Page 310 · Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2)

Strike Fighter Squadron 151 (VFA-151), the “Strike Fighting Vigila currently attached to Carrier Air Wing TWO (CVW homeported at NAS Lemoore, C The full squadron complement i: officers, 12 chief petty officers and 190 enlisted men. The squadron is currently flying the Navy’s Night Strike Fighter, the FA-18C Hornet. siseounsatn VFA-151 was originally established as Fighter Squadron Two Three in 1948 at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Oceana, Virginia. VF-23 was redesignated VF- VF-151 redesignated VFA-151 in 1986, The squadron has been attached to ), Air Group Nineteen X-ray (CVG-19X), Air Task Group Two ir Task Group Four (AT! i Air Group/Wing Fifteen (CVG/W-15), Air (CVW-S). The squadron has operated SEA (CV/A- 43), BOXER (CV- D1), PRINCETON (CV- 27), ESSEX (( ), YORKTOWN (CVA-10), KEARSAGE (CVA-33), HORNET (CVA-12), HANCOCK (CVA-19), from 1971 to 1991 MIDWAY (CV-41), and CONSTELLATION (CV-64). Since establishment, the “Strike Fighting Vigilantes” have continually been on the forefront of Naval Aviation. After an initial Mediterranean deployment, the squad- ron was sent to the Western Pacific for the Korean War. Three combat cruises were highlighted with the Inchon invasion, and the recapture of Seoul and Kimpo airfields. The Vigilantes continued to refine jet carrier aviation, leading AIRPAC units with the transition to the F2H3 Demon in 1959 and the F-4B Phantom II in 1964. From 1965 to 1973: the Vigilantes articipated in every major operation of the Vietnam War. From “Flaming Dart I” to “Linebacker the Vigilantes made more combat deployments (7) and spent more time on the line (927 days) than any other carrier-based unit - including the longest deployment of the Vietnam War (208 days). Only six months after returning from the’ enth con: Squadron embarked on USS MIDWAY with C’ 5, departing for Yokosuka, Japan to become the first and only permanently forward aeploved carrier and airwing. The Vigilantes were forward deployed on permanent call from 1973 to 1991. Operations during that time included the evacuation of South Vietnam, first Naval forces to respond to the l hostage crisis in Iran, continuous Indian Ocean sep loyments/ERNEST WILL operations since 1979, first unit to respond to the down of KAL 007 in 1983, Seoul ’88 Olympies presence, and Operation : & ntes conducted two unpre ‘dented overseas tran- sitions: to the] Ls and the S the Vigilantes were the last: of two Nav S 2 e Ba “EB” for the last three consecutive eens to e of their Phantom Il reign»Redesignated VFA-151, the Vigilan' complete 2 ever transition to the Hornet and were back aboard» USS MIDWAY in six anu Tn October1990,.VFA-151, as part of Battle Group Alpha, deployed in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD..On January 17, 1991 A-151 cipated in the initial air strikes of Operation DESERTSTORM and remaine ation with CTF- 154 until the cessation of hostilities. The Vigilantes were ke: S DESERT STORM, delivering o 817,000 pounds of ordnance.on_ targets in Kuwait, Iraq, and the Northern persian Gulf. A legendary era ended in August 1991 when VFA-151 and CVW-5 departed Yokosuka, Japan on USS MIDWAY’s last at-sea period, Beene east to ha 5 Once inport Pearl Harbor, the Vigilantes bid farewell to CVW- he moyed to MIDWAY’s replacement, USS INDEPENDENCE. The s q! onboard USS MIDWAY all the way to San Diego, where she was under a Vigilante fly-by. In February 1993, the Vigilantes completed their transition to the FA-18C, Lot XV. In May 1993 the Vigilantes deployed aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64), and transited to Connie’s new homeport, San Diego, California. In early 1994, the Vi intes began a very busy work up schedule with CVW-2, preparing for their present Western Pacific deployment aboard Constellation. Included among the many achievements in VFA-151’s proud history are the receipt of one Presidential Unit Citation, four Navy Unit Commendations, five Meritorious Unit Commendations, one Navy Expeditionary Medal, three Armed Forces peditionary Medals, one Navy Expeditionary Medal, three Armed For Expe- ditionary Medals, one Humanitarian Service Medal, four Battle “E’s” and five Safety grg” Commander Thomas W. ‘Trotter Commander Thomas A. Hejl Commander David L. Philman cee co CO” XO : 3 Nov.-Dece. 1994 Dec, 1994-Present ‘