |
| Part of |
Marine Wing Support Group 47 4th Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Miramar |
| Nickname(s) | The Cowgill Squadron |
| Motto(s) | Support From the Ground |
| Engagements | Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Dawn D Brown |
Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 (MWSS-473) is a reserve aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with Detachment A at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California and Detachment B at Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas. The squadron is part of Marine Wing Support Group 47 and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Mission[]
Provide all essential Aviation Ground Support requirements to a designated fixed-wing and rotor-wing components of an Aviation Combat Element (ACE) and all supporting or attached elements of the Marine Air Control Group.
History[]
MWSS-473 completed an eight-month deployment in Afghanistan in 2004–2005. The unit was composed of selected personnel from all three detachments that make up the squadron. During their deployment unit they fueled and loaded helicopters at various bases on the eastern end of Afghanistan. The unit also participated in humanitarian aide missions around Afghanistan. Notably, the squadrons fuel section was in charge of securing, filtering, and refueling helicopters and vehicles, heavy equipment was tasked with loading helicopters with ammunition and supplies. The unit experienced various rocket and mortar fire and did not sustain any casualties during the deployment.
The squadron was re-activated in May 2007 and spent June at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and the rest of the summer at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California completing pre-deployment training.
They deployed in September 2007 to Al Asad Airbase in the western Iraq. They sent detachemnts at Al Qa'im, Rawah and Mudyasis. They returned in April 2008 after a seven-month deployment.
See also[]
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
- Organization of the United States Marine Corps
- List of United States Marine Corps aviation support units
Notes[]
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References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- Bibliography
- Web
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The original article can be found at Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 and the edit history here.