VFA - 151 The Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One Vigilantes ( VFA - 151 ) are a United States Navy F / A - 18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore . They are a part of Carrier Air Wing 9 and are attached to the . Their tail code is " NG " and their radio callsign is " Switch " . Squadron Insignia and Nickname . The squadron ’ s 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 unit ' s " around - the - clock " vigil of readiness . History . Four distinct U . S . Navy squadrons have been designated VF - 151 . The first was established , and then disestablished , in 1945 . The second was established at VF - 153 in 1945 and eventually became VFA - 192 . The third was originally established as VF - 65 in 1951 . This squadron 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 the USS Midway ( CV - 41 ) 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 - Dec 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 Sep 1950 , the squadron flew combat missions from USS Boxer ( CV - 21 ) in support of the amphibious landings at Inchon , Korea . Upon their return to the States , the squadron relocated to NAS Moffett Field in Nov 1950 . The squadron transitioned to the jet age in Jan 1951 , flying the straight - wing F9F - 2 Panther on their second Korea deployment from USS Princeton ( CV - 37 ) . During the third Korean War deployment , while flying from USS Essex ( CV - 9 ) in Aug 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 Mar 1954 , the squadron was deployed to the western Pacific aboard " Essex " when the carrier was ordered to operate off the coast of Vietnam during the Viet Minh ’ s assault against the French at Dien Bien Phu . In Dec 1956 , VF - 23 transitioned to the F4D - 1 Skyray , and in Aug and Sep 1958 , the squadron flew sorties from in the Taiwan Straits after the Chinese Communists bombarded Quemoy Island . VF - 23 deployed to the WestPac aboard in 1958 and again 1959 . The squadron , now known as the " Vigilantes " , transitioned to the F3H - 2 Demon in Jan 1959 . A month later , the squadron was redesignated Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE ( VF - 151 ) on 23 February 1959 and assigned to Carrier Air Group 15 . 1960s . In Jul 1961 , the squadron moved homeports to NAS Miramar and made the first of three WestPac deployments aboard USS " Coral Sea " ( CV - 43 ) . In Jan 1964 , the squadron transitioned to the two - seat F - 4B Phantom and deployed for its first Vietnam War cruise on 7 Dec 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 Vigilantes returned to Southeast Asia on their second Vietnam deployment in December 1966 aboard USS " Constellation " ( CV - 64 ) . The squadron made its third deployment of the war aboard USS " Coral Sea " from July 1967 to April 1968 . On October 24 , 1967 the squadron ' s commanding officer , CDR C . R . Gillespie , and his RIO , LTJG R . C . Clark , were shot down by a surface - to - air missile over North Vietnam . CDR Gillespie became a POW and was not released until May 1973 . LTJG Clark died in captivity . In Mar 1968 , " Coral Sea " , with VF - 151 embarked , operated on station off the coast of Korea following the capture of USS Pueblo ( AGER - 2 ) by North Korea . The squadron deployed again in Sep 1968 with Carrier Air Wing 15 ( CVW - 15 ) aboard " Coral Sea " again following a short turn - around period . The squadron made its fifth combat deployment of the war in September 1969 aboard " 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 " Midway " , 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 I , the bombing campaign designed to disrupt supplies to the North Vietnamese . The squadron ' s 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 Vigilantes participated in every major operation of the Vietnam War . The Vigilantes 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 Vigilantes returned to San Francisco , California from Vietnam in March 1973 and transitioned to the F - 4N variant of the " Phantom " . 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 Atsugi and headed for Yankee Station for what would ultimately be called Operation Frequent Wind or the evacuation of Saigon as the country fell to the communists . The ship took aboard Marine helicopters as it passed Okinawa and offloaded them when in the vicinity of Cubi Point in the Philippines . The ship then headed for the coast of Vietnam and the squadrons flew Combat Air Patrols in support of “ Buffalo Hunter ” missions as the North Vietnamese moved quickly South through South Vietnam . In Aug – Sept 1976 , the squadron conducted flight operations near the Korean Peninsula following the murder of U . S . military personnel in the Korean DMZ by North Koreans . In Aug 1977 , the squadron transitioned to the F - 4J variant of the " Phantom " . 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 the 1979 " Midway " , with VF - 151 embarked , deployed to the Gulf of Aden following the outbreak of fighting between North and South Yemen and the fall of the Shah of Iran . During the 1980 deployment following the Iranian seizure of the American Embassy in Teheran , " Midway " , with VF - 151 embarked , proceeded to the Gulf of Oman and remained on station until relieved in early February 1980 . 1980s . In Dec 1980 , the " Vigies " transitioned to the F - 4S variant of the Phantom . 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 June 1 , 1986 . In November of that year , the squadron returned to USS " Midway " and NAF Atsugi . In Sept 1988 during the Summer Olympics in Seoul , South Korea , the squadron was embarked on " Midway " and operating in the Sea of Japan to demonstrate U . S . support for a peaceful Olympics . In Dec 1989 , " Midway " , with VFA - 151 embarked , maintained station off the coast of the Philippines during an attempted coup in that country . 1990s . The Vigilantes deployed aboard " 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 " MIDWAY ' s " last underway period . The " Vigilantes " then transferred to CVW - 2 , and moved to NAS Lemoore , California . In February 1993 the squadron transitioned to upgraded F / A - 18C Hornet Lot XV aircraft . In May 1993 , the Vigilantes embarked on USS Constellation ( CV - 64 ) and brought her 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 " Constellation " in 1997 and 1999 . 2000s . The squadron was the recipient of Strike Fighter Wing Pacific ' s Battle " E " award for CY2000 and deployed on " Conny " again in 2001 . The squadron deployed for its final deployment aboard " Constellation " in November 2002 . Following a successful combat deployment , " Constellation " was decommissioned in San Diego , California August 7 , 2003 . The Vigilantes , along with CVW - 2 , moved to the USS " Abraham Lincoln " ( CVN - 72 ) . In October 2004 , the squadron deployed on its first WESTPAC / Surge in support of the US Navy ' s new Fleet Response Plan . While deployed , the Vigilantes 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 , strike squadrons VFA - 2 , VFA - 34 , VFA - 137 , and VFA - 151 from Carrier Air Wing Two 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 exercise ’ s Combined Air Operations Center . In 2008 they deployed again on board the USS " Abraham Lincoln " ( CVN - 72 ) in the fifth fleet AOR which upon returning they again received the Battle " E " for the year of 2008 . 2010s . The squadron deployed again aboard USS " Abraham Lincoln " ( CVN - 72 ) in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom in the fifth fleet AOR from October 2010 to March 2011 . Combat employments included 5 x GBU - 54 , 5 x GBU - 12 , and 9 strafe runs of 1 , 467 rounds of 20mm . The squadron was awarded the Battle " E " for the year of 2010 as well as the Michael J . Estocin award . Awards . Included among the many achievements in VFA - 151 ' s proud history are the receipt of the Presidential Unit Citation , eight Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals , four Battle “ E ” awards , six Safety S ' s , six Navy Unit Commendations , the Michael J . Estocin award and seven Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citations .