VAW-125
| Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1 October 1968 – Present |
| Country |
 United States of America |
| Branch |
 United States Navy |
| Type | Airborne Early Warning |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing One |
| Garrison/HQ | NS Norfolk |
| Nickname(s) | "TigerTails" |
| Engagements |
Gulf of Sidra incident (1981) Operation Thunderbolt Action in the Gulf of Sidra (1986) Desert Shield Desert Storm Operation Joint Endeavor Operation Southern Watch Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Website | http://www.vaw125.navy.mil/ |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Commander D. E. Trent |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare | E-2 Hawkeye |
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (VAW-125), known as the "Torch Bearers" or "Tigertails", was established on 1 October 1968, at Naval Air Station, Norfolk. The squadron's initial supporting command was Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) deploying aboard USS Saratoga.[1]
The squadron has a long history with the newest iterations of the E-2 Hawkeye, being the first east coast squadron with E-2B's in 1968, amongst the first to operate the E-2C (in 1975), receiving the E-2C 2000 in its first operational year (2003), and the very first unit to operate the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye in 2014.[2]
Squadron History
1970s
In December 1976, Vice Admiral Howard E. Greer, COMNAVAIRLANT, presented VAW-125 with the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle "E" for readiness, the CINCLANTFLT "Golden Anchor" Award for career retention, and the CNO Safety "S" Award. VAW-125 is believed to be the first Navy unit to win all three awards in the same year.
On 14 January 1978, the squadron suffered the loss of an aircraft (BuNo 159107) and the deaths of three aviators.[3] In June, VAW-125 took the E-2C's newest weapons system upgrade, the Advanced Radar Processing System (ARPS), to sea for the first time. The Tigertails were then assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) in November 1979, with the squadron making their eighth Mediterranean Sea deployment, this time aboard USS Forrestal.
1980s
While deployed in August 1981, VAW-125 participated in Freedom of Navigation (FON) Operations & Open Ocean Missile (OOM) Exercise in the Central Mediterranean Sea[4] and Gulf of Sitra,[5] during which two Libyan MiGs were destroyed after attacking Battle Group aircraft. Upon return from deployment, the squadron participated in two national tasking missions VAW squadrons would be assigned over the next twenty-plus years, first providing range control services for the second launch of the NASA space shuttle, STS-2, and second providing detection and monitoring services in the first E-2C Counter-Drug tasking, Operation Thunderbolt.[1][6]
While on routine deployment in October 1985, the Tigertails played an instrumental role in the successful intercept of the Egyptian airliner carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro. Tigertail aircrew spoke directly to the hijackers, convincing them that the communications were coming from the two VF-103/VF-74 F-14s on their wing and persuading the airliner to divert into NAS Sigonella, Sicily.[7]
From January to March 1986, the squadron participated in "Freedom of Navigation" operations off the coast of Libya which escalated with the Action in the Gulf of Sidra in March.[1] In August 1988, the Tigertails deployed aboard USS Independence for an "Around the Horn" cruise to San Diego, California.
1990s
In August 1990, CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga rapidly responded to the invasion of Kuwait by deploying to the Red Sea . VAW-125 and VAW-126 Hawkeyes flew around-the-clock as the force build-up of Operation Desert Shield continued. VAW-125 flew over 890 combat hours controlling strikes on Iraqi targets while providing airborne early warning (AEW) coverage for the Red Sea Battle Group. On a 17 January 1991 strike, Tigertail aircrew detected two Iraqi MiG-21s threatening the strike group. Tigertail controllers vectored two VFA-81 F/A-18s toward the MiGs which recorded the only Navy fixed-wing air-to-air kills of Desert Storm.[8]
In January 1994, the Tigertails deployed aboard USS Saratoga for her final cruise. During the deployment, the Tigertails joined NATO forces flying in support of Operations Deny Flight and Provide Promise. The Tigertails conducted operational tests of the Navy's newest Mini-DAMA Satellite Communication Suite. Using this new system, the Tigertails, for the first time, functioned as an Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC), a mission that continues to grow in emphasis to present day. With the decommissioning of USS Saratoga, VAW-125 and CVW-17 were paired with USS Enterprise. After completing a two-month Counter-Drug assignment at NS Roosevelt Roads, the Tigertails deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Enterprise in June 1996. In July, the Tigertails again joined NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia, this time in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. In September, USS Enterprise moved to respond to mounting tensions in Southwest Asia. Supporting Operation Southern Watch over the next three months, VAW-125 played a vital role in the enforcement of the southern Iraq no-fly zone. Additionally, Tigertail pilots earned the CVW-17 "Top Hook" Award for carrier landing performance. The squadron was duly recognized for its achievements in 1996, being awarded the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle Efficiency Award, the CNO Safety Award, and the VAW community's AEW Excellence Award.[1]
2000s
Within hours of the unprecedented terrorist attacks and national crisis of 11 September 2001, squadron personnel were embarked at sea, leaving NS Norfolk with minimal logistics support and literally nothing more than the shirts on their backs. Transported to USS George Washington, VAW-125 maintenance personnel immediately began dedicated aircraft launch and recovery operations while others prepared ship spaces, established supply requirements, and readied lines of communication to support Operation Noble Eagle. Squadron aircraft flew numerous Command and Control missions in the New York City vicinity in the days following the attacks as commercial air traffic slowly resumed. During this cruise the Tigertails surpassed an incredible 32-year Class "A" mishap-free milestone with over 64,000 flight hours.[1]
In April 2003, the Tigertails became the first East Coast squadron to transition to the E-2C Hawkeye 2000, which boasts improved electrical and vapor cycle systems, mission computer and display stations, and Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). The squadron participated in the Operational Evaluation of the AN/USG-3 airborne node of the Navy’s net-centric CEC sensor fusion system.
While deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Central Persian Gulf, North Arabian Sea, and Western Indian Ocean VAW-125 played vital roles in the ongoing Global War on Terror, Operation Enduring Freedom, and operations off the coast of Somalia.
2010s
In January 2010, The Tigertails were deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation United Response providing humanitarian assistance to the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti. The squadron flew missions each day to provide communications relay, command and control, and general airborne radar services allowing forces afloat and ashore to distribute thousands of tons of rations, water, and medical supplies. In the most extreme of cases crews provided necessary information to medevac helicopters in order to reduce flight time between life saving facilities allowing for many lives to be spared. They then joined the USS Carl Vinson on its trip around South America as it returned from Norfolk to its home port in San Diego.[9]
In 2014, VAW-125 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1 and the USS Theodore Roosevelt flying the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.[2] On March 11, 2014, a crew received a distress call while participating in a local training exercise. The call for assistance was relayed to the U.S. Coast Guard North Carolina sector, who asked the Hawkeye crew to serve as the "eyes in the sky" in locating the survivors. The crew pinpointed the location of the boat and passed the information to a merchant vessel that brought the distressed boaters aboard. From there, a U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter carried the mariners to safety.[10]
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In March 2015, the squadron departed with the USS Theodore Roosevelt to the Middle East as part the first deployment of Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) Carrier Strike Group.[11]
Deployments and awards
Shipborne deployments and assignments[12]
| Aircraft Carrier | Air Wing | Deployment dates |
|---|---|---|
| USS Saratoga | CVW-3 | 3 deployments between March 1969 & January 1970 |
| USS John F. Kennedy | CVW-1 | 9 deployments between September 1970 & August 1977 |
| USS Dwight D. Eisenhower | November 1977 – December 1977 | |
| USS John F. Kennedy | June 1978 – August 1977 | |
| USS Forrestal | CVW-17 | 3 Deployments between November 1979 & November 1982 |
| USS Saratoga | 3 Deployments between April 1984 & November 1992 | |
| USS Constellation | March 1993 – April 1993 | |
| USS Saratoga | January 1994 – June 1994 | |
| USS Enterprise | 2 Deployments between February 1996 & December 1996 | |
| USS Dwight D. Eisenhower | June 1998 – December 1998 | |
| USS George Washington | 2 Deployments between June 2000 & December 2002 | |
| USS John F. Kennedy | June 2004 – December 2004 | |
| USS Dwight D. Eisenhower | CVW-7 | October 2006 – May 2007 |
| USS Carl Vinson | CVW-17 | 3 Deployments between February 2010 & May 2012 |
| USS Theodore Roosevelt | CVW-1 | March 2015—Present |
Awards
VAW-125 has been presented with the following unit awards and campaign medals:[13]
| Ribbon | Unit Award & Campaign Streamers | Date's & Notes |
|
3 Navy Unit Commendations | 10 October 1985—11 October 1985 23 March 1986—29 March 1986 17 January 1991—28 February 1991 |
|
7 Navy Meritorious Unit commendations | 29 September 1970—31 October 1970 1 January 1976—31 December 1976 1 December 1977—1 March 1979 1 October 1981—30 June 1983 10 June 1998—10 December 1998 (to Battle Force 6th Fleet) 30 October 2006—4 May 2007 (to Eisenhower Carrier Strikegroup) 30 November 2011—23 May 2012 (to COMCARSTRKGRU1) |
 |
6 Navy "E" Ribbons | 1 July 1975—30 September 1976 1 January 1985—31 December 1985 1 January 1992 – December 1992 1 January 1996—31 December 1996 1 January 2000—31 December 2000 1 January 2002—31 December 2002 |
|
2 Navy Expeditionary Medals | 5 September 1982—10 September 1982 and 13 October 1982—5 November 1982 for Bosnia 20 January 1986—29 March 1986 for Libya |
 |
Armed Forces Service Medal | 8 September 1992—13 September 1992 19 September 1992—20 September 1992 1 February 1994—10 March 1994 20 March 1994—25 March 1994 1 April 1994—6 April 1994 17 April 1994—30 April 1994 16 July 1996—21 July 1996 9 September 1996—13 September 1996 All for Bosnia |
 |
Humanitarian Service Medal | To a Detachment from VAW 125 15 January 2010—1 February 2010 |
|
Southwest Asia Service Medal | 23 October 1990—9 December 1990 6 January 1991—11 March 1991 |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Global Security VAW-125". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- 1 2 Hoarn, Steven (2014-03-31). "Tigertails Become First U.S. Navy Squadron to Operate the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye". Defense Media Network. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
- ↑ "1978 Command History" (PDF). History.navy.mil. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
- ↑ Stanik, Joseph T. (2003). El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi. Naval Institute Press. p. 258. ISBN 1557509832.
- ↑ "VAW-124 1981 Command History" (PDF). History.navy.mil. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
- ↑ "Command History 1985" (PDF). History.navy.mil. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
- ↑ "The Aviationist » 27 years ago today, the Achille Lauro incident: when the U.S. Navy forced an Egyptair Boeing 737 off course". The Aviationist. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ "1991 Command History Report" (PDF). History.navy.mil. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ "Milcom Monitoring Post". Mt-milcon.blogspot.com. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ↑ Affairs, This story was written by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernest R. Scott, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Public. "VAW 125 Assists with Rescue". www.navy.mil. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Middle East on Monday in First NIFC-CA Deployment". news.uni.org. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ↑ "VAW-125". gonavy.jp. Retrieved 2015-10-02.
- ↑ http://awards.navy.mil Navy unit awards query accessed July 21st, 2015
External links
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