VP - 8 Patrol Squadron Eight ( VP - 8 ) is a U . S . Navy land - based patrol squadron that was based at the Naval Air Station Brunswick , Maine , but is now stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville , Florida . VP - 8 is tasked to undertake maritime patrol , anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) , and intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance ( ISR ) missions . VP - 8 served as a land - based anti - submarine patrol squadron in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II . VP - 8 also became the first operational P - 3 Orion squadron in the United States Navy , occurring in October 1962 just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis . Squadron History . World War II . The lineage for Patrol Squadron 8 can be traced to Patrol Squadron 201 ( VP - 201 ) , a unit of Fleet Air Wing 5 ( FAW - 5 ) , which was established at Brunswick Naval Air Station in Brunswick , Maine , on September 1 , 1942 . VP - 201 underwent flight training at the Naval Air Station Banana River , Florida , beginning October 9 , 1942 , and the squadron began receiving its new Martin PBM - 3C Mariner patrol bomber flying boat s starting on December 1 , 1942 . VP - 201 returned to the Naval Air Station Norfolk on February 6 , 1943 , following the completion of flight training , and began patrol operations along the Atlantic seaboard as a unit of Task Force 28 within the U . S . Navy Eastern Sea Frontier ’ s area of responsibility ( AOR ) . VP - 201 began receiving the latest model of Mariner flying boats , the PBM - 3S , which featured an improved radar system . Refitted with the PBM - 3S aircraft , on May 27 , 1943 , a six - aircraft detachment was deployed to Naval Air Station Bermuda to protect Allied convoys en route to Europe . Beginning August 1 , 1943 , the entire squadron was transferred to NAS Bermuda under the administrative control of the Commander Bermuda Air Group On June 8 , 1944 , VP - 201 was transferred back to NAS Norfolk , and as a unit of Fleet Air Wing Five ( FAW - 5 ) , began flying personnel and supplies between Norfolk and Bermuda . Following ASW refresher training , the squadron was transferred to Naval Air Station Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone , beginning July 12 , 1944 , as a unit of Fleet Air Wing Three ( FAW - 3 ) under the operational control of the Commander Panama Sea Frontier . On July 27 , 1944 , VP - 201 was re - deployed to Naval Air Station Key West , and as a unit of Fleet Air Wing Twelve ( FAW - 12 ) , continued to fly ASW patrol and convoy escort missions . The squadron began outfitting its PBM - 3S aircraft with new L - 8C Leigh searchlights , and also began rotating to Harvey Point , South Carolina , for replacement aircraft training . VP - 201 was re - designated as Patrol Bomber Squadron 201 ( VBP - 201 ) effective October 1 , 1944 . Starting May 29 , 1945 , VP - 201 finished its wartime service at NAS Coco Solo in the Canal Zone . In total , during World War II , VP - 201 flew more than 28 , 000 hours as a unit of the U . S . Navy involved in the Battle of the Atlantic . Cold War . 1946 – 1949 . On March 1 , 1946 , the squadron was assigned to Naval Station San Juan , Puerto Rico , under the operational control of Fleet Air Wing ( FAW - 11 ) . A detachment was sent to Trinidad to serve as a unit of the Air Sea Rescue Task Unit . In June 1947 , the squadron was assigned to Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island . VBP - 201 was re - designated as Patrol Squadron 201 ( VP - 201 ) effective May 15 , 1946 , and was subsequently re - designated as Patrol Squadron , Medium Seaplane 1 ( VPMS - 1 ) effective November 15 , 1946 and Patrol Squadron , Medium Landplane 8 ( VP - ML - 1 ) effective June 5 , 1947 . During December 1947 , VP - MS - 1 received its first Lockheed P2V - 2 Neptune at NAS Norfolk , its new home base , and began the transition to this new aircraft . The squadron became the second U . S . Navy land - based patrol squadron to be assigned the VP - 9 designation when it was re - designated as Patrol Squadron 8 on September 1 , 1948 . On March 1 , 1949 , the squadron deployed to Naval Air Station Argentia , Newfoundland , to begin testing the P2V - 2 under cold weather conditions . 1950 – 1959 . VP - 8 made its first deployment to NAS Argentia with it new P2V - 5F aircraft July 15 , 1955 Detachments from the squadron operated out of Goose Bay , Frobisher Bay , and Thule , Greenland , providing air cover to supply convoys for Distant Early Warning ( DEW ) radar installations . In April 1958 , VP - 8 transferred to its new home base at Chincoteague , Virginia , and began operating with Task Force Alfa , a Hunter - Killer ( HUK ) group created to develop improved ASW tactics and technology by integrating carrier - based ASW aircraft , land - based patrol aircraft , refitted destroyers , and hunter - killer submarines into a single task force structure . During the next two years , VP - 8 actively participated in the evolution of antisubmarine warfare , to including the development and evaluation of new tactics and equipment . 1960 – 1969 . The VP - 8 moved to Naval Air Station Patuxent River , Maryland in July 1961 . After relinquishing the last of its P2V - 5FS aircraft to the U . S . Naval Reserve in October 1962 , VP - 8 became the first operational P - 3A Orion squadron in the U . S . Navy . During the Cuban Missile Crisis , VP - 8 sent a four - aircraft detachment to Bermuda to support the naval quarantine , including monitoring of Soviet submarines operating in the Caribbean and Eastern Atlantic . VP - 8 subsequently deployed detachments to Iceland , Ireland , Newfoundland , Bermuda , and Caribbean bases . VP - 8 made the first trans - Atlantic flight by a P - 3 Orion when it flew to West Malling , England , on March 9 , 1963 . During 1964 , VP - 8 participated in Fleet Exercise Steel Pike I from bases in Spain . The squadron also began its first P - 3B Orion aircraft in December 1965 . VP - 8 made its first deployment to the Western Pacific when it relieved VP - 28 at Naval Station Sangley Point , Republic of the Philippines , on May 25 , 1966 . During this deployment , VP - 8 carried out combat missions throughout Southeast Asia for the U . S . Seventh Fleet in support of the Vietnam War . 