NAS JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 returned home to NAS Jacksonville Saturday afternoon following a nine-month deployment overseas.
The HSM-74 was deployed in October 2023 with Carrier Air Wing 3 and embarked on the Nimitz-carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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“It is an honor to return with the team from such a historic combat deployment, executing the mission of the United States Navy at the highest professional level. Every Sailor in our command was critical to the defense of the Carrier Strike Group and the protection of merchant shipping and rescuing 26 mariners attacked by the Houthis in the Southern Red Sea,” said Cmdr. John Kohut, HSM-74 commanding officer. “The resilience of our Sailors, who persevered in harm’s way time and time again, is truly an awe-inspiring sight.”
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During their deployment, the Swamp Foxes accomplished many feats, including the first-ever hellfire missiles employed to defend U.S. and coalition assets as well as merchant vessels.
During the Dec. 31 Houthi attack on civilian mariners in the Red Sea, HSM-74 helicopters engaged with four Houthi-employed small boats, ultimately sinking three of them after they maliciously opened fire on the aircrew, according to NAS Jacksonville.
“It was pretty awesome, a lot of things we’ve been preparing for that actually happened and we were ready for it,” Uriel Perez, one of the Swamp Foxes said. “Everybody was engaged. We did the mission right and everybody supported each other so it was a good time.”
Monica Perez talked about what it was like seeing her dad walk off the helicopter.
“It was a lot of emotions,” Monica Perez said. “Just like it didn’t feel real. I don’t know it’s like I was happy and it’s like that adrenaline that I had in my heart. I felt really happy.”
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The HSM-74 conducted over 2,500 missions and nearly 7,000 flight hours, officials said.
The rest of the squadron is set to return on Sunday, July 14 around 4 p.m.