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VP-66 Earns Top P-3 Squadron Honors

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031202-06

Release Date: 12/2/2003 11:39:00 AM

By Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Sychterz, Patrol Squadron 66 Public Affairs

WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (NNS) -- Reserve Patrol Squadron (VP) 66 won the 2003 Reserve P-3 Liberty Bell competition held at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., from Oct. 21-23.

VP-66 beat six other Reserve P-3 squadrons in the annual tactical event that tests aircrews' and an ordnance load team's proficiency in a variety of war-fighting areas.

During the three-day competition, the crews are graded on weapons loading, weapons deployment, and in-flight assessment of surface and subsurface targets.

Getting the VP-66 team started in the right direction rested on the shoulders of their ordnance load team when they were assigned to complete an early morning exercise. The team, led by Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Michael Lowerre, was up to the challenge and had no problem with the 3 a.m. start time, as they successfully loaded a Harpoon training missile and a Mark 46 exercise torpedo.

"It is very challenging to load weapons in the dark, but it tests your ability to load under any circumstances and at any time," said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (AW/NAC) Joseph Brotz, the team's safety officer.

The "Liberty Bells" Combat Aircrew 11, led by mission commander Lt. Cmdr. Matt Cox, followed the successful load with a flight off the coast of San Clemente Island, Calif.

Having recently completed transition to the P-3C Block Modification Upgrade (BMUP), the crew was practiced and ready to test their newly acquired skills.

Hampered by uncooperative weather, the crew arrived on station just as the morning fog rolled in and covered their entire operating area. According to the rules of the event, aircrews must fly inside a 20-mile by 20-mile box and stay safely away from surface ships in the area. Between the weather and ships transiting the area, Crew 11 found themselves confined to an ever-shrinking box and temporarily unable to complete the anti-submarine portion of the event.

Undeterred by the situation, the crew stubbornly persisted and waited for their chance to complete their bombing runs. Just as the evaluators were considering canceling the mission, the northern half of their box cleared, and they were given the go-ahead to complete their mission. Running low on fuel and with only minutes left in their allotted time to complete their task, Crew 11 went into action. In the time it took many crews to conduct one attack, Crew 11 conducted attacks on all four targets. They finished their final attack just as fuel constraints would have forced the crew to return to base.

"Poor weather, heavy shipping traffic and a very confined area increased the difficulty level of an already challenging scenario," said Cox. "It was very exciting to put all the tools we had practiced during our BMUP transition into use on a very realistic anti-submarine and anti-surface range. Every member of the crew was elated to win the trophy and honored to represent the squadron."