| Strike Fighter Squadron 102 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1 July 1955; 70 years ago (1955-07-01) |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Fighter/Attack |
| Role | Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance |
| Part of |  Carrier Air Wing Five |
| Garrison/HQ | MCAS Iwakuni |
| Nickname | "Diamondbacks" |
| Motto | Work Hard Play Harder |
| Engagements | Vietnam War Operation Prairie Fire Operation El Dorado Canyon Gulf War Operation Southern Watch Operation Restore Hope Operation Deny Flight Operation Deliberate Force Operation Enduring Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | CDR. Brett Havelka |
| Executive Officer | CDR. Joseph Waurio |
| Command Master Chief | CMC Millerd Charles |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F2H Banshee F4D Skyray F-4 Phantom F-14 Tomcat F/A-18F Super Hornet |
Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102) is aUnited States Navy Strike Fighter squadron based atMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Theircall sign isDiamond, with thetail codeNF, and they fly theF/A-18F Super Hornet. They are a part ofCarrier Air Wing 5 and are attached to theaircraft carrierUSS George Washington.
Two distinct squadrons have been designated VF-102. Thefirst VF-102 was established on 1 May 1952 and redesignated VA-36 on 1 July 1955.[1]
The second VF-102 was established in 1955, was eventually redesignated as VFA-102, and is the subject of the remainder of this article.
Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), was established as VA-36 on 1 July 1955, and was immediately redesignated VF-102 on the same day (at the time, squadron designations were associated with their assigned airwing). The squadron was based atNAS Jacksonville flying theF2H Banshee. The squadron's inaugural cruise took place aboardUSS Randolph in July 1956. After returning from deployment, the squadron transitioned to theF4D Skyray. In addition to four 20 mm internal cannons, the Skyray carried the newAIM-9 Sidewinder missile.
The final cruise with the Skyray onForrestal was January through August 1961 after the squadron had moved toNAS Oceana,Virginia. It subsequently transitioned to theF-4 Phantom beginning a 20-year association with the Phantom.
In 1964 and 1966 VF-102 won the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle "E" efficiency awards. Highlights during this period included participation inOperation Sea Orbit on boardUSS Enterprise, and combat operations offVietnam in 1968.
In 1975 and 1978, VF-102 conducted cross-deck operations aboardHMSArk Royal.In 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975: the squadron conducted four deployments to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USSIndependence as part of Carrier Air Wing Seven, including a port call in Athens, Greece, when they had a political coup; air cover operations during theYom Kippur War; and recovery of aircraft debris and bodies fromTWA Flight 841 that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after a terrorist bomb exploded in the hold.
In June 1981 the squadron flew their last Phantom during anIndian Ocean cruise aboardUSS Independence. During the summer of 1981, the squadron transitioned to theF-14A Tomcat. With the new aircraft, the squadron also received a new mission in addition to their traditional fighter role—photo reconnaissance using theTARPS pod. The squadron deployed aboardUSS America in late 1982 to participate in theNATO Exercise Northern Wedding that required high temperature operations in the heavy seas north of the British Isles, garnering considerable attention from SovietTu-95D Bear reconnaissance aircraft. The first Tomcat deployment withCarrier Air Wing One began in 1983 and took USSAmerica through theSuez Canal to the Indian Ocean. Two VF-102 Tomcats, flying a routineTARPS mission overSomalia were fired upon by anSA-2SAM site andAAA in April 1983. Both aircraft returned without damage.
VF-102 deployed in 1984 with the firstKA-93 LOROP camera andARC-182Have Quick radios, conductingOperational Evaluation for both systems at sea. In 1985, USSAmerica participated in the NATO exercise Ocean Safari and again conducted operations in the challenging seas and low visibility conditions near theArctic Circle and inside Vestfjord, Norway. While operating northwest of Ireland, a VF-102 TARPS aircrew flew an unprecedented 1200 nm TARPS mission to locate a SovietKynda Class Cruiser transiting the English Channel. In March 1986, the squadron deployed on board USSAmerica, headed for theGulf of Sidra joiningUSS Saratoga andUSS Coral Sea to challenge the Libyan proclaimedLine of Death. A VF-102 Tomcat was first to be fired on by a LibyanSA-5 andAAA while flying Combat Air Patrol forOperation Attain Document. A month later VF-102 flew cover for US Navy and US Air Force bombers inOperation El Dorado Canyon.
