- VFA-192
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Strike Fighter Squadron 192
caption= VFA-192 Insignia
dates=March 26 ,1946 - present
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Navy
type= Fighter/Attack
role=Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance
size=
command_structure=Carrier Air Wing 5
current_commander=
garrison=Naval Air Facility Atsugi
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "Golden Dragons"
patron=
motto= “Be Ready, our Enemy Must Lose” and S.S.H.W.F.G.D ("Super Smoking Hot World Famous Golden Dragons")
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Korean War Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), also known as the "Golden Dragons", are a
United States Navy F/A-18C Hornet fighter squadron stationed atNaval Air Facility Atsugi . They are attached toCarrier Air Wing 5 , their tailcode is "NF", and their radio callsign is "Dragon".quadron Insignia and Nickname
The squadron’s first insignia was approved by
CNO on 11 October 1945 and consisted of a reddish brown kangaroo with crimson boxing gloves on a white cloud. The squadron was known as the "Fightin' Kangaroos". Following the squadron’s redesignation to VF-15A, the squadron changed its name to the "Black Knights" and a new insignia was approved on 24 November 1947. It was a black helmet with gold markings and a gold shield. When the squadron was redesignated VF-151, the helmet/shield insignia was modified and the Latin inscription "In Omnia Paratus" was added, meaning "ever ready". A new squadron insignia was approved on 8 August 1950, consisting of a silver dragon and grey/black carrier insignia. This design was modified with a yellow dragon, white nuclear symbol and white cloud with a red rising center when the squadron became VA-192 on 21 June 1956. The squadron took on the nickname "Golden Dragons" at this time.History
1940s
Strike Fighter Squadron 192 was originally established as Fighter Squadron 153 (VF-153) on March 26,
1945 at NASAtlantic City flying the F6F-3 Hellcat. The squadron received F6F-5s in April, and relocated to NAAS Oceana in June. The squadron moved toNAS Alameda in Aug 1946, and was redesignated to Fighter Squadron 15A on 15 November 1946.The squadron’s first deployment was aboard USS|Antietam|CV-36 from March-October
1947 . Immediately following their return, the squadron transitioned to the F8F-1 Bearcat in Nov 1947. The squadron was redesignated Fighter Squadron 151 (VF-151) on 15 July 1948. In February 1949, half of the squadron’s personnel and aircraft deployed aboardUSS Boxer (CV-21) for a Pacific Fleet Minor Cold Weather Exercise nearKodiak, Alaska . They upgraded to the F8F-2 model of the Bearcat in July 1949.1950s
.
The squadron deployed aboard USS|Princeton|CV-37|6 from Nov 1950 to June 1951 in support of the
Korean War . On 5 Dec 1950, the squadron flew its first combat missions, providing close air support for U.S. Marines during theBattle of Chosin Reservoir inNorth Korea . On 1 May 1951, the squadron participated in a special strike against the Hwachon Reservoir Dam withVF-193 andVA-195 . The purpose of the mission was to destroy the flood gates and raise the level of the river to form a natural barrier against the enemy’s advance. VF-192 F4U-4s were tasked with flak and small arms suppression.After deployment, the squadron the squadron moved to
NAS Moffett Field and began to transition to the jet powered F9F-2 Panther, receiving several of these aircraft in Jul 1951. However, all of these aircraft were transferred to VF-191 in October 1951, and VF-192 continued to fly the F4U-4.The squadron deployed for Korea aboard "Princeton" again from Mar-Nov 1952. On 23–24 Jun, the squadron, along with units from two other carrier air groups, conducted coordinated air strikes against North Korean hydroelectric plants. Squadron aircraft struck the Suiho hydroelectric plant on the
Yalu River , the Kyosen hydroelectric plant and the Fusen hydroelectric plant. In July, VF-192 participated in one of the major joint Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps air strikes of the war, hitting industrial targets in North Korea’s capital city ofPyongyang .Early in 1953, the Black Knights entered the jet age by receiving the F9F-2 and F9F-5 Panther fresh off the assembly line.
