Impressive achievements
Known as the “Red Dogs,” HMLA-773 was the first Marine Reserve Helicopter Squadron to be deployed for the Gulf War’s Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm from December 1990 until March 1991. The unit was again mobilized during October 2003 in support of The Global War on Terror and Operation Enduring Freedom, where it operated out of Bagram Air Base in northeast Afghanistan. Elements of HMLA- 773 operated continuously from this base until their return to the United States in April 2005. From June until October 2005, elements of the unit were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and operated out of Al Asad Air Base, while at the same time, stateside elements participated in humanitarian relief efforts in Louisiana in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita during August and September that year. HMLA-773 was mobilized again in September 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and stayed in Iraq until March 2008. After demobilization in May 2008, the unit was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 49 / 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Reserve, but not on the sideline
Today, together with HMLA-775 at Camp Pendleton in California, HMLA-773 is one of only two Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons tasked with close air support, aerial reconnaissance, tactical troop transport, and special operations, among other missions. The unit consists of active-duty Marines, active Reserves (serving full time) and Selected Marine Corps Reservists (SMCR) who serve at least one drill weekend a month. The mission of HMLA-773 is to train, augment and reinforce the active-duty helicopter units wherever necessary in times of war, national emergencies or contingency operations. Although it’s a Reserve unit, HMLA-773 participates in the rotational schedule of the Marine units including Unit Deployment Programs (UDP), Combat Deployments and a support role for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations (SPMAGTF). “The Red Dogs of HMLA-773 possess an abnormal high percentage of Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) graduates compared to active duty units – giving us a distinct, tactical advantage in terms of highly skilled aviators,” explains Lt. Col. William C.
66 Jan/Feb 2025
Woodward, commanding officer of HMLA-773. “Additionally, we accomplish a comparative number of flight hours and exercise support missions despite two-thirds of the unit being part-time. We’re able to achieve more with less due to the quality of our Marines’ relentless pursuit of improvement, and by maintaining a superior state of readiness through frequent and realistic training both on the ground and in the air.”
Woodward started his flying career in the USMC on the TH-57 Sea Ranger and was selected in 2006 to fly the AH-1W Super Cobra with HMLA-267. In the year 2007, he deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to Al Qa’im, Al Asad and Camp Korean Village in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later in 2009 with the 31st MEU to Southeast Asia. After this deployment, he was selected to help stand up HMLA-469, at that time the youngest USMC Helicopter Light Attack Squadron. Woodward departed active duty in July 2014, joined HMLA-773, and eventually became a night systems instructor (NSI). He took over command of the unit in May 2022. He accrued more than 2,100 flying hours in his flying career, with 240 of those hours during combat missions.
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