Mission VAQ-142

1 mission

1.1 first vaq-142
1.2 second vaq-142
1.3 afghanistan , iraq
1.4 return air wing

mission

provide worldwide tactical airborne electronic attack against targets @ sea or ashore in support of u.s. , coalition combat forces.

first vaq-142

electronic attack squadron 142 (vaq-142) established 1 june 1988, in response navy’s requirement thirteenth operational ea-6b prowler squadron. vaq-142 grim watchdogs made first , deployment carrier air wing 6 (cvw 6) embarked on uss forrestal mediterranean sea in 1989-90. in fewer 3 years squadron, vaq-142 aviators flew aboard uss carl vinson, uss abraham lincoln, uss forrestal, uss independence, uss saratoga, , uss midway, logging more 3,600 flight hours , 860 traps. result of defense spending reductions, vaq-142 disestablished in march 1991 , remaining personnel transferred pre-establishment detachment vaq-35. on 1 june 1991 vaq-35 established electronic warfare support mission, under cognizance of fleet electronic warfare support group (fewsg). in brief history, vaq-35 made on forty-two detachments more sixteen locations. in october 1993, due further spending cuts, vaq-35 disestablished, , mission absorbed reserve squadrons based in east , west coasts.

second vaq-142

vaq-142 ea-6b prepared launch @ al asad airbase in 2009



vaq-142 ea-6b taxiing on uss nimitz in 2013

in 1994, department of defense sought replace air force’s aging ef-111a raven fleet , provide joint service solution addition of 5 new expeditionary ea-6b squadrons. on 3 april 1997, second , current squadron designated vaq-142 established fourth of these new squadrons, , officially designated gray wolves . on next 4 years, vaq-142 forward deployed operationally around world, participating in numerous multi-national exercises. squadron saw first combat deployment in 1998, when deployed 3 times prince sultan air base, saudi arabia in support of operations southern watch , desert fox, , received both 1998 battle e , safety s awards 1999 association of old crows outstanding unit award. 1999-2002, squadron deployed prince sultan 2 more times in support of operation southern watch , 3 times incirlik air base, turkey in support of operation northern watch, winning safety “s” again in both 2001 , 2002.

afghanistan , iraq

in december 2003, within week of receiving short-notice deployment orders, squadron departed en route bagram air base, afghanistan in support of operation enduring freedom. sent relieve small vaq-137 detachment , made them first full navy squadron deploy afghanistan. following october 2004 deployment mcas iwakuni, japan, vaq-142 returned bagram in july 2006 through january 2007, flying missions 187 days in support of operation enduring freedom. squadron awarded 2006 battle “e” , safety “s” awards.

in october 2007, vaq-142 deployed al asad airbase, iraq, 6 months forward deployed expeditionary squadron in support of operation iraqi freedom. following deployment, squadron received 2007 safety “s” , awarded 2008 association of old crows outstanding unit award. in 2008 squadron returned al asad in january 2009, again in support of iraq war. in may 2010, vaq-142 returned final time al asad, flying missions in support of operations iraqi freedom , new dawn, , marking final ea-6b expeditionary deployment iraq.

return air wing

vaq-142 returned carrier aviation in may 2011 when joined carrier air wing eleven (cvw 11) attached uss nimitz. after transition improved capability (icap) iii ea-6b airframe, vaq-142 , cvw-11 began work-ups carrier qualification onboard uss nimitz in april 2012. in august 2012, squadron completed first squadron carrier detachment in on 21 years part of 2012 rim of pacific exercise (rimpac). in april 2013, vaq-142 deployed uss nimitz , cvw-11 part of carrier strike group eleven (csg 11) planned six-month deployment fifth fleet aor. once on station, squadron flew 93 combat sorties totaling 637 flight hours 100% combat sortie completion rate in support of operation enduring freedom. nimitz strike group unexpectedly redirected red sea in response syrian chemical weapons crisis. after several extensions in red sea, squadron completed nine-month deployment included operations in u.s. third, fifth, sixth, , seventh fleet aors. following deployment, vaq-142 received 2013 battle “e” , safety “s” awards, , awarded 2013 arleigh burke fleet trophy.

in july 2014 vaq-142 delivered 4 ea-6b improved capability (icap) iii prowlers 309th aerospace maintenance , regeneration group (amarg) induction long-term preservation. squadron @ homeport of nas whidbey island, washington, , completed transition ea-18g growler.