The squadron deployed aboard USS|Oriskany|CV-34|6 in September 1953, and during that cruise to the Orient, the pilots participated in the filming of "
The Bridges at Toko-Ri ". It was the debut of this film that earned the squadron the name “World Famous Golden Dragons.”On January 19,
1956 , the squadron upgraded to the swept-wing [F9F Cougar|F9F-6 Cougar and their mission changed to include the aircraft's ground weapons delivery capability. On March 15,1956 , the official designation of the squadron was changed from Fighter Squadron to Attack Squadron 192 (VA-192). The squadron received its first F9F-8s in Jun 1956.VA-192, now known as the "Golden Dragons", transitioned to the FJ-4B Fury in Dec 1957, and following an exchange of aircraft, maintainers and support equipment with
VA-216 , transitioned again to the A4D-2 Skyhawk in July 1959.1960s
In December 1962, the squadron moved from Moffet Field to
NAS Lemoore , California, and on November 21,1964 , after completing almost ten months in the Western Pacific, the Dragons returned from their fourth consecutive cruise aboard USS|Bon Homme Richard|CV-31|6. After a four-month turnaround, they deployed aboard the “Bonnie Dick” in April 1965 for a ten-month cruise in support of theVietnam War . A new and more powerful A-4E “Skyhawk,” with the ability to carry a greater bomb load, was received in June 1966.The squadron deployed again to
Yankee Station in Oct 1966 aboardUSS Ticonderoga (CV-14) . During this deployment, Golden Dragon LCDRMichael J. Estocin greatly distinguished himself in the air arena,posthumous ly earning theMedal of Honor for his gallantry and courage while flying two separate missile suppression missions toHaiphong . On the second mission, Commander Estocin's A-4 was shot down and he was listed as MIA; on 10 November 1977 his MIA status was changed to presumed KIA. In his memory, the Navy’s award for the best F/A-18 Hornet squadron is called the Michael J. Estocin Award.In July 1967, the "Golden Dragons" became the first operational fleet squadron to receive the new A-4F Skyhawk, and in December of that year the "Dragons" again deployed aboard "Ticonderoga". In March 1968, VA-192, along with other squadrons in CVW-19, conducted flight operations from "Tico" in the
Sea of Japan as part of Operation Formation Star - a continuing show of American forces in the area following the capture ofUSS Pueblo (AGER-2) byNorth Korea . In April of 1969, the Golden Dragons made their last deployment with the A-4F aboardUSS Oriskany (CV-34) . It was during this cruise that the squadron was recognized for an amazing safety record during extensive combat operations. Specifically, this safety record spanned over 55 accident-free months, 30,477 flight hours and 11,580 carrier landings. No other carrier jet squadron had ever achieved such a safety record up to that time.1970s
Attack Squadron 192 took delivery of their first A-7E Corsair II in February 1970. On November 6,
1970 , the squadron deployed aboard USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6. During this cruise, VA-192’s “Laotian Highway Patrol” set an all-time record for ordnance dropped on a single cruise, over 15 million pounds, while flying more than 6,600 flight hours and amassing 2,901 arrested landings. The "Dragons" delivered this record amount of ordnance on enemy supply routes both day and night, in all kinds of weather, without losing a single man or aircraft. After returning to NAS Lemoore in July1971 , the "Dragons" immediately began preparing for another combat cruise to Southeast Asia . On February 17,1972 , the squadron departed on their sixth Vietnam combat cruise, flying their first combat sorties on March 5,1972 . In May 1972, squadron aircraft participated in the mining of North Vietnamese harbors andLinebacker I operations, concentrated air strikes against targets in North Vietnam. The Golden Dragons flew over 3,600 combat strikes while participating in seven combat line periods over a record 192 days.From late 1973 to 1978, the squadron made several WestPac deployments aboard the USS "Kitty Hawk". In Nov 1973, VA-192 deployed with CVW-11 and "Kitty Hawk" as part of the first CV concept air wing deployment on the west coast. This concept employed all aspects of carrier aviation warfare into one air wing deployed on a single deck. On March 3,
1979 the squadron embarked aboard USS|America|CV-66|6 atNorfolk, Virginia , for their firstMediterranean cruise.1980s
The squadron deployed for a second Mediterranean cruise aboard "America" on from April to November
1981 , spending 202 of 220 days at sea. In November 1982, the squadron joinedCarrier Air Wing 9 and became a part of the USS|Ranger|CV-61|6 team. In Jul–Aug 1983, "Ranger", with VA-912 embarked, was ordered to operate off the coast ofNicaragua in response to an unstable situation in Central America. From Oct 1983 to Jan 1984: Ranger, with VA-192 embarked, was extended on station in theArabian Sea due to the Iranian threat to block oil exports from thePersian Gulf .By early
