VP - 4 Patrol Squadron Four ( VP - 4 ) is a U . S . Navy land - based patrol squadron based at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii , Oahu , Hawaii , which is tasked to undertake maritime patrol , anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) , and intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance ( ISR ) missions flying the Lockheed P - 3 Orion . History . Patrol Squadron FOUR has a long and distinguished history dating back to before World War II . The first squadron designated Patrol Squadron FOUR ( VP - 4 ) was established in 1928 and was based in Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . Re - designated Patrol Squadron TWENTY - TWO ( VP - 22 ) in 1938 , the squadron was nearly destroyed during the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941 . Following the attack , the squadron was reformed , refitted , and called to duty in World War II . While in the defense of the Philippines the squadron lost all but one aircraft leading to the disestablishment of the squadron . This paved the way for the second Patrol Squadron FOUR to be formed . In July 1943 , a new bombing squadron , Bombing Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY FOUR ( VB - 144 ) was established at NAS Alameda , California with the PV - 1 Ventura and continued to conduct combat and reconnaissance operations throughout the Pacific Theater . VB - 144 was redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 144 ( VPB - 144 ) in October 1944 . Following the war , VPB - 144 was placed in an inactive status and existed only administratively at NAS North Island , California . On 15 May 1946 VPB - 144 was redesignated Patrol Squadron ( VP - 144 ) . Shortly thereafter , on 15 November 1946 , VP - 144 was redesignated Medium Patrol Squadron ( Landplane ) FOUR ( VP - ML - 4 ) . In 1947 , VP - ML - 4 was reactivated at NAS Miramar , California . After taking receipt of the United States Navy ’ s newest patrol and reconnaissance aircraft , the P2V Neptune , VP - ML - 4 moved to NAS Whidbey Island , Washington in January 1948 . In September 1948 , the squadron was redesignated Patrol Squadron FOUR ( VP - 4 ) . These events mark the birth of the squadron as we know it today . In 1956 , VP - 4 was relocated to Naha Air Base , Okinawa , Japan . From this base , the squadron flew reconnaissance and Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) missions to counter the Communist Chinese threat to the islands of Matsu and Quemoy . Starting a long - standing tradition of excellence , in 1964 , the squadron marked its fourth year of unequaled operational excellence with three Commander , Naval Air Forces Pacific ( COMNAVAIRPAC ) Navy Battle “ E ” Awards , three Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) Safety Awards , and four Arnold J . Isbell ASW Awards . In April 1964 , VP - 4 returned to their original home of NAS Barbers Point , Hawaii . From there , the squadron made numerous deployments to Southeast Asia in support of military action in Vietnam . It was on one of these deployments in 1965 when the squadron logo was changed from the Okinawa - era " Neptune " design to a Hawaiian - inspired " Black Griffin . " The logo caused some confusion on the part of waitresses in the local Officer ' s Club , who remarked that it more closely resembled a " Skinny Dragon " and the new nickname was quickly adopted . In 1966 , the Skinny Dragons began transitioning from the SP - 2H Neptune to the P - 3A Orion . Following completion of the transition , PATRON FOUR again made history by becoming the first Hawaii - based squadron to deploy P - 3As to NAS Adak , Alaska in 1969 . In 1972 , VP - 4 was awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation for its efforts during Operations MARKET TIME and YANKEE STATION . During the 1975 deployment to NAS Cubi Point , VP - 4 participated in the evacuation of South Vietnam and the " Mayaguez " recovery operations , and in 1976 saw detachment operations to Naval Air Station Agana , Guam during which the squadron participated in Australia ’ s Kangaroo II fleet exercise . In July 1978 , the " Skinny Dragons " assumed the Guam Detachment and simultaneously conducted operations that stretched around the world including locations as distant as : NAS Cubi Point , Republic of the Philippines ; NAS Barbers Point , Hawaii ; NAS Moffett Field , California ; NAS Brunswick , Maine and NAS Sigonella , Italy . Patrol Squadron FOUR finished transitioning to the P - 3B ( MOD ) , or " SUPER BEE " in May 1979 . The squadron then started a work up period for its next NAS Cubi Point deployment , which began in November 1979 . While assigned to COMNAVAIRPAC , VP - 4 was awarded the Navy Battle “ E ” Award for operational excellence for the cycle from 1 January 1979 to 30 June 1980 . During the height of the Cold War , VP - 4 fought on the front lines . Making numerous