VAQ - 137 Electronic Attack Squadron 137 ( VAQ - 137 ) also known as the " Rooks " , is a United States Navy electronic attack squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Washington . The " Rooks " are an operational fleet squadron that flies the EA - 18G . The " Rooks " are attached to Carrier Air Wing 1 ( CVW - 1 ) , which is currently assigned to the . Their radio callsign is " Rook " and their tailcode is AB . History . Since their original commissioning on December 14 , 1973 , the Rooks of VAQ - 137 have flown three versions of the EA - 6B Prowler aboard six different aircraft carriers in every major theater . They ' ve earned four Navy Unit Commendations , three Meritorious Unit Commendations , six Battle " E ” s , three Navy Expeditionary Medals , two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals , one Humanitarian Service Medal and four Safety " S " awards . In 1988 , the squadron was awarded the Prowler Excellence Award . Twice the Rooks were selected " Prowler Squadron of the Year " , and four times they ' ve been awarded the prestigious Admiral Arthur W . Radford Award for highest achievement in electronic warfare among all VAQ / VMAQ squadrons . VAQ 137 first deployed in 1974 with CVW - 14 for a WESTPAC cruise aboard USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) , flying EXCAP Prowlers . In April 1975 , on station in the South China Sea , Rooks operated non - stop to provide essential electronic surveillance for OPERATION FREQUENT WIND , the evacuation of Americans from Saigon . Between 1976 and 1978 , the ROOKS made two Med cruises with CVW - 6 aboard USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) . In April 1976 , the squadron provided standoff ECM support for the evacuation of Americans from civil - war - torn Beirut , Lebanon . During the two cruises , the ROOKS obtained emitter data and the first Navy photos of the USSR ' s Kiev class aircraft carrier and their newest Kara class cruiser . Between 1979 and 1982 , VAQ - 137 made three WESTPAC cruises with CVW - 2 aboard the USS RANGER ( CV 61 ) . In January 1981 , the ROOKS were on station in the North Arabian Sea when the Iranians released 52 American hostages held since November 1979 . In March , USS RANGER ( CV 61 ) received the Humanitarian Service Medal for the rescue of 138 Vietnamese " boat people " after a VAQ - 137 crew sighted them . In 1983 , the ROOKS joined CVW - 3 for an action - packed Med cruise aboard USS KENNEDY ( CV 67 ) . In November , they participated in a coordinated French / US air strike against an Iranian training camp at Baalbek , Lebanon . In December , they participated in a strike against SAM / AAA sites east of Beirut , providing essential radar jamming . In February 1984 , the ROOKS flew support missions while multi - national peacekeeping forces pulled out of Lebanon . In 1984 , the ROOKS were the first EA - 6B squadron to transition to ICAP II . Between 1985 and 1987 , the squadron made two Med cruises with CVW 17 aboard USS SARATOGA ( CV 60 ) . After the Italian cruiseliner , ACHILLE LAURO , was hijacked in October 1985 , CVW - 17 aircraft intercepted the hijackers ' plane and forced them to land at a NATO airfield . In March 1986 , VAQ - 137 co - authored and participated in the successful air strike against an SA - 5 site at Sirte , Libya . In 1989 , the ROOKS joined CVW - 1 for a Med and Indian Ocean cruise aboard USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) . During nine months at sea , VAQ - 137 participated in nine major exercises in the North Atlantic , Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean . They sailed from the Arctic Circle to the Equator via the Suez Canal . In August , when Lieutenant Colonel Higgens , USMC , was brutally executed in Lebanon , USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) emergency sortied from Singapore to be on station in the North Arabian Sea . The Rooks provided critical electronic surveillance for contingency operations . When the United States evacuated the Beirut Embassy in September , the Rooks were airborne within hours of entering the Mediterranean providing EW support to the operation . In December 1990 , the Rooks deployed aboard USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) with five ICAP 2 Prowlers in support of OPERATION DESERT STORM . During 212 combat sorties , the Rooks provided