Squadron Decommissioning

[FlyinSpy]

It would be cool if 128 came back as the Growler RAG......

Threadjack: When I was at ONW for the first time back in 2000, we relieved -128. As they were packing up, they got a giant copper Fighting Phoenix (plate? bowl?) from out in the Alley. The thing was huge, probably 3 feet across, and looked great. Did that get donated somewhere, or is it stuffed in someone's attic right now?

 

[FMRAM]

I'm pretty sure things got all switched around there and 129 is now over where 133/131 used to be. There isn't going to be a new RAG for the Shocker - 129 will do both platforms until the Prowlers go away.

Brett

I was just wishing there...it is Christmas time ya know. Your right about the layout and 129 teaching both platforms, although they will be a rather segregated. The way it was explained to me was that there would be 2 maintenance controls, 2 airframes shops, and seperate hangar space. I believe that the maintainers would be expected to earn quals for both jets. This info is alomst a year old though...

 

[Flash]

Threadjack: When I was at ONW for the first time back in 2000, we relieved -128. As they were packing up, they got a giant copper Fighting Phoenix (plate? bowl?) from out in the Alley. The thing was huge, probably 3 feet across, and looked great. Did that get donated somewhere, or is it stuffed in someone's attic right now?

We sold off a lot of the squadron items like that: the squadron picture board with the pictures, the giant wooden mug holder and the copper plate to members or former members of the squadron. We needed the money because the AIO put our wardroom fund $2k in the red. They usually were bought by someone who had an attachement to it, and we sent a few items down to the museum in Pensacola (I think the copper plate went there now that I think about it). It was pretty sad to see everything gradually disappear like that , I was the last JO out the door.

 

[Brett327]

We sold off a lot of the squadron items like that: the squadron picture board with the pictures, the giant wooden mug holder and the copper plate to members or former members of the squadron. We needed the money because the AIO put our wardroom fund $2k in the red. They usually were bought by someone who had an attachement to it, and we sent a few items down to the museum in Pensacola (I think the copper plate went there now that I think about it). It was pretty sad to see everything gradually disappear like that , I was the last JO out the door.

You did an Iwakuni deployment and your coffee mess was in the red? How is this possible? We made > $10K doing the airshow circuit.

Brett

 

[Flash]

You did an Iwakuni deployment and your coffee mess was in the red? How is this possible? We made > $10K doing the airshow circuit.

Brett

1. Very few airshows when we were there.....

2. The CO did not want anyone to go to the few airshows that happened when we were there. He liked all the planes where he could see them, lined up in a row nice and pretty on deck in Iwakuni....... This is the same CO that never had the sack to tell the MMCPO that he needed to come in on the weekend when maintenance was working, and the JO's were there, and so was Admin, and the XO, and the CMC, and the CO. As a matter of fact, the MMCPO and one or two of his CPO cronies were the only ones who would not show up.........you could see the XO sit in his office and stew........

3. Our AIO was the worst Mess Officer I have ever seen, or even heard of. One of the LDO's had to audit the books and we were close to getting in trouble if we had not had a fire sale. His conduct bordered on criminal, I was suprised he walked out of there without a red flag on his back or a letter in his jacket. We went from $4000 in the black that spring to $2000 in the red 7 months later. The LDO was able to account for it, but it was not pretty. I also spent 4 months cleaning up the mess that was our EW room, including tracking down the 40 or so items he could not account for that were on the books........:icon_rage......and all I got was a NAM and a thank you........

Am I bitter at him at all? Naaahhhhhhh..........

 

[Brett327]

Am I bitter at him at all? Naaahhhhhhh..........

Wow, we had jets on the road to Osan, Oki, Guam or Misawa about every weekend. Buy low, sell really, really high. No wonder you guys got decom'd.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Wow, we had jets on the road to Osan, Oki, Guam or Misawa about every weekend. Buy low, sell really, really high. No wonder you guys got decom'd.

Brett

I think you were running from your 'women problems'........

BTW, I am ready to strangle our mutual friend. No reason in particular, just being is a reason enough sometimes.......

 

[invertedflyer]

EDIT: The bastards stole it and will burn for all eternity in the fiery depths of hell for their crimes against humanity!

It'll be a party... something tells me we won't have trouble finding a ride to said fiery depths of hell.

 

[SteveG75]

My old squadron VAQ-128 had the same colors and logo of the "Flying Phoenix" which was the same as the the old Intruder RAG VA-128.

WRONG!

VA-128 was NEVER the "Flying Phoenix". VA-128 was the "Golden Intruders". I guess that name would not fly with the Prowler crowd though.

 

[FMRAM]

WRONG!

VA-128 was NEVER the "Flying Phoenix". VA-128 was the "Golden Intruders". I guess that name would not fly with the Prowler crowd though.

Your right...I can't believe I screwed up "Fighting Phoenix". :dunce_125

 

[Brett327]

I think you were running from your 'women problems'........

BTW, I am ready to strangle our mutual friend. No reason in particular, just being is a reason enough sometimes.......

The best part about a brooding bi-polar female is that they rarely volunteer to go on the road - so much the better. Besides, when we went to Guam, I was running towards women problems. What other job in the world allows you to fly over 1000 miles (via Iwo Jima, no less) just to hit the strip clubs on the weekend?

Brett

 

[nittany03]

And if we could get our spaces back...I believe 142 has been squatting there for almost a year now. I would love to go back to hangar 5 for the Shocker RAG!

If this isn't an OPSEC issue, 129 will soon be moving across the way to make room for Shocker squadrons in our current spaces in Hangar 5. As a CAT I I'm sure I will be toting my share of heavy objects between hangars when it occurs. And people around here still occasionally make noises about VAQ-129 becoming VAQ-128. I don't think it's seriously being considered though.

I thought it was interesting that of all the old squadrons they could pick, they chose one that is a direct face shot to the Japanese.

Well we did fight this war with them once upon a time . . .

 

[SemperApollo]

For your own edification, and the sake of clairity, the proper terminology (at least how it's talked about in the fleet) for such a thing is to decommission or "decom" a squadron. A stand-down is something completely different.

Brett

Thanks for the clarification Brett. When VA-128 became VAQ-128 did they have to re-establish the squadron or was it just repainting all of the squadron patches, hangars, jets etc?

 

[Brett327]

Thanks for the clarification Brett. When VA-128 became VAQ-128 did they have to re-establish the squadron or was it just repainting all of the squadron patches, hangars, jets etc?

I wasn't around for that, but it was a completely different platform (A-6 vs. EA-6B), so I imagine they had to start from scratch.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Thanks for the clarification Brett. When VA-128 became VAQ-128 did they have to re-establish the squadron or was it just repainting all of the squadron patches, hangars, jets etc?

VA-128 was disestablished in 1995. When they stood up the 4th expeditionary squadron there was a push to make it VAQ-128 and that is what happened. It was a completely different sqauadron and they just took the insignia from VA-128 when it was established in 1997.

I believe it is the first CO's perogative to decide the squadron insignia and patch design when a squadron stands up. The story that I heard from a 139 guy was that the first CO loved his car, a Cougar, and had graduated from UNC, hence the light blue. Viola!

One of the worst squadron names and patches, the 'Cobras'.........yech......