MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., is home to many of 3rd Marine Air Wing’s flying squadrons and now welcomes one of the Marine Corps’ newest medium tiltrotor squadrons to the flight line.

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 ‘Red Lions’ has begun to stand aboard the air station – by building its numbers for further support of the Marine Corps’ aircraft element.

“Our specific mission under Marine Aircraft Group 16 is to build up qualifications and designations to support [Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262,] the second Okinawa squadron,” said Lt. Col. Tim Miller, the Red Lion commanding officer and a Redding, Conn., native. “We will send a designated number of Marines and aircraft to Okinawa, and once we’re finished with that, we will rebuild ourselves to our final operating capability.”

Since its activation aboard Miramar, on July 6, the squadron received only one aircraft, their first MV-22 Osprey, and is set to receive two more in October.

After Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363, based in Hawaii, retired, it was re-designated asVMM-363. The squadron then moved to Miramar to transition from the CH-53D to the MV-22B because the air station is used for Osprey operations, whereas Okinawa is not, explained Miller.

While here in San Diego aboard MCAS Miramar, the squadron is still in the early stages of its life.

“Right now we’re at the crawl stage,” said Staff Sgt. Merrell, the flight line division chief with VMM-363 and a Sisters, Ore., native. “We are still getting logistically set up. All of our administrative affairs still require work. We just got our first aircraft and we have two more coming in October. Once we get those aircraft and more personnel we’ll start to walk and then run.”

The Marines with the Red Lions do not have the structure of a former unit to fall upon when times get hard as many other units do. They started everything from scratch.

“Right now we’re working on our foundation,” said Merrell. “Once we have that set, we can focus even more on becoming proficient with the [MV-22B].”

For many Marines who have been on the air station for a lengthy amount of time, some still stop and stare with a lack of recognition at the bright Red Lion patches on the chests of Marines with the newest squadron.

“It’s fun being in a new squadron,” laughed Merrell. “Miramar has had some of the same helicopter and fixed wing squadrons for decades, and when they stop to look at our patch, they ask who we are and where we’re from.”

Being the first VMM-363 has benefits, explained Merrell. The Marines with the new Red Lions don’t have a long history hanging over them – they get to start fresh.

Marines with the Red Lions squadron are working with other Osprey squadron’s to learn as much as possible about the aircraft they are now operating full time and familiarize themselves with the flight line.

As each day goes by, the Red Lions learn their new role and establishes its history starting aboard MCAS Miramar.

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