Electronic Attack Squadron [VAQ-142]
"Gray Wolves"
Currently one of four Expeditionary Squadrons, Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron ONE FOUR TWO was established 01 June 1988 in response to the Navy's requirement for a thirteenth operational EA-6B squadron. Under the command of CDR B.R. "Whiskey Bob" Hamilton, the "Grim Watchdogs" made their first and only deployment with Carrier Air Wing SIX onboard USS Forrestal (CV-59) to the Mediterranean Sea in 1989-90. In less than three years as a squadron, VAQ-142 aviators flew aboard USS Carl Vinson, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Forrestal, USS Independence, USS Saratoga and USS Midway. The squadron logged more than 3600 flight hours and 860 traps before standing down in March 1991.
After the "Grim Watchdogs" disestablished, the squadron's billets were transferred to the VAQ-35 pre-establishment detachment. On 01 June 1991 the VAQ-35 "Greywolves" established with a new mission; electronic warfare support under the cognizance of Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group (FEWSG). In their short history, VAQ-35 made over forty-two detachments to more than sixteen locations as far away as Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Hawaiian Islands. In October 1993, due to further reductions in defense spending, VAQ-35 was ordered disestablished, and their mission was absorbed by reserve squadrons based on the east and west coasts.
In 1994, the Department of Defense made a decision to replace the Air Force's aging EF-111A Raven fleet with additional EA-6B squadrons in order to meet the electronic attack needs of both services. On 03 April 1997, VAQ-142, the fourth of five new EA-6B squadrons, was established under the command of CDR P.D. "Pokey" Keller. The squadron made numerous detachments including Cope Thunder and Red Flag, achieving deployable readiness levels only five months after establishment. In November 1997, the squadron assumed a JCS directed 96-hour deployment alert for Korean Theater contingencies. With deployment to Japan imminent, the squadron placed an advance detachment in Iwakuni, Japan, prior to the deployment order being rescinded in late January 1998.
In March 1998, after extensive preparations and pre-deployment coordination, the Gray Wolves transited five aircraft to Saudi Arabia to be the first Navy squadron to deploy to Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in support of the USAF 4404th Wing (Provisional) and Operation Southern Watch (OSW) enforcing the "no-fly zone" in southern Iraq. The squadron returned to NAS Whidbey Island in June and returned to PSAB in early August for six more weeks of OSW operations. In late September the squadron translanted its aircraft back to NAS Whidbey for a compressed three-month turnaround and unit evaluation cycle.
In mid-December VAQ-142 deployed for the third time in 1998 to Prince Sultan. Arriving during the second day of Operation DESERT FOX, they were flying sorties less than 34 hours later. Navy Prowlers were the only aircraft from Prince Sultan to fly into Iraq during the four days of combat operations, where they supported both Navy and Kuwait based USAF and RAF strike sorties. VAQ-142 closed out 1998 by resuming OSW sorties in Iraq. The squadron also received the 1998 Battle "E" and semi-annual Safety "S" awards, marking a very successful year.
By the time they had departed in March 1999, the Wolves had flown more than 200 missions totaling over 659 flight hours in support of numerous coalition strikes in southern Iraq. In addition to jamming and surveillance operations, the squadron also successfully launched 6 High Speed Anti-radiation Missiles (HARM) during rapid response strikes, marking the first time a Gray Wolf aircraft had fired a weapon in combat.
After a very active summer with detachments to NAS Oceana, NAS Fallon, NAWS China Lake, NAWS Point Mugu and Mountain Home AFB, the Wolves departed in September 1999 for their first deployment to Incirlik, Turkey to support Operation NORTHERN WATCH and the "no-fly zone" in Northern Iraq. With only two days to study local procedures, the Wolves started flying combat missions into Northern Iraq. Flying 99 combat sorties totaling 394 hours, the Wolves flew combined missions with the USAF and British Royal Navy and included the launching of one HARM against a hostile Surface to Air Missile Battery during a reactive response strike.
Coming back from deployment the squadron began preparations for its next deployment. In March 2000, the squadron departed NAS Whidbey Island for a week-and-a-half detachment to Eglin AFB, Florida for air-to-air training with Air Force F-15C's. Midway through the month of May, the Gray Wolves were off again as they traveled to NAS Fallon, NV., for one week of Carrier Air Wing training with CVW-11. This was followed directly by three weeks at Nellis AFB, NV, for Mission Employment (ME) Phase with the Electronic Attack Weapons School and USAF Weapons School graduation exercise.
In July 2000 the VAQ-142 Gray Wolves detached to NAS Fallon, Nevada to fill in for VAQ-135 during CVW-11's mini-Fallon det. VAQ-135 was unable to attend because they were conducting combat operations in Turkey in support of Operation NORTHERN WATCH. The detachment to Fallon was the first week of a month long work-up period for the Gray Wolves as they prepare for their upcoming deployment. The flights provided the opportunity for pilots to practice in-flight refueling with the S-3 Viking instead of the Air Force tankers they are normally used to. The Gray Wolves then left NAS Fallon to complete pre-deployment work-ups at Nellis AFB. The Gray Wolves arrived at Nellis AFB for a three-week detachment supporting the Air Force Fighter Weapons School as well as the Electronic Attack Weapon School (EAWS) and VX-9 during the Fight Weapons School Mission Employment Phase.
In August 2000 the Gray Wolves departed Whidbey Island on a five-day and four-night transit halfway around the world to relieve VAQ-135 in support of Operation NORTHERN WATCH. VAQ-142 was the first squadron to deploy with the Block 89A EA-6B aircraft, the most advanced Prowler in the fleet. The logistics behind moving four jets to the other side of the globe, with a chase detachment, was remarkable. Shortly after arriving in Turkey, the Gray Wolves unpacked, settled in and began flying combat sorties. Unlike their last deployment to Turkey, the squadron flew four Prowlers across the Atlantic from NAS Whidbey Island to Incirlik. VAQ-142 was chosen to be the first squadron to deploy into combat with the block 89A aircraft, the Navy's newest generation of the Prowler. This second three-month deployment to Incirlik proved very productive in many respects. The squadron flew over 100 sorties into Northern Iraq and achieved a total of 428 combat flight hours. During this second deployment in support of ONW, the Gray Wolves successfully launched two HARM, the first combat HARM launches from the new block 89A Prowler.
Beginning in January of 2001, the Gray Wolves begin a series of short detachments to Eglin AFB and Nellis AFB in preparation for their next deployment in May 2001 to Prince Sultan Air Base.
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