ECM coverage and fired 30 HARM missiles in support of the United Nations Coalition Forces . VAQ - 137 was the only EA - 6B squadron to fight the war from both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf . Following the cease - fire , the Rooks completed the Desert Storm deployment with a successful five aircraft TransMed and TransLant fly - off enroute to Whidbey Island . After only four months , VAQ - 137 returned to USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) in August 1991 , and deployed to the North Atlantic for operations in the Norwegian Fjords during NORTHSTAR ' 91 . In December 1991 , the Rooks deployed aboard USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) for MED 2 - 91 . After three months of Mediterranean operations the USS AMERICA ( CV 66 ) sortied again for the Persian Gulf in March 1992 . The Rooks were the first EA - 6B squadron who had fought in DESERT STORM to return to the area arriving on station a mere 12 months after the war . VAQ - 137 ’ s last deployment ended in February 1994 . During that deployment , the Rooks participated in Operation Continue Hope over Somalia , southern watch over Iraq and Deny Flight over Bosnia . The Rooks were formally disestablished at 1330 , 26 May 1994 . In 1995 , Program Budget Decisions 752 and 753 detailed the commissioning of 5 EA - 6B squadrons to replace the USAF EF - 111A Raven in fulfilling the Joint Electronic Attack role . VAQ - 137 is the third of those five squadrons to be commissioned . VAQ - 137 was re - established at 1300 , 3 October 1996 onboard Naval Air Station , Whidbey Island , Washington . Upon reaching full operational capability , the Rooks were assigned to carrier Air Wing One and deployed aboard the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON ( CVN 73 ) within one year of re - establishment . During the 1997 deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch , the Rooks led the EA - 6B community and Air Wing One in all operational comparisons : 91 combat missions , 275 combat hours , 618 flight hours , 230 arrested landings , and a 100 % Operation Southern Watch sortie completion rate . In addition , the ROOKS operated the largest carrier based EA - 6B squadron in history ; eight aircraft deployed and seven flown back to NAS Whidbey Island . The Rooks assimilated 3 additional aircraft , 12 aircrew , and 10 maintenance personnel to meet the increased JCS CONOPS requirements . At the conclusion of the deployment , VAQ - 137 was awarded the Commander , Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet , Battle Efficiency Award for outstanding performance during 1997 and the semi - annual Safety “ S ” for the second half of 1997 . In September 1999 , the Rooks deployed aboard the USS John F . Kennedy while attached to Carrier Battle Group SIX ( CCG - 6 ) and Carrier Air Wing ONE ( CVW - 1 ) . In addition to other exercises , the Rooks participated in the “ Bright Star ” exercise off the coast of Egypt . Once again the Rooks led the way protecting coalition aircraft from participating surface to air missile systems . Additionally , the Rooks were both the first and last members of CVW - 1 to fly missions in support of Operation Southern Watch ( OSW ) combat sorties . VAQ - 137 deployed on the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT ( CVN 71 ) on September 19 , 2001 . The Rooks were the first Prowler squadron to deploy with night vision goggles and accumulated 751 NVD hours . The Rooks spent a record 159 days at sea during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM , flying three consecutive months of 400 + hours . 254 combat sorties were flown . In February 2003 the Rooks began Pre - deployment workups . After a disjointed workup schedule they completed TSTA III and COMTUEX in September 2003 and began deployment on October 3 , 2003 with Carrier Air Wing ONE ( CVW - 1 ) onboard the USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) . In May 2006 , the Rooks deployed onboard USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) as a component of Carrier Air Wing ONE and Carrier Strike Group TWO . VAQ - 137 successfully conducted split site operations in AL ASAD , Iraq in direct support of the Global War on Terrorism . In July 2007 , the Rooks found themselves going back to support the troops in Iraq from the USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) in