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Growler Expeditionary Squadrons
- Thread starter Grizzly
- Start date
Carrier squadrons deploy on the boat. One squadron is located at NAF Atsugi, Japan, all the rest are in Whidbey Island (although there is 1 Reserve squadron at Andrews).
Expeditionary squadrons deploy more like P-3s, i.e. ~ 6 month deployments to overseas land bases (Iraq, Italy, Japan?, etc.).
Expeditionary squadrons include Navy officers as well as Air Force officers. I believe there are 3 expeditionary squadrons and all of them are located in Whidbey.
Expeditionary squadrons deploy more like P-3s, i.e. ~ 6 month deployments to overseas land bases (Iraq, Italy, Japan?, etc.).
Expeditionary squadrons include Navy officers as well as Air Force officers. I believe there are 3 expeditionary squadrons and all of them are located in Whidbey.
Just so's you know…I think the X-Squadrons are a normal part of rotational duty assignments. Don't think you can expect to "opt for that pipe" for a career. Could be wrong.
If it's "always shore-based" you long/hope for, I assume VP and TACAMO are looking for good folks.
You're right. You can't just be an expeditionary guy, or specifically pick an exped squadron when you graduate the FRS. They aren't treated any differently than a boat squadron when it comes to your career progression.
There are currently three exped squadrons (VAQ-132, 135, and 138) with the potential for two additional exped squadrons to be stood up sometime in the future. The deployments are about six months, but like anything these days, it certainly varies. VAQ-135 and 138 have typically deployed to CENTCOM, while 132 has spent its last few deployments in PACOM. Their workup schedule is also different than the boat squadrons. Because they're assigned to the VAQWING and not an airwing, they go to a lot of LFEs in order to maintain aircrew proficiency (Red Flags, etc...).
@Aquonox: The reserve squadron (VAQ-209) is finishing up its move out to Whidbey Island. Most of their aircrew are currently going through the Growler transition.
@Grizzly: Let me know if you have any specific questions. I'm a boat guy, but my roommate is in VAQ-135.
Pilot = Federal Shield in the center
CSO = Lightning bolts and other stuff in the center shield
Why not? They go through the RAG syllabus. We have a Spanish IP at 106 whose first trap was in a Hornet during his tour here. I also know an AF dude who did a Prowler tour and qualed at the boat in the Prowler.
Just because they are AF doesn't mean that they can't be taught how to land on a carrier.
If not, things must have changed over the years. On my '66-'67 cruises, our Airwing had 2 USAF exchange pilots assigned... one an f-4 Phantom driver (VF-143 "Piukin' Puppys" ), and one A-4 jock (VA-55). Both O-3s went through the complete training cycle including weapons dets & C/Qs. Despite how we 'squids' love to ridicule our Chair Force brethern, both services send only best/brightest on exchange, and these two were no exception. They showed themselves to be courageous and professional in combat, as well as very competent (day & night) carrier pilots. The key to their success in carops was that they accepted the unique (Navy way) re-training without question or problems.
I bumped into one of them at a Squadron reunion in Pensacola some 30 years later. Captain "Andy", the Scooter guy, was a retired MGen.
BzB
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Unless things have changed, they are not normally assigned to CVW VAQ squadrons. The USAF guys in a boat squadron are a temporary anomaly caused by transitioning the Prowler Exped squadrons (133, 134, 142) back to being assigned to a CVW.
They stopped qual'ing the USAF pilots at the boat when they still had USAF pilots in the Prowler exped squadrons because it was a waste of money. It was a waste because in the beginning when they created the exped squadrons they were supposed to be able to go to the boat in a pinch, in theory. Since they never did in practice though they stopped qual'ing the one USAF pilot per exped squadron saving on the FCLP and CQ costs. Interesting side note, qual'ing in the Marine pilots was a topic of debate that came up periodically when I was there too since they haven't done a boat deployment in 20 years or so, not sure what they plan to do now that they will be flying Prowlers on their own soon.
One of my IPs in Kingsville was the last Marine Prowler pilot to qual. My Marine Prowler buddies at the RAG say they don't CQ. Makes sense.