VAW-116
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| Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 116 | |
|---|---|
 VAW-116 Insignia |
|
| Active | 20 April 1967 - Present (still active) |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Airborne Early Warning (VAW) |
| Role | Airborne Early Warning; Airborne Battle Management; Command and Control |
| Size | approximately 180 |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing 2 |
| Nickname | "Sun Kings" |
| Colors | Maroon and Gold |
| Mascot | Elvis Presley |
| Engagements | Iraqi Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
CDR Randy B. Blackmon |
| Ceremonial chief | Command Master Chief James P. Barnes |
VAW-116 is a US Navy Command and Control Squadron that deploys aboard USS Abraham Lincoln as part of Carrier Air Wing Two. VAW-116 flies the E-2C Hawkeye Aircraft. The VAW-116 Commanding Officer is Commander Randy "Jethro" Blackmon. The squadron flies the E-2C Hawkeye 2000. The "Sun Kings" of VAW-116 are stationed at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. VAW-116 is one of eleven Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadrons under the cognizance of Commander, Airborne Command Control and Logistics Wing (COMACCLOGWING).
[edit] Music Videos
VAW-116 became "semi-famous" in 2006 for its remake of the "Pump It" music video, by the Black Eyed Peas. The video originated as a project on board ship to fight off boredom and to boost morale, but stemmed into what is almost a full fledged production. Pump It has recorded over 1.6 million views on YouTube. The sequel, a remake of Outkast's video "Hey Ya," included every single member of the Sun Kings and has recorded over 780,000 views. Both videos have been shown on national television, and news stations in other countries.
[edit] External links
Almost every member of the sunkings was present for the video. One AT2 Lewis was sent to the messdecks during the making of the video and did not appear in it.