deployments to NAS Cubi Point , Philippines ; Diego Garcia , British Indian Ocean Territory ; Kadena Air Base and Misawa Air Base , Japan ; NAS Adak , Alaska and countless other remote detachment sites , the squadron located , tracked and collected vital intelligence on Soviet ballistic missile and attack submarines . This era in VP - 4 ’ s history is marked by a number of “ firsts ” including becoming the first squadron at NAS Barbers Point , Hawaii to transition to the P - 3C , the first NAS Barbers Point squadron to deploy to Diego Garcia ( May 1980 ) , and the first Hawaii squadron to deploy with P - 3Cs to NAS Adak , Alaska ( 1981 ) . VP - 4 ’ s operational excellence and contributions to the Cold War were recognized in 1987 in once again earning the Navy Battle “ E ” Award . Additionally , during this time , the squadron ’ s concern for the safety and welfare of its Sailors was marked by surpassing 100 , 000 hours of mishap free flying and earning back - to - back Golden Anchor Retention Excellence awards in 1987 and 1988 . In 1988 VP - 4 returned to Hawaii where they participated in numerous exercises , including RIM OF THE PACIFIC ( RIMPAC ) Exercise . In 1989 the " Skinny Dragons " completed a highly successful deployment to NAS Adak , conducting numerous Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) operations and participating in PACIFIC EXERCISE - 89 , the largest Naval exercise since World War II . Deploying to Diego Garcia in November 1990 , the " Skinny Dragons " quickly established a detachment in Masirah , Oman to enforce the United Nations Embargo against Iraq during Operation DESERT SHIELD . By early January 1991 , 179 missions had challenged 3 , 669 merchant vessels . The embargo gave way to Battle Force Protection as war was declared on 17 January 1991 . Flying 279 combat missions and 2 , 779 flight hours in the Persian Gulf in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM , VP - 4 provided detection and targeting , resulting in the total destruction of the Iraqi Navy . Upon returning home to Hawaii , VP - 4 learned that it had again received the Chief of Naval Operations Golden Anchor and the Commander , Patrol Wings Pacific ( COMPATWINGSPAC ) Golden Orion for retention excellence . In November 1993 , VP - 4 deployed to Misawa AB , Japan , and established a permanent detachment at Kadena AB , Okinawa . While on deployment , VP - 4 received the 1993 Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award for a Pacific Fleet Maritime Patrol Squadron , the Commander , US 7th Fleet Award and the Captain Arnold Jay Isbell Trophy , both for Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) excellence . After completing a challenging at home training cycle , VP - 4 conducted a split - site deployment to Misawa AB and Kadena AB in 1995 . During this deployment the squadron flew around the clock for seventeen straight days during the People ’ s Republic of China - Taiwan Crisis , providing intelligence support and protection against anti - surface and subsurface threats to both the NIMITZ and INDEPENDENCE carrier battle groups . In early 1997 , VP - 4 completed a quad - site deployment to Diego Garcia ; Masirah , Oman ; Manama , Bahrain , and Kadena AB , Japan . While on deployment , Skinny Dragon aircrew and maintenance personnel conducted the first permanent detachment in the Persian Gulf . In addition , VP - 4 acted as the armed patrol aircraft detachment from Doha , Qatar , flying 21 straight days with weapons and exercised the first 24 - hour armed ready alert Maritime Patrol Aviation ( MPA ) posture in the Persian Gulf . In addition , VP - 4 acted as the fleet ' s “ eyes in the sky ” in support of Maritime Interdiction Operations ( MIO ) , enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolutions ( UNSCRs ) and the Iraqi Oil for Food program . In 1998 , pursuant to the BRAC decision to close NAS Barbers Point , Hawaii , VP - 4 executed a homeport change to the other side of Oahu , relocating to MCAS Kaneohe Bay , now known as Marine Corps Base Hawaii . In December 1998 , VP - 4 again deployed to six sites around the Middle East . During their deployment , the " Skinny Dragons " participated in three combat operations : Operation Desert Fox , where they were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation ; Operation Southern Watch , where VP - 4 triggered the initial strike and delivered pre and post - strike imagery ; and Operations Allied Force / Noble Anvil in Kosovo , which resulted in VP - 4 ' s Combat Air Crew 10 being awarded eleven ( 11 ) Air Medal s . In home waters that same year , VP - 4 also hosted 35 countries during RIMPAC 98 . Patrol Squadron FOUR was the first VP squadron to introduce the P - 3C Anti - Surface Warfare Improvement Program ( P - 3C AIP ) aircraft to the Fleet . VP - 4 proved AIP ’ s power during deployment by supporting three aircraft carrier battle