VF-24

VF-24 Fighting Renegades was a fighter squadron of the USN.

History

Fighter Squadron 24 was originally commissioned as Fighter Squadron 211 in June 1955 at NAS Moffett Field. Flying the FJ-3 Fury and was deployed aboard USS|Bon Homme Richard|CV-31|6. In 1957 the squadron transitioned to the F8U Crusader, and on March 9 1959 was redesignated Fighter Squadron 24. Making deployments to the Western Pacific aboard USS|Midway|CV-41|6, USS "Bon Homme Richard" (CVA-31) and USS|Hancock|CV-19|6 from 1959 to 1975, the squadron earned the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation (2 awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation (5 awards), Battle Efficiency Award (1972), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3 awards), and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.On May 19 1967, while deployed aboard USS "Bon Homme Richard" as part of CVW-21, LCDR Bobby C. Lee and Lt Phillip R. Wood became the first VF-24 pilots to shoot down MiG aircraft over North Vietnam, both MiG’s were downed with AIM-9 Sidewinders. Both MiGs were downed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. July 21 1967, CDR Marion H. Issacks (XO) and LCDR Robert L. Kirkwood scored the 3rd and 4th MiG kills for VF-24 with 20 mm guns and Sidewinder missiles. Lieutenant Junior Grade Philip W. Depewolf scored a probable kill. The Fighting Renegades established their reputation early as MiG Killers by becoming one of the Navy's first "Ace" squadrons.

In 1975, VF-24 made its last F-8 Crusader cruise aboard USS "Hancock", and upon return to San Diego, transitioned to the F-14 Tomcat and received their first aircraft on December 9 1975. During the rest of the 1970’s and early 1990’s, VF-24 deployed to the Western Pacific with USS|Constellation|CV-64|6. They won several awards, such as the Admiral Joseph Clifton Award, the Battle Efficiency “E” and the CNO Aviation Safety Award, 2 Sea Service Deployment Awards and completed six years and 22.000 flight hours without an accident.

In 1983 VF-24 and the rest of Carrier Air Wing 9 was reassigned to USS|Ranger|CV-61|6 as part of Battle Group Echo and were deployed by Central American operations and a WESTPAC which included 121 concurrent days of Indian Ocean Operations, the longest of any conventional powered aircraft carrier to date. The move to USS "Ranger" was due to that the Constellation had have F/A-18 capability added and the Ranger cruise was nick-named “DeathCruise '83/'84”” due to the loss of 11 crewmen. In August 1984 VF-24 and her airwing began workups with the USS "Kitty Hawk" (CV-63) with another WESTPAC and Indian Ocean cruise in July 1985.

In April 1986, VF-24 was called upon to execute Operation Coyote which involved positioning four fully mission capable F-14’s, accompanying aircrew and over 150 maintenance personnel and necessary spare parts over 2,000 miles away within 46 hours. From the time of execute order to go, aircraft were on deck in Adak, Alaska in less than 30 hours. This fast paced, strategically significant mission continued for seven days, despite limited command and control assets and an extremely difficult environment at Adak. Mission intercepts, employing innovative planning and tactics, of Soviet reconnaissance aircraft were well beyond expected range and were determined to be an overwhelming success. In October 1986, the Fighting Renegades surpassed the 3 years Foreign Object Damage free mark; an accomplishment no other F-14 fighter squadron. VF-24 deployed in January 1987, aboard USS "Kitty Hawk" for a six-month around-the-world cruise. The Fighting Renegades were awarded the 1986 CNO Aviation Safety Award, completed over 20,500 mishap free flight hours, achieved a record setting 97 consecutive days Full Mission Capable aircraft readiness, initiated air-to-air banner gunnery launches from the deck of USS "Kitty Hawk" and completed its 3rd consecutive FOD free cruise. Upon returning to NAS Miramar, VF-24 was again selected to deploy to Adak, Alaska for their second Operation Coyote mission. VF-24 was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation and Navy Expeditionary Medal for the 1987 deployment.

VF-24 was busy in 1988 as they spent 70% of the year deployed and had join USS|Nimitz|CVN-68|6 with the rest of the airwing. They deployed to the northern and western Pacific and the Indian Ocean and was part of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul during Operation Olympic Presence as well as doing exercises with "Midway" and the Singapore, Malaysian and Thailand Air forces. 1988 was another year where VF-24 received another CNO Aviation Safety Award.

Another cruise began in 1989 with the Nimitz through the Bering Straits. Upon their arrival in San Diego in August the began the transition to the F-14B. VF-24 was one of the first Pacific Fleet Fighter Squadrons to do so. One year later, VF-24 made history as the first F-14 squadron to drop air-to-ground ordnance at NAS Fallon during Integrated Air Wing Training. In November 1990 they began preparations for deployment and headed for the Persian Gulf in February 1991 and was one of the of two west coast squadrons to deploy the F-14B. In April 1991, VF-24 began flying missions in support of Operation Provide Comfort over Iraq and Kuwait and participated in detachments to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. In June the same year, VF-24 had completed nine years and 36.000 flight hours without incident. They returned to Miramar in August the same year.

VF-24 began an aggressive turnaround cycle by participating in RED FLAG exercise at Nellis AFB in February 1992. VF-24 flew sorties as "red air" against a coordinated multi-national strike team. As with all Navy F-14 squadrons VF-24 were Bombcat qualified, carrying "dumb" munitions such as Mk-80 series bombs, Mk-20 cluster munitions, air laid sea mines, TALD surface to air missile decoys and practice bombs. Laser guided bomb's could be carried, but had to be buddy lazed. For all its time with the F-14 Tomcat, VF-24 was teamed with VF-211 as part of CVW-9. Their last cruise took place in November 1995 to May 1996, onboard the USS "Nimitz". Unfortunately, because of the declining role of the Tomcat's primary mission (as a platform for the Phoenix missile system) and the development of the AMRAAM missile system, the Navy in the mid 90s chose the F/A-18 Hornet and the Super Hornet as a replacement for the aging Tomcat rather than expand the F-14D program. As a result VF-24 became one of the first squadrons to be disestablished on August 31 1996.

References

* [http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-squadron-vf024.htm VF-24 History]
* [http://www.tomcatalley.com/squadron/vf24hist.htm VF-24 Fighting Renegades History]