In June 1996, with 66 hours of notification, the Black Knights deployed with SPMAGTF Liberia to conduct embassy reinforcement, security, and resupply operations in the West African city of Monrovia, capital of Liberia. HMM-264 deployed four (4) CH-46E and two (2) UH-1N aircraft aboard the USS Ponce (LPD-15) and set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Over a two-month period the Black Knights operated out of Freetown, Sierra Leone, supporting both fellow Marines and the U.S. Embassy despite austere conditions and the logistical challenges of long-distance operations. The squadron received the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Joint Meritorious Commendation Medal for its service.