VAW-122

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Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 122

VAW-122 Insignia
Active 1 April 1967 - 31 March 1996
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
Type Airborne Early Warning
Part of Carrier Air Wing 6
Nickname "Steeljaws"
Engagements USS Liberty, Vietnam, Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Provide Comfort

VAW-122 (aka 'STEELJAWS') was an East Coast VAW squadron (Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron) that was stood up on 1 April 1967 and dis-established March 30, 1996. During its 30 years of existence, the Steeljaws were deployed around the world and saw action from Vietnam to Desert Storm, conducting operations from the Arctic to the tropics.

Contents

[edit] History

Originally equipped with the E-2A Hawkeye, VAW-122 was first on the scene, establishing communications and directing fighter coverage for the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean in June 1967 after the intelligence-gathering ship was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats. During a 1968 deployment on board the USS America off Vietnam, VAW-122 crews assisted a VF-33 F-4 Phantom crew in downing a North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter as well as controlling interdiction strikes against North Vietnam.

VAW-122 E-2C Hawkeyes
VAW-122 E-2C Hawkeyes

After a 1970 deployment to the Mediterranean during the Jordanian crisis with CVW-7 on board the USS Independence, VAW-122 upgraded to the somewhat more capable E-2B. The squadron's next two deployments to the Mediterranean returned its crews to international crises—the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1974 Cyprus Crisis.

In April 1975, VAW-122 upgraded to the definitive E-2C. In 1978, the squadron rejoined after a Pacific deployment embarked in USS Kitty Hawk CVW-6 and over the next 13 years deployed to the Arabian Sea, Mediterranean, and North Atlantic on board the Independence and the USS Forrestal. During the 1983 deployment, VAW-122 supported combat operations in Grenada and Lebanon, and, on its last carrier deployment in 1991, supported Operation Provide Comfort over Iraq.

VAW-122 made its first drug-interdiction deployment as a squadron to the Caribbean in 1990 (previously it had been smaller detachments of shorter duration beginning in 1983 with Operation Thunderbolt), and in 1992 became permanently assigned to this role. By 1996, the unit had completed eight deployments in the Caribbean area, conducting some missions deep over South America, and was credited with the seizure of more than 16 metric tons of illegal drugs.

VAW-122 was disestablished at NAS Norfolk on 31 March 1996. Its mission and aircraft were assumed by a new reserve squadron, VAW-77.

[edit] Deployments

  • USS AMERICA (CVA-66/CVAW-6) 01 APR 67 - 20 SEP 67 MED *
  • USS AMERICA (CVA-66/CVAW-6) 10 APR 68 - 16 DEC 68 VIETNAM
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA-62/CVAW-7) 08 JUL 70 - 01 FEB 71 MED
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA-62/CVAW-7) 16 SEP 71 - 15 MAR 72 MED
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA-62/CVAW-7) 21 JUN 73 - 19 JAN 74 MED
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-7) 19 JUL 74 - 31 JAN 75 MED
  • USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63/CVW-11) 25 OCT 77 - MAY 78 WESTPAC
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-6) 24 JUN 79 -14 DEC 79 MED
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-6) 19 NOV 80 - 10 JUN 81 IO
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-6) 7 JUN 82 - 21 DEC 82 MED
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-6) 18 OCT 83 - 23 FEB 84 MED**
  • USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62/CVW-6) 16 OCT 84 - 19 FEB 85 MED/IO
  • USS FORRESTAL (CV-59/CVW-6) 2 JUN 86 - 10 NOV 86 MED
  • USS FORRESTAL (CV-59/CVW-6) APR 88 - SEPT 88 MED
  • USS FORRESTAL (CV-59/CVW-6) 4 NOV 89 - 13 APR 90 MED
  • CTG 4.1 OPS 27 AUG 90 - 25 OCT 90 PANAMA
  • USS FORRESTAL (CV-59/CVW-6) 31 MAY 91 - 21 DEC 91 MED***
  • CJTF-4 OPS 11 NOV 92 - 28 DEC 92 PANAMA
  • CJTF-4 OPS 07 APR 93 - 14 MAY 93 PANAMA
  • CJTF-4 OPS 19 AUG 93 - 11 OCT 93 GTMO
  • CJTF-4 OPS 03 MAR 94 - 03 AUG 94 GTMO/PR
  • DIRJIATFE OPS 14 NOV 94 - 23 DEC 94 NSRR, PR
  • DIRJIATFE OPS 09 MAY 95 - 01 JUL 95 NSRR, PR
  • SOUTHCOM OPS 10 OCT 95 - 30 NOV 95 CURACAO
  • DIRJIATFE OPS 01 DEC 95 - 20 DEC 95 NSRR, PR

Notes:

[edit] Former CO's

  • CDR T. E. NEWARK, USN APR 67 - AUG 68
  • CDR B. K. HANNULA, USN AUG 68 - JUL 69
  • CDR J. E. HOCH, JR, USN JUL 69 - AUG 70
  • CDR D. W. RICE, USN AUG 70 - APR 71
  • CDR W. HOGAN, USN APR 71 - APR 72
  • CDR J. WARD, USN APR 72 - MAR 73
  • CDR G. L. MACQUIRRE, USN MAR 73 - FEB 74
  • CDR C. NORRINGTON, USN FEB 74 - JAN 75
  • CDR M. F. HAYES, USN JAN 75 - JAN 76
  • CDR K. C. PETROSKE, USN JAN 76 - APR 77
  • CDR L. F. PERMENTER, USN APR 77 - JUL 78
  • CDR R. J. MALLA, USN JUL 78 - JUL 79
  • CDR B. G. ROBERSON, USN JUL 79 - OCT 80
  • CDR R. B. TEAGUE, USN OCT 80 - JAN 82
  • CDR B. C. GOHMAN, USN JAN 82 - JUN 83
  • CDR C. M. KRAFT, USN JUN 83 - SEP 84
  • CDR J. W. HEINEMAN, USN SEP 84 - MAR 86
  • CDR J. R. PORTER, USN MAR 86 - JUL 87
  • CDR T. "DU" LANG, USN JUL 87 - JAN 89
  • CDR J. GROSEL, USN JAN 89 - JUN 90
  • CDR V. C. HUBER, USN JUN 90 - SEP 91
  • CDR T. L. TIPPIN, USN SEP 91 - NOV 92
  • CDR G. J. PITMAN, USN NOV 92 - OCT 94

vCDR C. W. DOSSEL, USN OCT 94 - MAR 96

[edit] References

Dossel, Will. "The History of VAW-122," The Hook Summer 1996

Burgess, Rick "Lest We Forget: VAW-122" Naval Institute Proceedings September 2003