VFA-105
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Five | |
|---|---|
 VFA-105 Insignia |
|
| Active | May 1, 1952 - 1959 November 1, 1967 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Navy |
| Type | Fighter / Attack |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing Three |
| Garrison/HQ | Naval Air Station Oceana |
| Nickname | "Gunslingers" |
| Motto | "Tonight... we ride!" |
| Equipment | F/A-18E Super Hornet |
| Engagements | Gulf of Tonkin Operation Southern Watch Operation Desert Fox Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
CDR Thomas R. Tennant, USN |
VFA-105 Strike Fighter Squadron 105 (VFA-105) also known as the "Gunslingers" is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The "Gunslingers" are an operational fleet squadron and fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, under Commanding Officer CDR Thomas Tennant, and Executive Officer CDR Maxwell Shuman. Their nickname is the "105th Strike Fighter and Twilight Pursuit Squadron." The radio callsign is "Canyon" and the tail code is AC.
[edit] History
VFA-105 was originally commissioned on May 1, 1952 at NAS Cecil Field and was known as the "Mad Dogs" flying the venerable AD-1 "Skyraider." The squadron was decommissioned in 1959. On 1 November 1967, VA-105 was recommissioned at Cecil Field, flying the new A-7A Corsair II. The "Gunslingers" embarked on their first deployment to Southeast Asia participating in combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin from January to October 1969.
As of 1976 the "Gunslingers" had four Western Pacific and ten Mediterranean deployments to their credit, including three Indian Ocean assignments and a 1983 around-the-world deployment. They also were forward deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan in 1984 as part of the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program.
On January 10, 1991, VA-105 was redesignated VFA-105 as the squadron transitioned from the A-7E Corsair II to the F/A-18C. The "Gunslingers" reported to CVW-3 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy on September 1, 1991. VFA-105 made their first Hornet cruise in October 1992. They returned from the Mediterranean in April 1993, and began workups for a deployment aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in October 1994.
VFA-105 and the rest of CVW-3 deployed in 1998 in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Fox onboard USS Enterprise.
On November 28, 2000 VFA-105 embarked on the maiden deployment of USS Harry S. Truman to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch (OSW).
The Gunslingers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard USS Harry S. Truman in 2003 from the Mediterranean Sea.
VFA-105 became the first East Coast squadron to transition to the FA-18E Super Hornet in July 2006. In March 2007, VFA-105 became the first operational navy strike fighter squadron to be commanded by a female when CDR Sara Joyner took command.
One F/A-18E from VFA-105 and a F/A-18F from VFA-11 "Red Rippers" crashed on January 7, 2008 in the Persian Gulf during the 2007-2008 cruise which VFA-105 and CVW-3 were embarked on with USS Harry S. Truman. All three aviators survived the incident[1].
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