Fighter Squadron 23 ( VF-23 )
What was the official name of VFA-151 from Aug 1948 to Feb 1959?
VFA-151 Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One ( VFA-151 ) nicknamed the Vigilantes are a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore , California . The squadron is a part of Carrier Air Wing 9 ( CVW-9 ) . As part of CVW-9 , the squadrons tail code is NG and its radio callsign is Ugly . Squadron insignia and nickname . The squadrons first insignia was approved by CNO on 9 August 1949 , and consisted of a blue helmeted knight and a white shield . The squadron also adopted the nickname Flashers in 1949 . The current insignia was approved on 26 May 1955 . The squadron changed its nickname to Vigilantes in 1959 , symbolizing the units around-the-clock vigil of readiness . History . Four distinct U.S . Navy squadrons have been designated VF-151 . The first VF-151 was established , and then disestablished , in 1945 . The second was established at VF-153 in 1945 and eventually became VFA-192 . The third squadron was originally established as VF-65 in 1951 and was eventually disestablished as VA-23 in 1970 . The fourth squadron to be designated VF-151 was established as VF-23 in 1948 , eventually became VFA-151 , and is the main subject of this article . 1940s . Strike Fighter Squadron 151 ( VFA-151 ) was originally established as Fighter Squadron 23 ( VF-23 ) at Naval Air Station Oceana , Virginia on August 6 , 1948 . The squadron was attached to Air Group Two aboard and flew the F4U-5 Corsair and F6F-5P Hellcat . By April 1949 , the squadron flew the F4U-4 Corsair exclusively , embarking with that aircraft for a Mediterranean Sea deployment from May–December 1949 . 1950s . In August 1950 , the squadron moved to NAS Alameda , California , and then deployed for the first of three cruises in support of the Korean War . On 15 September 1950 , the squadron flew combat missions from in support of the amphibious landings at Inchon , Korea . Upon their return to the US , the squadron relocated to NAS Moffett Field in November 1950 . The squadron transitioned to the jet age in Jan 1951 , flying the straight-wing F9F-2 Panther on their second Korea deployment from . During their third Korean War deployment , while flying from in August 1952 , squadron aircraft participated in joint operations with the U.S . Air Force , striking targets in Pyongyang and the surrounding area . The squadron transitioned to the F2H-3 Banshee in March 1953 and adopted a new role as an all-weather fighter squadron . In March 1954 , the squadron was deployed to the western Pacific aboard USSEssex when the carrier was ordered to operate off the coast of Vietnam during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu . In December 1956 , VF-23 transitioned to the F4D-1 Skyray , and in August and September 1958 , the squadron flew sorties from in the Taiwan Straits after the Chinese Communists bombarded Quemoy Island . VF-23 deployed to the WestPac aboard USS Hancock in 1958 and again 1959 . The squadron , now known as the Vigilantes , transitioned to the F3H-2 Demon in January 1959 . A month later , the squadron was redesignated Fighter Squadron One Fifty One ( VF-151 ) on 23 February 1959 and assigned to Carrier Air Group 15 . 1960s . In July 1961 , the squadron moved homeport to NAS Miramar and made the first of three WestPac deployments aboard . In January 1964 , the squadron transitioned to the F-4B Phantom and deployed for its first Vietnam War cruise on 7 December 1964 . During the eleven month combat deployment , the squadron flew nearly 1500 combat sorties , including support of the 1965 Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign against military targets in North Vietnam . The squadron returned to Southeast Asia on their second Vietnam deployment in May 1966 aboard . The squadron made its third deployment of the war aboard USS Coral Sea from July 1967 to April 1968 . On 24 October 1967 the squadrons commanding officer , CDR C.R . Gillespie , and his Radar Intercept Officer , LTJG R.C . Clark , were shot down by a surface-to-air missile over North Vietnam . CDR Gillespie became a prisoner of war and was not released until May 1973 , while LTJG Clark died in captivity . In March 1968 , USS Coral Sea , with VF-151 embarked , operated on station off the coast of Korea following the capture of by North Korea . The squadron deployed again in September 1968 with Carrier Air Wing 15 ( CVW-15 ) aboard USS Coral Sea again following a short turn-around period . The squadron made its fifth combat deployment of the war in September 1969 aboard USS Coral Sea and flew more than 2100 combat sorties , more than any other Navy squadron in FY1970 . 1970s . The squadron deployed on its sixth combat cruise of the war in April 1971 with Carrier Air Wing 5 ( CVW-5 ) aboard , flying 1012 combat sorties . In April 1972 , the squadron deployed on its seventh and final deployment of the Vietnam War . During this deployment , the squadron spent 205 continuous days in combat flight operations , including support of Operation Linebacker , the bombing campaign designed to disrupt supplies to the North Vietnamese . The squadrons 205 days of continuous combat flight operations was the longest period of combat flight operations in the history of the Vietnam War . From 1965 to 1973 , the squadron participated in every major operation of the Vietnam War , 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 ( 331 days on USS Coral Sea ) and the longest line period of the Vietnam War ( 208 days on USS Midway ) . The squadron returned to San Francisco , California from Vietnam in March 1973 and transitioned to the F-4N . On 11 September 1973 , USS Midway with VF-151 aboard , departed the US for the last time for many years to come . The ship arrived at its new port of United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka , Japan and the squadron at its new home of NAF Atsugi , Japan on 5 October . The ship was met by a group of Japanese demonstrators , railing against the home porting of a US “Man-of-War” in