groups in the Persian Gulf and becoming the first squadron to achieve reliable AIP imagery transfer . VP - 4 was also the first squadron in the US 7th Fleet to fire the AGM - 65 Maverick air - to - surface missile from a P - 3C AIP aircraft . In November 1999 , VP - 4 flew to NAS North Island , California to participate in Joint Fleet Exercise ( JTFEX / FLEETEX ) . While at JTFEX / FLEETEX , the Skinny Dragons participated in 23 events , including AIP and AGM - 84 Standoff Land Attack Missile ( SLAM ) demo flights . In June 2000 , VP - 4 conducted a WESTPAC deployment with detachments in 13 countries and participating in 27 multi - national exercises . The squadron also saved 22 lives in various Search and Rescue ( SAR ) operations within US 7th Fleet ’ s Area of Responsibility ( AOR ) . The squadron was again honored with the Navy Battle “ E ” Award in 2000 , the third such award in five years . Following the attacks of 11 September 2001 , VP - 4 deployed to the US Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) AOR under Commander , Task Force 57 ( CTF 57 ) , a subordinate element of US Naval Forces Central Command ( USNAVCENT ) / US 5th Fleet . VP - 4 conducted overland operations above Afghanistan flying armed reconnaissance missions and over the waters of the Middle East conducting Leadership Interdiction Operations in the first days of Operation Enduring Freedom . Over Afghanistan , VP - 4 aircraft provided commanders a bird ' s eye view of the terrain where US special operations forces ( SOF ) were operating to dislodge Taliban and Al - Qaeda fighters from their mountainous hideouts . VP - 4 also played a pivotal role in Operation ANACONDA , the largest land battle in Afghanistan to that date . Over water , aircrews were instrumental in operations to intercept and cut - off fleeing Taliban and Al - Qaeda fighters . For their efforts , VP - 4 was once again recognized with the 2002 Commander , Naval Air Force Pacific Battle “ E ” Award as the top P - 3 squadron in the Pacific Fleet . During their 2003 deployment , VP - 4 continued to support Operation Enduring Freedom against terrorist factions in the Philippines , providing critical real time intelligence . These missions highlighted the expanse of Coalition operations against Al - Qaeda and Al - Qaeda backed terrorists . VP - 4 also had the opportunity to conduct the P - 3C ’ s primary mission , Antisubmarine Warfare , against diesel and nuclear powered submarines , completing this deployment by flying over 4 , 000 mishap - free flight hours and completing over 800 missions . In 2005 , VP - 4 successfully completed a wartime deployment to the Middle East and Western Pacific , carrying out a wide variety of missions ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support missions to the Indian Ocean tsunami victims , to direct support of ground combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . In December 2006 , the squadron deployed to Misawa AB and Kadena AB , and to the Philippines , in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines . This was followed by a return to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in November 2008 . On this deployment , VP - 4 supplied detachments in support of numerous joint and multinational exercises at RAF Lakenheath , United Kingdom ; RAF Kinloss , Scotland ; and NAS Sigonella , Sicily . This experience proved invaluable during the ensuing interdeployment readiness cycle , when the " Skinny Dragons " successfully planned , hosted , and executed the world ' s largest joint , multinational military exercise , RIMPAC 2010 . Following completion of a series of detachment operations , VP - 4 departed MCB Kaneohe Bay for a split site deployment in November 2010 , supporting assets in both the US 5th Fleet and US 7th Fleet AORs . Following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 , VP - 4 forward - deployed to Misawa AB in fewer than 24 hours and re - established CTG 72 . 4 as an operational entity and the first US aviation unit on station for Operation Tomodachi , with VP - 4 subsequently providing 254 flight hours of humanitarian and disaster relief support to the Japanese people . In November 2012 , VP - 4 was deployed to the US 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean , operating from NAS Sigonella , Italy ; NS Rota , Spain and numerous other locations in support of US Naval Forces Europe , US Naval Forces Africa , NATO and Unified Combatant Commanders . As of 2013 , the squadron has surpassed over 40 years of mishap - free flying , with over 254 , 000 flight hours . Operations . Between 25 – 27 March 2006 , a series of anti - submarine warfare exercises were held in Hawaiian waters that included Carrier Strike Group Nine , the nuclear - powered attack submarines , , , , and , as well as land - based P - 3 Orion aircraft from patrol squadrons VP - 9 , and VP - 47 , and VP - 4 .