- VAW-117
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Carrier Airborne Command and Control Squadron One One Seven
caption= VAW-117 insignia
dates=July 1 ,1974 - present
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Navy
type=Airborne early warning
role=
size=190+
command_structure=Carrier Air Wing 11
current_commander= CDR Brian L. Morgan
garrison=NAS Point Mugu
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= The Wallbangers
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Operation Praying Mantis Operation Fiery Vigil Operation Restore Hope Operation Southern Watch Operation Desert Fox Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=The Carrier Airborne Command and Control Squadron One One Seven (VAW-117) are aUnited States Navy airborne early warning (AEW) squadron. Nicknamed "The Wallbangers", they fly theE-2 Hawkeye . The squadron is based out ofNaval Air Station Point Mugu ,California and deploy as part ofCarrier Air Wing 11 onboard theUSS Nimitz (CVN-68) .History
The squadron was established at
Naval Air Station North Island , California on July 1, 1974 as part of Fighter Airborne Early Warning Wing,United States Pacific Fleet , and received its first E-2B Hawkeye aircraft in October 1974. This was followed by their first deployment in October of1975 to theMediterranean Sea onboard theUSS Independence (CV-62) .In
1988 , while onboard theUSS Enterprise (CVN-65) , VAW-117 played a key role inOperation Praying Mantis during which an Iranian ship was destroyed. In addition, the Wallbangers excelled in providing command and control during the attacks on oil platforms and small ships. In October on1993 , the Wallbangers were called to providedair traffic control services for over 400 aircraft daily while supportingOperation Restore Hope inSomalia .Global War on Terror
After the
September 11, 2001 attacks , the Wallbangers and Carrier Air Wing 11 were among the first aircraft to lead in the strikes on Afghanistan as part ofOperation Enduring Freedom . The Wallbangers continuously provided battle space management overPakistan and southern Afghanistan, ensuring the safety of all airborne assets and deconfliction with commercial airways. They served as an information clearing house, providing a communications relay between command authorities on the ground and tactical aircraft airborne. What began as an operation that consisted mainly of carrier-based naval air assets evolved into a multi-service and multi-faceted, joint operation.In 2005 the Wallbangers successfully completed a WESTPAC cruise. The squadron flew nearly 500 total sorties with 194 sorties and 728 hours flown in direct support of Operation Sea Dragon III, a component of
Operation Iraqi Freedom .ee also
*
History of the United States Navy
*List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons References
;Web
* [http://www.cacclw.navy.mil/vaw117/ VAW-117's official website]
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