Patrol Squadron 94 [VP-94]
VP-94 is a United States Naval Reserve Aviation Squadron flying the Lockheed P3C Orion aircraft from New Orleans, Louisiana. The Crawfishers deploy around the globe providing a defensive ASW mission in support of the U.S. Navy. The squadron's mission is to provide a versatile, cost-effective, multi-mission force which fulfills key requirements in every scenario envisioned in the Navy's "Forward...From the Sea" strategy. To maintain and enhance operational effectiveness, VP-94 routinely operates P-3C aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. The P-3's primary mission areas include: Anti-Surface Unit Warfare (ASUW); Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW); Command, Control, Communications & Intelligence (C3I);
Electronic Warfare; Mobility; Counter-Narcotics; and Search and Rescue (SAR).
Patrol squadron 94 was commissioned on 3 March, 1942 as VPB-94 at Norfolk, VA and participated in numerous campaigns during World War II. The squadron recorded eight attacks on enemy submarines and was credited with three probable sinkings in the month of July, 1943. VPB-94 was recommissioned as VP-94 on 1 November 1970 in conjunction with the implementation of the Naval Air Reserve concept.
On 01 November 1970 VP-94 was established at NAS Belle Chase, New Orleans, La., as a Naval Air Reserve land-based patrol squadron flying 12 Lockheed SP-2H Neptunes. VP-94 was formed from VP-821 and VP-822, both established in 1965. These squadrons were redesignated VP-61X1 and VP-45X2 in May 1968, and were combined in November 1970 to form VP-94. The squadron was named "the Crawfishers". Personnel to man the newly reformed unit were drawn from NAS New Orleans, and NAS Dallas. VP-94 would operate under the direction of Commander Reserve Patrol Wing Atlantic.
The new squadron came under the operational and administrative control of the Commander, Naval Air Reserve Force. VP-94 was established as a result of a major re-organization of the Naval Air Reserve that took place in mid-1970. Under the Reserve Force Squadron concept 12 land-based naval reserve patrol squadrons were formed and structured along the lines of regular Navy squadrons with nearly identical organization and manning levels. Under the 12/2/1 concept there were 12 VP squadrons divided between two commands, COMFAIRESWINGLANT and COMFAIRESWINGPAC. These two commands came under the control of one central authority, Commander Naval Air Reserve.
From recommissioning through August 1976, Patrol Squadron 94 operated Lockheed SP-2H Neptune aircraft. The squadron has since operated Lockheed P-3A, P-3B, and P-3B TACNAVMOD aircraft. Currently, the "Crawfishers" are involved in transition to the P-3C Update II.5 aircraft. The P-3C is the world standard in Maritime Patrol Aircraft...identical to the platforms being operated by the active duty Navy.
Over the years, VP-94 has conducted Annual Training (AT) deployments from numerous sites, including NAS Bermuda; NAF Lajes, Azores; NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii; NS Rota, Spain; NAS Sigonella, Italy; NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico and NAS North Island, California, NAF Misawa, Japan and NAF Kadena, Japan. As an example of how much we "Get Around" during AT in 1983, the squadron successfully flew operational flights from five remote sites on the same day.
From 1986 to 1990, the squadron deployed to NS Rota, Spain while operating detachments in four different ASW escorts. The year of 1987 was especially rewarding. The Crawfishers received the coveted Noel Davis Battle "E" Trophy, CNO Safety Award and COMRESPATWINGLANT Administrative Excellence Award.
On 19 March 1989, the Department of Defense organized Operation Hat Trick III, an exercise employing the efforts of several reserve patrol squadrons, staging out of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. This operation, the largest drug interdiction operation using reserve forces to date, resulted in the capture of a record number of narcotics carrying vessels and aircraft. After the success of this operation, Atlantic reserve patrol squadrons routinely devoted a portion of their two week ACDUTRA time each year on drug interdiction patrols with the Coast Guard based out of NS Roosevelt Roads and NAS Key West, Fla. Reserve and active duty Navy patrol squadrons had previously assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in drug interdiction flights in the Caribbean area since 1985.
From 1990 through 1992 the "Crawfishers" participated in Counter-Narcotics missions, operating out to NAS Key West, Florida and deployed to NAS Bermuda. This was the first time a reserve Patrol Squadron operated as PATRON Bermuda.
1993 marked the beginning of a new era in reserve VP operations: the transition to a flexible detachment (Det Ops") concept. This included the full-time contributory support of CTF/CTG commitments. This concept of separate detachment deployments, rather than entire unit deployments, became known as flexible detachment operations, or Det Ops. This form of deployment provided the maximum amount of interoperability between USN and USNR forward deployed forces, while supporting real operations and not just training flights for the Reserves. Reserve Det Ops also served as a much-needed supplement to the active-duty patrol squadrons in an era of post-Cold War cutbacks. Interoperability between USN and USNR forward deployed forces reached new levels of excellence.
On 02 January 1993 VP-94 was assigned to CTF 67.1 at NAS Sigonella, Sicily, and CTF 67.2 at NAS Rota, Spain, in support of Adriatic Sea embargo flights for Operation Maritime Guard against the former Republic of Yugoslavia. These were armed flights carrying Harpoon antiship missiles. The missions were flown in support of UN operations to enforce the cease-fire between warring factions of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia and to prevent outside factions from providing re-supply by sea. In June-July 1993 the squadron supplied detachments for operation Sharp Guard in support of UN operations. In summer '93, VP-94 flew armed missions in support of Operation Maritime Guard/Sharp Guard in the Adriatic Sea, enforcing the U. N. embargo against the former Yugoslavian Republics.
In October 1993 a Det Ops deployment was conducted to NS Roosevelt Roads, P.R., to provide support for operations Support Democracy and Able Mariner, the UN sanctioned embargo of Haiti. The Crawfishers assisted in limited embargo operations against the military regime in Haiti, conducting sorties form NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico in support of Operation Support Democracy/Able Manner. The Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon was awarded.
On 1 April 1994, VP-94 came under the operational control of Commander Reserve Patrol Wing Pacific located at Moffett Federal Airfield, California. In 1996 the Squadron deployed to NAF Misawa and NAF Kadena, Japan. The Squadron also participated in a live Harpoon missile shoot while detached to NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. VP-94 deployed to NAS North Island, California in April - May 1997.
As of 2000 the squadron's complement included seven active duty officers (TAR), 117 active duty enlisted personnel and 225 Selected Reserve personnel most of which commute to New Orleans from 20 states; from California to Minnesota to North Carolina. VP-94 completed over 25 years of accident free flying and over 84,000 flight hours.
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