In late 1990, USSAmerica joinedUSS John F. Kennedy andSaratoga in theRed Sea as part ofOperation Desert Shield, arriving the day operations were to begin. USSAmerica remained part of theRed Sea Battle Force until directed to joinUSS Ranger,USS Theodore Roosevelt andUSS Midway in thePersian Gulf. In the six-week campaign, VF-102 logged more than 1400 combat flight hours.
The squadron embarked on USSAmerica again in December 1991 for a six-month deployment to theMediterranean andPersian Gulf.
In early August 1993, the squadron embarked on USSAmerica to begin their third Mediterranean deployment in three years. During this deployment the squadron conducted humanitarian operations off the coast ofBosnia-Herzegovina supportingOperation Provide Promise andOperation Deny Flight. In late October the squadron supportedOperation Restore Hope off the coast ofMogadishu, Somalia. By mid-December they were supportingOperation Southern Watch inIraq.
In June 1994, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana and transitioned to theF-14B aircraft. The squadron's 1995–1996 Mediterranean cruise began with an emergency sortie to theAdriatic Sea to take part inOperation Deliberate Force. They then proceeded to the Persian Gulf in support ofOperation Southern Watch. Placement of U.S. ground forces in Bosnia, led to anotherAmerica emergency sortie back to the Adriatic in December. The squadron remained in the Adriatic for the remainder of the cruise, logging more than 4,000 hours and over 1,900 traps during the deployment.
With the disestablishmentVF-33, VF-102 becameAmerica's sole F-14 unit, completing its final deployment on 24 February 1996. UponAmerica'sdecommissioning in 1996, VF-102 (and the rest of CVW-1) was assigned toUSS George Washington.
In 1997, the squadron deployed aboardGeorge Washington. A port visit toHaifa,Israel was cut short late in November as the carrier battle group was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response toSaddam Hussein's barringUN weapon inspectors from carrying out their assigned tasks. As the crisis grewGeorge Washington joinedUSS Nimitz andHMS Invincible. VF-102 returned to Norfolk on 13 March 1998.
In Autumn 1999, VF-102 deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq. VF-102 carried out strikes on numerous anti-aircraft and radar sites and conducted numerous TARPS missions.
On 19 September 2001 in the wake of theSeptember 11 attacks, VF-102 began a scheduled deployment to theArabian Sea as a part ofOperation Enduring Freedom and began combat operations. During that deployment VF-102 flew 5,000 combat hours and dropped 680 bombs as well as guiding more than 50,000 pounds of precision guided munitions launched by other aircraft, VF-102 dropped more ordnance and flew more combat hours than any other F-14 unit during the war in 2001 and 2002.[2][3] In addition, as part of the USSTheodore Roosevelt Battle Group they were at sea for 159 consecutive days, breaking a 20-year-old record.[4]
Following the return from deployment, the squadron moved toNAS Lemoore, California to begin transition training in theF/A-18F. Upon completion, the squadron again changed homeport toNaval Air Facility Atsugi,Japan.
VFA-102 deployed to thePacific Ocean aboardUSS Kitty Hawk in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, taking part in several military exercises, including Orange Crush, Talisman Saber, Jasex, and Valiant Shield.
In March 2008, VFA-102 was named the Pacific Fleet Battle "E" award winner for the calendar year of 2007, recognizing their readiness to perform wartime tasks amongst all F/A-18E/F squadrons in the Pacific Fleet. In March 2010, the squadron was again awarded the Pacific Fleet Battle "E".
In the spring of 2008, VFA-102 embarked on USSKitty Hawk for her final deployment. Following a crossdeck in San Diego, the air wing is currently assigned toUSS George Washington.
In 2010, the squadron transitioned to Block II Super Hornets equipped with theAN/APG-79AESA radar.
In 2021, VFA-102 flew combat missions into Afghanistan as part of the US's Afghanistan retrograde.
In March of 2025, VFA-102's F/A-18F Block II's were replaced with modernized F/A-18F Block III's.
| Electronic Attack (VAQ) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier Airborne Early Warning (VAW) | |||||
| Strike Fighter (VFA) | |||||
| Fleet Air Reconnaissance (VQ) | |||||
| Fleet Fighter Composite (VFC) | |||||
| Fleet Logistics Support (VR) | |||||
| Carrier Fleet Logistics Support (VRC) | |||||
| Carrier Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission (VRM) | |||||
| Patrol |
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| Unmanned (VUP) | |||||
| Training (VT) | |||||
| Helicopter Mine Countermeasures (HM) | |||||
| Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) | |||||
| Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) | |||||
| Helicopter Training (HT) | |||||