the Persian Gulf . The Rooks successfully helped ensure the safety of Soldiers , Sailors , Marines and Airmen , on the ground , during the increased operation tempo of the surge . The Rooks returned from this rigorous deployment in December 2007 . Two deployments , only seven months apart , with associated workups , tested every member of the squadron and their families . Although the Rooks had no operational commitments following two back to back deployments , VAQ - 137 participated in seven major detachments while excelling in 15 Major inspections , 12 Fully Mission Capable aircraft transfers to deploying squadrons and temporary loans of six aircraft . VAQ - 137 continued to support the Fleet Readiness Squadron ( FRS ) , Electronic Attack Weapon School ( EAWS ) , and CVWP while executing squadron training . In 2010 , the Rooks finally had an Inter Deployment Readiness Cycle ( IDRC ) . The squadron ’ s continued support of the Electronic Attack Weapons School ( EAWS ) helped smooth the Rooks ’ transition to a deployable asset . The squadron came together and focused on an IDRC while balancing the priorities of detachments to the east coast and rigorous maintenance requirements , including TSTA , COMTUEX , and Joint Task Force Exercise ( JTFX ) . For the Rooks , 2011 was monopolized by a deployment and rigorous training to deploy again the following year . In the 2011 deployment , the squadron supported combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM ( OEF ) and NEW DAWN ( OND ) , as well as counter - piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean . The Rooks overcame further challenges at home by transitioning from ICAP III aircraft to the older ICAP II aircraft . In short order they were ready to employ the newly accepted aircraft during Air Wing Fallon and back onboard USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) for Carrier Qualification and Deck Certification . The beginning of 2012 saw the Rooks prepare for deployment with COMTUEX and JTFX in January and February . After a short turnaround at home in Whidbey Island , WA , the Rooks deployed for the final voyage of USS ENTERPRISE ( CVN 65 ) . The deployment was dominated by providing direct support for combat operations in OEF , where the Rooks amassed 165 combat sorties and 1040 combat hours . In October 2013 the Rooks were deemed ' Safe for flght ' in the E / A - 18G . They will next deploy with CVW - 1 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2014 . Since their original commissioning on December 14 , 1973 , the Rooks of VAQ - 137 have flown three versions of the EA - 6B Prowler aboard six different aircraft carriers in every major theater . They ' ve earned four Navy Unit Commendations , three Meritorious Unit Commendations , six Battle " E ” s , three Navy Expeditionary Medals , two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals , one Humanitarian Service Medal and four Safety " S " awards . In 1988 , the squadron was awarded the Prowler Excellence Award . Twice the Rooks were selected " Prowler Squadron of the Year " , and four times they ' ve been awarded the prestigious Admiral Arthur W . Radford Award for highest achievement in electronic warfare among all AEA squadrons . 3 . ROOK COMMANDING OFFICERS : CDR R . M . McDivet ( DEC73 - NOV74 ) CDR J . K . Flyum ( NOV74 - NOV75 ) CDR G . Miller ( NOV75 - MAR77 ) CDR R . F . Dewalt ( MAR77 - JUN78 ) CDR R . F . Sullivan ( JUN78 - SEP79 ) CDR J . B . Lamb ( SEP79 - OCT80 ) CDR L . E . Gardiner ( OCT80 - JAN82 ) CDR T . J . Williams ( JAN82 - JUL83 ) CDR J . E . Eckart ( JUL83 - JAN85 ) CDR D . C . Roper ( JAN85 - MAY86 ) CDR R . C . Christian ( MAY86 - OCT87 ) CDR T . F . Noonan ( OCT87 - JUN89 ) CDR M . V . Sherrard ( JUN89 - OCT90 ) CDR R . E . Stevens ( OCT90 - MAR92 ) CDR K . G . Krech ( MAR92 - JUN93 ) CDR S . A . Ewell ( JUN93 - JUN94 ) CDR R . C . Plucker ( OCT96 - MAY97 ) CDR M . C . Geron ( MAY97 - OCT98 ) CDR J . K . Gruetzmacher ( OCT98 - JAN00 ) CDR W . T . Griffin ( JAN00 - APR01 ) CDR G . C . Peterson ( APR01 - AUG02 ) CDR B . J . Glackin ( AUG02 - OCT03 ) CDR J . S . Ruth ( OCT03 - FEB05 ) CDR K . Meenaghan ( FEB05 - MAY06 ) CDR M . Buchanan ( MAY06 - OCT07 ) CDR James Lins ( OCT07 - PRES ) CDR G . Patenaude ( JAN09 - APR10 ) CDR D . Edgarton ( APR10 - JUN11 ) CDR M . MacNicholl ( JUN11 - OCT12 ) CDR T . Estes ( OCT12 - Present )