1985 , the Golden Dragons began to prepare for transition to theF/A-18 Hornet . About half of the A-7E’s and personnel who maintained them had been transferred from the squadron when the Dragons were ordered toMCAS Iwakuni ,Japan under the Marine CorpsUnit Deployment Program . In less than three months, the squadron was fully manned and equipped with 12 A-7E’s, and on June 3,1985 launched for a three day transpacific flight to Iwakuni. Upon arrival, the squadron became part ofMarine Aircraft Group 12 under the1st Marine Air Wing . The squadron returned to Lemoore for Christmas, and on January 10,1986 the Golden Dragons were re-designated Strike Fighter Squadron One Nine Two (VFA-192). While inFA-18 Hornet transition training underVFA-125 . On February 14, 1986, exactly 16 years after the first Dragon Corsair II was accepted, VA-192 transferred its last A-7E. The squadron received their first FA-18A on 5 May 1986. This new beginning also included notification that the squadron would be changing homeport to join CVW-5 and USS|Midway|CV-41|6 out ofYokosuka , Japan. This change became official on 1 Jul 1986, and in November the "Golden Dragons" executed their second transpacific movement in eighteen months in new F/A-18 Hornets toNAF Atsugi , Japan.1987 began with VFA-192’s first deployment embarked in "Midway" as a member of the restructured CVW-5. The next twelve months included 261 days of embarked operations in the
South China Sea ,Indian Ocean , andArabian Sea . During November and December, the Dragons participated inOperation Earnest Will , providing air cover for the escort of reflagged Kuwait oil tankers in theStrait of Hormuz andPersian Gulf .1990s
On October 2,
1990 , the squadron set sail aboard "Midway" for the Persian Gulf in support ofOperation Desert Shield . WhenOperation Desert Storm began on the night of January 17,1991 , the Golden Dragons attackedIraqi missile batteries. Over the next 43 days, the Golden Dragons flew 576 combat sorties, dropping over 730,000 pounds of ordnance. In March, VFA-192 and the "Midway" Battle Group departed the Persian Gulf, returning home to Yokosuka following seven months of deployment.On August 21,
1991 , VFA-192 and CVW-5 embarked for the last time aboard "Midway" prior to her retirement and replacement as the forward deployed carrier by USS|Independence|CV-62|6. During the turnover atPearl Harbor ,Hawaii , the squadron also traded their F/A-18A aircraft for newer F/A-18Cs.On April 15,
1992 , the Golden Dragons deployed for the first time aboard "Independence", participating in the 50th anniversary celebration of theBattle of Coral Sea inSydney, Australia . The Dragons were also a part of the battle group that spearheadedOperation Southern Watch (OSW), establishing theIraqi no-fly zone south of the 32nd parallel.In Fall 1993, Summer 1995, and again in Winter 1998, the Golden Dragons deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of OSW. On July 7,
1998 , the Golden Dragons and CVW-5 embarked for the last time aboard "Independence". In Hawaii, the squadron moved to USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6, and upgraded aircraft to Lot 17 F/A-18Cs.The Golden Dragons deployed again on March 2,
1999 for the South Pacific and to the Persian Gulf in support of OSW.2000s
After the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001 , the squadron began preparations for an emergency deployment and began training atIwo Jima while "Kitty Hawk" sortied from Yokosuka. Within a week the Dragons were again carrier qualified and ready to sail. Instead, CVW-5 was divided to fill urgent requirements elsewhere in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom . CVW-5 Detachment A, comprised FA-18Cs from VFA-192 andVFA-195 ,S-3 ’s fromVS-21 and HH-60’s fromHS-14 , sailed aboard "Kitty Hawk" to theIndian Ocean with a large Special Operations contingent embarked. The Spec Ops force moved from "Kitty Hawk" intoAfghanistan while the aircraft providedclose air support (CAS) until November 2001. Detachment B, comprised FA-18Cs from VFA-27 and manned with pilots from all three CVW-5 Hornet squadrons, deployed to the U.S. Navy Support FacilityDiego Garcia to provideair defense of the Maritime Pre-positioned Fleet and USAF bomber force deplolyed there.In January 2003, VFA-192 deployed aboard "Kitty Hawk" to the Persian Gulf in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom . The squadron flew 339 combat missions and dropped 224,000 pounds of ordnance including 283JDAM and LGB bombs. After 100 consecutive days at sea, the Dragons returned to Japan in May.Awards
From 1966 to 1969, the Golden Dragons received four consecutive
Chief of Naval Operations Safety Awards. They are five time recipients of the Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet Battle Efficiency Award, most recently for 2000. They have twice been awarded the Michael J. Estocin award for being the top Strike Fighter Squadron in the Navy. In 1979, the Golden Dragons were awarded the Bruce Carrier Award for excellence in aviation maintenance. The Golden Dragons earned the Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific Safety-S award consecutively for 1999 and 2000, and again for 2005 and 2006.ee also
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
*List of United States Navy Carrier air wings
*List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
*Naval aviation
*Modern US Navy carrier air operations
*List of military aircraft of the United States (naval) /List of US Naval aircraft
*United States Naval Aviator
*United States Marine Corps Aviation
*Military aviation
*List of Inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons References
:"This article incorporates text in the
public domain from theUnited States Navy ."External links
* [https://www.atsugi.navy.mil/cvw5/VFA-192/Main.htm VFA-192's Official Webpage]
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