Japanese waters . On 1 April 1975 , the squadron departed NAF Atsugi and headed for the South China Sea for what would ultimately be called Operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation of US personnel from Saigon as the country fell to the North Vietnamese . The ship took aboard Marine helicopters as it passed Okinawa and offloaded them when in the vicinity of Naval Air Station Cubi Point in the Philippines . The ship then headed for the coast of Vietnam and the squadrons flew Combat Air Patrols as the North Vietnamese moved quickly through South Vietnam . From August to September 1976 , the squadron conducted flight operations near the Korean Peninsula following the Axe-murder Incident . In August 1977 , the squadron transitioned to the F-4J . In 1978 the squadron was named the top TACAIR squadron in CVW-5 and received the Chief of Naval Operations Safety S award . The squadron made three Indian Ocean deployments between 1979 and 1980 . During 1979 USS Midway , with VF-151 embarked , deployed to the Gulf of Aden following the outbreak of fighting between North and South Yemen and the Iranian Revolution . During the 1980 deployment following the Iranian seizure of the American Embassy in Teheran , USS Midway , with VF- 151 embarked , proceeded to the Gulf of Oman and remained on station until relieved in early February 1980 . 1980s . In December 1980 , the squadron transitioned to the F-4S . On March 24 , 1986 , the squadron flew off USS Midway for the last time as VF-151 . This event also marked the end of an era , as it was the last flight of the F-4 Phantom II from the deck of an aircraft carrier . The squadron reported to NAS Lemoore , California for transition to the new F/A-18 Hornet . VF-151 was one of only two F-4 fighter squadrons to transition to the F/A-18 and be redesignated a strike fighter squadron . The squadron was re-designated Strike Fighter Squadron 151 ( VFA-151 ) on 1 June 1986 . In November of that year , the squadron returned to USS Midway and NAF Atsugi . In September 1988 during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , South Korea , the squadron was embarked on USS Midway and operating in the Sea of Japan to demonstrate U.S . support for a peaceful Olympics . In December 1989 , USS Midway , with VFA-151 embarked , maintained station off the coast of the Philippines during an attempted coup in that country . 1990s . VFA-151 deployed aboard USS Midway in October 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield . Hostilities escalated in Iraq , and on January 17 , 1991 the squadron participated in the initial air strikes of Operation Desert Storm . During the campaign , the squadron dropped more than 817,000 pounds of ordnance on key targets in Iraq , Kuwait , and the Northern Persian Gulf . In August 1991 , the squadron left Japan aboard USS Midway bound for NS Pearl Harbor , Hawaii on the USS Midways last underway period . VFA-151 then transferred to CVW-2 , and moved to NAS Lemoore , California . In February 1993 , the squadron transitioned their aircraft to upgraded Lot 15 F/A-18C Hornets . In May 1993 , the squadron embarked on USS Constellation and travelled from the East Coast around Cape Horn South America to her new homeport in San Diego , California . The squadron contributed to the enforcement of no-fly zones over southern Iraq during combat-zone WestPac deployments in support of Operation Southern Watch in 1994–1995 . Additional WESTPAC deployments in support of Operation Southern Watch continued on-board USS Constellation in 1997 and 1999 . 2000s . The squadron was the recipient of Strike Fighter Wing Pacifics Battle E award for CY2000 and deployed on USS Constellation again in 2001 . The squadron deployed for its final deployment aboard USS Constellation in November 2002 . Following a successful combat deployment , USS Constellation was decommissioned in San Diego , California August 7 , 2003 . VFA-151 , along with CVW-2 , moved to . In October 2004 , the squadron deployed on its first WESTPAC/Surge in support of the US Navys new Fleet Response Plan . While deployed , the squadron participated in Operation Unified Assistance , the humanitarian relief effort to assist survivors of the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia on December 26 , 2004 . Between 24–31 March 2006 , during Foal Eagle 2006 exercises , squadrons VFA-2 , VFA-34 , VFA-137 , and VFA-151 from CVW-2 teamed with U.S . Air Force aircraft from the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base to provide combat air patrols and coordinated bombing runs via the exercises Combined Air Operations Center . In 2008 VFA-151 deployed again on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility ( AOR ) which upon returning they again received the Battle E for the year of 2008 . 2010s . The squadron deployed again aboard USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom in the Fifth Fleet AOR from October 2010 to March 2011 . The squadron was awarded the Battle E for the year of 2010 as well as the Michael J . Estocin award . In December 2011 the squadron was deployed again in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Fifth Fleet AOR for a five-month surge deployment . After extending twice , the squadron returned home in August 2012 . After five months flying the F/A-18C post-deployment , VFA-151 began transitioning to Lot 35/36 F/A-18E Super Hornets in February 2013 . With the transition , the squadron left CVW-2 and moved to CVW-9 attached to on 1 June 2013 . August 2019 the Squadron lost an F/A-18E Super Hornet flown out of NAS Lemoore , it crashed into the wall of what is known as Star Wars Canyon , near Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake . The aviator did not survive . Awards . The squadron has been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation , eight Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals , four Battle “E” awards , six Safety Ss , six Navy Unit Commendations , the Michael J . Estocin award and seven Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citations .