1970 – 1979 . From 1969 to 1974 , VP - 8 made several deployments to Bermuda , and it was transferred to its current homeport at Naval Air Station Brunswick , Maine , in July 1971 . From March 1 to March 2 , 1972 , P - 3B Orion aircraft from VP - 8 maintained a constant surveillance of the stricken Soviet nuclear - powered ballistic missile submarine " K - 19 " which had been forced to surface because of an onboard fire that broke ot on February 24 . Starting in February 1976 , VP - 8 closed out the decade with a number of split deployments . 1980 – 1991 . From 1980 through 1988 , VP08 carried out deployments to Rota , Lajes , Bermuda , and Sigonell . Its deployment to Sigonella included VP - 8 participating in numerous ASW exercises with detachments operating out of Rota , Souda Bay , Crete , and Nîmes - Garon , France . Between October 27 to December 8 , 1985 , a two - aircraft detachment on rotation at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station , Puetro Rico , assisted the U . S . Coast Guard in anti - drug interdiction operation the Caribbean Sea . Operation Desert Storm . Starting December 31 , 1990 , VP - 8 deployed to Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , to support carrier battle group s for " Operation Desert Shield " and " Operation Desert Storm " , as well as monitor Soviet , Libyan , and Iraqi naval units in the Mediterranean from Naval Air Station Sigonella in coordination with U . S . Sixth Fleet carrier battle group s . Post - Cold War . 1992 – 2001 . Military operations . In January 1996 , VP - 8 returned from NAS Sigonella where they flew more than 900 sorties and 6 , 000 hours in support of Operation Sharp Guard and Operation Decisive Endeavor . During its 1997 deployment to NAS Sigonella , VP - 8 flew over 100 missions supporting the United Nations ’ peacekeeping effort in Bosnia - Herzegovina ( " Operation Deliberate Guard " ) and 42 missions in support of " Operation Silver Wake " resulting in the safe evacuation of 889 civilians from Albania . During its 1998 deployment to NAF Keflavik , NS Roosevelt Roads , and Howard AFB , VP - 9 conducted surface and sub - surface surveillance operations in the North Atlantic resulted in tracking 18 individual submarines from eight different countries . Following its return to NAS Brunswick , VP - 8 began the transition to Aircraft Improvement Program ( AIP ) P - 3 upgrade aircraft . During its 2000 deployment , the squadron ’ s new P - 3C AIP aircraft flew over 545 missions , consisting of 5300 hours , out of NAF Sigonella in support of " Operation Joint Guardian " , " Operation Determined Forge " , and " Operation Deliberate Forge " . Counter - narcotic operations . Operating out of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads between July 1992 and January 1993 , VP - 8 flew over 6 , 000 hours in support of counter - narcotic operations and Sixth Fleet operations in the Mediterranean , with several detachment stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay , Naval Air Station Key West , NAS Sigonella , and Naval Air Facility Lajes . VP - 8 flew nearly 6 , 000 hours operating out of 18 countries during a tri - site deployment to NAF Keflavik , NS Roosevelt Roads , and Howard Air Force Base , Panama , in 1998 . The squadron flew 450 surveillance missions in support of counter - narcotic operations in the Caribbean area of responsibility ( AOR ) , resulting in 13 arrests and the seizure of 11 metric tons of illegal drugs worth $ 171 . 4 million USD . Search and rescue efforts in the region accounted for 14 saved lives . Operating in a split deployment to NAS Roosevelt Roads from August 2001 to February 2002 , VP - 8 was active in counter - drug operations in the Caribbean , working with the Coast Guard and U . S . Customs , which interdicted or disrupted $ 7 . 6 billion in illegal drugs , including over 28 , 000 kg of cocaine . From NAF Keflavik , the squadron participated in NATO exercises , as well as undertaking new operational tasks involving homeland defense and " Operation Enduring Freedom " . Operation Iraqi Freedom . From February to August 2003 , VP - 8 deployed to NAF Sigonella and Souda Bay , Crete , to provide 24 - hour P - 3 support for the two carrier battle group s in the Mediterranean during " Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) " , flying nearly 100 overland combat missions and over 4 , 000 flight hours from Italy , Greece , Germany , Spain , and Senegal . This split - site deployment also included support to " Operation Joint Guardian " , " Operation Deliberate Forge " , " Operation Enduring Freedom " , and NATO Joint Command Lisbon . Its second OIF deployment , starting December 2006 , involved VP - 8 operation out of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as part of Task Group 57 . 2 , a maritime patrol and reconnaissance organization consisting of 22 aircrews and 21 aircraft . Operation Unified Assistance . During its Western Pacific deployment to Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base , VP - 8 participated in the U . S . military response to the aftermath of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake ( " Operation Unified Assistance " ) , sending the first U . S . military aircraft on station to the disaster area from to Utaphao , Thailand , and Diego Garcia , as well as flying Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief ( HADR ) missions to the affected region .