VAW-122
| Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122 | |
|---|---|
 VAW-122 Insignia |
|
| Active | 1 April 1967 - 31 March 1996 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Airborne Early Warning |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing 6 |
| Nickname | "Steeljaws" |
| Engagements | USS Liberty, Vietnam, Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Provide Comfort |
VAW-122 (aka 'STEELJAWS', colloquially the Fightin'-Bitin' Steejaws) was a U.S. Atlantic Coast VAW squadron (Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron) that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996. When ashore, VAW-122 was stationed aboard NAS Norfolk, VA. During its 30 years of existence, the high-tempo Steeljaws were deployed around the world and saw action from Vietnam to Desert Storm, conducting operations from the Arctic to the tropics. The Steeljaws conducted Airborne Early Warning, Air Defense, Air Intercept Control, ISR, NCTR activity, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C4I), Strike Control, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Interdiction, Forward Air Control (FAC) handoff, Air Traffic Control, Netcentric Warfare, Data Link, and other missions.
Contents |
[edit] History
Originally equipped with the E-2A Hawkeye, VAW-122 was first on the scene, establishing communications and directing fighter coverage for the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean in June 1967 after the intelligence-gathering ship was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats. During a 1968 deployment on board the USS America off Vietnam, VAW-122 crews assisted a VF-33 F-4 Phantom crew in downing a North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter as well as controlling interdiction strikes against North Vietnam.
After a 1970 deployment to the Mediterranean during the Jordanian crisis with CVW-7 on board the USS Independence, VAW-122 upgraded to the somewhat more capable E-2B. The squadron's next two deployments to the Mediterranean returned its crews to international crises—the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1974 Cyprus Crisis.
In April 1975, VAW-122 upgraded to the definitive E-2C Hawkeye. In 1978, the squadron rejoined after a Pacific deployment embarked in USS Kitty Hawk CVW-6 and over the next 13 years deployed to the Arabian Sea, Mediterranean, and North Atlantic on board the Independence and the USS Forrestal. During the 1983 deployment, VAW-122 supported combat operations in Grenada and Lebanon, and, on its last combat carrier deployment in 1991, supported Operation Provide Comfort over Iraq during and subsequent to Operation Desert Storm. Throughout its operational lifetime, VAW-122 participated in numerous cold-war, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, African, Indian Ocean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern operations, supported several several NASA Space Shuttle launches, and devised a variety of original operational tactics and procedures (such as performing ABCCC missions in lieu of other airborne assets' doing so).
VAW-122 made its first major drug-interdiction deployment as a squadron to the Caribbean/Central America in 1990 (previously it had been smaller detachments of shorter duration beginning in 1983 with Operation Thunderbolt), and in 1992 became permanently assigned to this role. By 1996, the unit had completed eight deployments in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific areas, conducting some missions deep over South or Central America, and far into the Pacific Ocean -- and was credited with the seizure of more than 16 metric tons of illegal drugs.
VAW-122 was disestablished at NAS Norfolk on 31 March 1996. Its drug-interdiction mission and aircraft were assumed by a new reserve squadron at that time, VAW-77, stationed at NAS Atlanta, GA.
[edit] Deployments
| Group | Dates | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS America (CVA-66/CVAW-6) | 1 April 1967 | 20 September 1967 | MED * |
| USS America (CVA-66/CVAW-6) | 10 April 1968 | 16 December 1968 | Vietnam |
| USS Independence (CVA-62/CVAW-7) | 8 July 1970 | 1 February 1971 | MED |
| USS Independence (CVA-62/CVAW-7) | 16 September 1971 | 15 March 1972 | MED |
| USS Independence (CVA-62/CVAW-7) | 21 June 1973 | 19 January 1974 | MED |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-7) | 19 July 1974 | 31 January 1975 | MED |
| USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63/CVW-11) | 25 October 1977 | May 1978 | WESTPAC |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-6) | 24 June 1979 | 14 December 1979 | MED |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-6) | 19 November 1980 | 10 June 1981 | IO |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-6) | 7 June 1982 | 21 December 1982 | MED |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-6) | 18 October 1983 | 11 April 1984 | MED/N. ATLANTIC** |
| USS Independence (CV-62/CVW-6) | 16 October 1984 | 19 February 1985 | IO |
| USS Forrestal (CV-59/CVW-6) | 2 June 1986 | 10 November 1986 | MED |
| USS Forrestal (CV-59/CVW-6) | April 1988 | September 1988 | MED |
| USS Forrestal (CV-59/CVW-6) | 4 November 1989 | 13 April 1990 | MED |
| CTG 4.1 OPS | 27 August 1990 | 25 October 1990 | Panama |
| USS Forrestal (CV-59/CVW-6) | 31 May 1991 | 21 December 1991 | MED*** |
| CJTF-4 OPS | 11 November 1992 | 28 December 1992 | Panama |
| CJTF-4 OPS | 7 April 1993 | 14 May 1993 | Panama |
| CJTF-4 OPS | 19 August 1993 | 11 October 1993 | GTMO |
| CJTF-4 OPS | 3 March 1994 | 3 August 1994 | GTMO/PR |
| DIRJIATFE OPS | 14 November 1994 | 23 December 1994 | NSRR, PR |
| DIRJIATFE OPS | 9 May 1995 | 1 July 1995 | NSRR, PR |
| SOUTHCOM OPS | 10 October 1995 | 30 November 1995 | CURACAO |
| DIRJIATFE OPS | 1 December 1995 | 20 December 1995 | NSRR, PR |
Notes:
- Commissioned while deployed
- Includes Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada)
- Includes Operation Provide Comfort (Iraq)
[edit] Former CO's
| Name | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| CDR T. E. Newark, USN | April 1967 | August 1968 |
| CDR B. K. Hannula, USN | August 1968 | July 1969 |
| CDR J. E. Hoch, JR, USN | July 1969 | August 1970 |
| CDR D. W. Rice, USN | August 1970 | April 1971 |
| CDR W. Hogan, USN | April 1971 | April 1972 |
| CDR J. Ward, USN | April 1972 | March 1973 |
| CDR G. L. MacQuirre, USN | March 1973 | February 1974 |
| CDR C. Norrington, USN | February 1974 | January 1975 |
| CDR M. F. Hayes, USN | January 1975 | January 1976 |
| CDR K. C. Petroske, USN | January 1976 | April 1977 |
| CDR L. F. Permenter, USN | April 1977 | July 1978 |
| CDR R. J. Malla, USN | July 1978 | July 1979 |
| CDR B. G. Roberson, USN | July 1979 | October 1980 |
| CDR R. B. Teague, USN | October 1980 | January 1982 |
| CDR B. C. Gohman, USN | January 1982 | June 1983 |
| CDR C. M. Kraft, USN | June 1983 | September 1984 |
| CDR J. W. Heineman, USN | September 1984 | March 1986 |
| CDR J. R. Porter, USN | March 1986 | July 1987 |
| CDR T. "DU" Lang, USN | July 1987 | January 1989 |
| CDR J. Grosel, USN | January 1989 | June 1990 |
| CDR V. C. Huber, USN | June 1990 | September 1991 |
| CDR T. L. Tippin, USN | September 1991 | November 1992 |
| CDR G. J. Pitman, USN | November 1992 | October 1994 |
| CDR C. W. Dossel, USN | October 1994 | March 1996 |
[edit] References
- Bibliography
- Dossel, Will. "The History of VAW-122," The Hook Summer 1996
- Burgess, Rick "Lest We Forget: VAW-122" Naval Institute Proceedings September 2003
[edit] See also
- History of the United States Navy
- List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
