VF-114
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The VF-114 Aardvarks was a U.S. Navy fighter squadron flying the F-14 Tomcat.
[edit] History
VF-114 was established as VBF-19 (Bombing/Fighter squadron) on January 20, 1945 at NAS Alameda. Soon VBF-19 moved to NAS North Island, they first flew the F6F Hellcat and then the F4U-4 Corsair. As with many squadrons after the war VBF-19 made several designation changes. The first change was two years later, on August 24, 1948 when they became VF-192 and their final change was on February 15, 1950 when they became VF-114. At this time VF-114 was known as the Executioners.
VF-114 participated in the Korean War deployed on the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) on July 5, 1950. They flew their Corsair for several months and conducted over 1100 strikes against North Korean and Chinese forces. After their return from Korea, VF-114 moved from propeller aircraft to jets, first flying the F9F Panther. This was soon followed by the F2H Banshee and in 1957 VF-114 transitioned to the F3H Demon, their first jet to be able to carry air-to-air missiles. VF-114 made two cruises with the Banshee from USS Shangri-La (CVS-38). In 1961 VF-114 transitioned to the F-4 Phantom and became the first Pacific Fleet squadron to do so. VF-114 changed their name and insignia to an Aardvark, apparently it was the resemblance between the F-4 and the BC Comics cartoon character Zot that inspired them to do so, the change happened in 1963. At some point the squadron had a 2 feet replica of the Zot created, which was proudly displayed in the squadrons ready room, and also guarded against intruders from other squadrons. Their first cruise with the F-4 began in September 1962 as part of CVW-11 onboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). Between 1961 and 1976 VF-114 made five combat cruises during the Vietnam War and shot down five MiGs. They also transitioned from the F-4B to the F-4J during that time. On December 15, 1975 they transitioned to the F-14 Tomcat which took a little more than a year and in October 1977 they went out to sea with their F-14s for the first time, once again on the Kitty Hawk. The cruise went to the Western Pacific with CVW-11 and their sister squadron VF-213.
In March 1979, CVW-11 deployed to the USS America in a Mediterranean cruise which was something of an oddity for a west coast based air wing, and a second cruise followed in 1981. On both these deployments VF-114 captured the Golden Tailhook award which is given to the squadron that has the highest landing score for a cruise. They also won the west coast “High Noon” aerial gunnery completion and also the Mutha trophy in 1982 which signified them as the best Pacific Fleet squadron. After their two Mediterranean cruises VF-114 returned to the pacific in September 1982 onboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). During this cruise VF-114 participated in one of the largest naval exercises since World War II when it hooked up with the carrier groups of USS Midway (CV-41) and USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in the Northern Pacific for two weeks. After their return they once again won the “High Noon” and Mutha trophies, first time an F-14 squadron had won both these awards two years in a row.
They returned to sea on May 30, 1984 and returned home on December 20. During the cruise the squadron and the airwing participated in several exercises, the RIMPAC exercise of Hawaii and exercise Beacon Flash in the northern Philippines. Once again the Aardvarks took part in a Fleet exercise in the Northern Pacific, this time with the carriers USS Midway (CV-41) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
In 1985 VF-114 spent time ashore at NAS Miramar training for their next deployment, they saw much air combat training, both against other Navy squadrons as well as against the USAF and USMC. On January 24, 1986 their cruise began with the USS Enterprise and they ventured out to the Western Pacific which included stops at Pearl Harbor and Subic Bay in the Philippines. They continued into the Indian Ocean where VF-114 had a busy time, often intercepting and shadowing Soviet and Indian aircraft. During this time with operations against Libya the decision was made to move the Enterprise battle group to the Mediterranean Sea, to do this they transited through the Suez Canal, making Enterprise the first nuclear powered carrier to do so. Once they arrived at the “Line of death”, CVW-11 aircraft flew patrols for two months, although encounters with Libyan aircraft were rare. The carrier group got to visit Naples and Toulon. Instead of returning through the Suez Canal they transited through Strait of Gibraltar and then cruised the southern cape of Africa before continuing onto Perth, Australia and after that across the Pacific to their home port.
1987 was devoted to training which included deployments to NAF El Centro and NAS Fallon. VF-114 again won the Mutha trophy and also the Pacific Fleet Battle “E”. In January 1988 their next cruise began which was spent in the Persian Gulf escorting reflagged tankers through March, April and May due to the ongoing tanker war. In April VF-114 participated in Operation Praying Mantis. By February 1989 the carrier had returned to port and VF-114 began a compressed turnaround schedule, due to their next cruise beginning in September 1989. Even with the restricted time period VF-114 were able to fit lots in, deploying to NAF El Centro for FFARP (Fleet Fighter ACM Readiness Program) and as part of the airwing to NAS Fallon. Once onboard the Enterprise an around-the-world cruise began as the battle group took part in exercises around the globe. October saw VF-114 set a new flight record for an F-14 squadron, logging more than 811 hours in a single month. The end of this cruise saw the end of CVW-11's long attachment to the USS Enterprise, for their next cruise was to be on the Pacific Fleet's newest carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
VF-114 arrived onboard the Lincoln on September 25, 1990, while she was making her maiden voyage from Norfolk to Alameda, due to become her new home. The trip took six weeks and saw the carrier cruise round the tip of South America, arriving at her new home in late November 1990. The first long term deployment on Lincoln began in the middle of 1991, during the early part of the cruise the carrier and air wing were involved in the evacuation of thousands of military personnel and dependents from the Philippine Islands in the wake of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Once this was complete the Lincoln headed for the Persian Gulf. Although the initial plans had been for the Lincoln to be among the first relief carriers for those involved in 'Desert Storm' by the time of her arrival the conflict was over and VF-114, along with the rest of the air wing, was instead heavily involved in post ceasefire combat air patrols. The Aardvarks flew many hours over a burning Kuwait, seeing first hand the astounding landscape created by thousands of burning oil wells. Like almost half of the F-14 community VF-114 was disestablished, the ceremony happening in April 1993.
