VaQ-135 completes growler transition

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Page 2 | FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011
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VAQ-135 completes Growler transition
The Black Ravens
underwent
eight months
of training
By Lt. Logan Briery
VAQ-135
The Black Ravens of
Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135 held a ceremony June 17 commemorating their designation of
“Safe for Flight” in the EA18G Growler in Hangar 5
at NAS Whidbey Island.
The event marked the
culmination of an eightmonth training phase for
VAQ-135 under the expert
tutelage of VAQ 129, the
fleet replacement squadron, as they transitioned
from the EA-6B Prowler to the EA-18G Growler.
VAQ-135 is the fourth operational squadron to have
achieved the qualification
following the proven paths
of VAQ-132, VAQ-141 and
VAQ-138.
“November 1, 2010, is
a day we all remember
very well; it was the day
we started our transition
training over at VAQ-129,”
said Cmdr. Vincent Johnson, VAQ-135 commanding
officer.”
Throughout the past winter and spring, both maintainers and air crew have
worked extremely hard. A
lot of long hours have gone
into both preparing for inflight training, simulators
and working towards qualifications for the maintainers so that we can maintain the Navy’s newest platform.”
Recently, the Maintenance Department underwent a series of rigorous inspections conducted by Electronic Attack
Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet
(CVWP). The squadron’s
“final exam” was the Maintenance Program Assessment (MPA) administered
by CVWP before being designated Safe for Flight. The
MPA is a comprehensive
review of the command’s
maintenance
programs
covering everything from
the Foreign Object Damage
program to the Turn Qualification Program to the
Hydraulic Contamination
Program.
The Black Ravens were
evaluated on such things as
the quality of their records,
logging of tools, and ensuring only qualified personnel perform appropriate maintenance actions.
In true Black Raven style,
the squadron performed
above and beyond expectations and set a new standard for future squadrons
to follow with zero off-track
programs.
“One thing I’ve noticed
throughout this entire pro-
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Families reunited | Aviation MainAD1 Maryann Cowan
VAQ-135 receives their new flag from The Boeing Company with their new EA-18G jet 520 in
the background. On hand for the milestone are Cmdr. Vincent Johnson, squadron commanding officer (second from right) and Robert Papadakis, Boeing EA-18G NAS Whidbey Integration
Lead (far right).
cess in all the Black Raven Sailors is this; even
though the entire squadron was split up attending
schools in Oceana, Va., being trained over at VAQ129, and then reconstituting at VAQ-135, our Sailors
never forgot that at the end
of the day they are all Ravens,” said Johnson.
“They never went away
from what makes this
group of people awesome,”
he added. “This day would
have never arrived, nor
would the squadron have
performed as well as it did
during this transition if it
weren’t for these outstanding Sailors and their ruthless work ethic and spirit.
Our Sailors are who got us
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to where we are today.”
The next step for the
squadron will be to accept
their new Growlers and to
begin routine squadron operations again. Black Ravens past and present
are anxiously looking to
the near future, when the
squadron will once again
deploy into harm’s way,
this time as an expeditionary squadron, employing
the world’s premiere Airborne Electronic Attack
platform.
tenance Administrationman 1st Class Melissa Bates
of VAQ-132 reunites with her boys after eight months
away with the Scorpions. The squadron returned last
Friday evening after eight months on an expeditionary deployment in support of Operation New Dawn
from Iraq and Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector with coalition forces over Libya.
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