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HSM-37 Easy Riders Plaque

$189.00

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Description

HSM-37 Easy Riders Plaque

A beautifully carved 14 inch solid wood plaque of the HSM-37 Easy Riders!  Collect all your squadrons with truly artistic craftsmanship of the Navy’s finest symbols.

The use of naval aviation insignia is a modern form of heraldry that dates back to the early period of naval aviation in the 1920’s and captures many proud moments of its history. The practice fosters a sense of pride, unit cohesion and contributes to high morale, esprit de corps and professionalism within the community. It also serves as an effective means of preserving a command’s tradition, continuity of purpose and recognition, as traced through its lineage. The following rules are provided to ensure that all command insignia and slogans are in keeping with the highest traditions of the proud naval aviation heritage.

Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron THIRTY-SEVEN (HSM-37) was established on 3 July 1975 aboard Naval Air Station, Barbers Point, Hawaii, and remains the Navy’s oldest operational Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) squadron. As a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), HSM-37 relocated to the beautiful windward side of Oahu at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in February 1999. The Squadron consists of 45 officers and 215 enlisted personnel who maintain and operate ten Sikorsky SH-60B “Seahawk” helicopters. On 6 February 1992, HSM-37 became the only U.S. Navy Helicopter squadron to transition from the SH-2F Seasprite (LAMPS MK I) to the SH-60B Seahawk (LAMPS MK III). HSM-37 operated as a composite LAMPS MK I/III squadron until 1 October 1993, at which time it completed the transition to the SH-60B. As of 2014, the Easyriders have welcomed the MH-60R, which is the Navy’s next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter; MH-60R will be the cornerstone if the Navy’s Helicopter Concept of Operations. The mission of the Easyriders is to provide highly trained, combat-ready LAMPS MK III detachments to Pacific Fleet ships.

Since establishment, the Easyriders have deployed well over 100 LAMPS detachments around the globe. As the only LAMPS squadron in the Middle Pacific (MIDPAC) region, HSM-37 provides a variety of helicopter services to MIDPAC based ships in addition to deploying detachments. These detachments support all Pearl Harbor based Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Homeguard support includes, but is not limited to, such operations as Combat System Sea Qualification Trials (CSSQT), USW weapons qualifications, and the training of shipboard Landing Signal Enlisted (LSE) personnel. This close coordination with Pearl Harbor based ships helps HSM-37’s flight crews and maintenance technicians achieve and maintain the highest levels of combat readiness.

The LAMPS MK III primary missions are Surface Warfare (SUW) and Under Sea Warfare (USW) prosecution through utilization of AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles and MK-46/50 torpedoes. Secondary missions include search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), naval surface fire support (NSFS), and communications relay (COMREL).

Leading tactical development in the LAMPS MK III community, a 1998 Easyrider crew was the first to fire the Hellfire missile against a high-speed maneuvering target boat. In 2000, Easyrider crews again proved their combat prowess by conducting a coordinated airborne attack against a target during a RIMPAC exercise. In 2005, HSM-37 was selected to embark the first West-coast LAMPS detachment for deployment onboard the experimental High Speed Vessel SWIFT (HSV-1) and again in 2007 aboard HSV 2 SWIFT as a “proof of concept” for SH-60B/R embarkation in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Easyrider detachments remain in high demand due to their adaptability and flexibility towards the modern peacetime and combat environments.

The squadron’s commitment to excellence is readily evident in its unit awards: two Meritorious Unit Commendations, eight Battle Efficiency (“E”) awards, three CNO Aviation Safety awards, twelve Arnold J. Isbell trophies for Anti-Surface and Anti-Submarine Warfare Excellence and seven HSMWINGPAC Top Torpedo awards. HSM-37 is the current holder for the Squadron Blue “M” award and the COMPACFLT Retention Excellence award which rewards the squadron’s more than 70% retention rate. The squadron celebrated 93,000 Class-A mishap-free flight hours in 2011.

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