Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (CARAEWRON 125) VAW-125 ‘Tigertails’
STATUS:		VAW-125 established on October 1, 1968 Homebase: NS Norfolk, Virginia Carrier Air Wing: CVW-1 Aircraft Carrier: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) ACTIVE UNIT Nickname: Torch Bearers (earlier) / Tigertails
AIRCRAFT:		Grumman E-2A Hawkeye (1968-70) Grumman E-2B Hawkeye (1970-74) Grumman E-2C Hawkeye / Hawkeye 2000 (1974-2014) Northrop-Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (2014- )
DEPLOYMENTS:		July 9, 1969 - January 22, 1970 with CVW-3 aboard USS Saratoga (CVA 60) September 14, 1970 - March 1, 1971 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) November 18, 1971 - May 10, 1972 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) April 16, 1973 - December 1, 1973 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CVA 67) June 28, 1975 - January 27, 1976 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) September 2, 1976 - November 9, 1976 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) January 15, 1977 - August 1, 1977 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) June 29, 1978 - February 8, 1979 with CVW-1 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) November 27, 1979 - May 7, 1980 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) March 2, 1981 - September 15, 1981 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) June 7, 1982 - November 16, 1982 with CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59) April 2, 1984 - October 20, 1984 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) August 26, 1985 - April 16, 1986 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) June 5, 1987 - November 16, 1987 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) August 15, 1988 - October 8, 1988 with CVW-17 aboard USS Independence (CV 62) August 7, 1990 - March 28, 1991 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) May 6, 1992 - November 6, 1992 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) January 11, 1994 - June 24, 1994 with CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) June 28, 1996 - December 20, 1996 with CVW-17 aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) June 10, 1998 - December 10, 1998 with CVW-17 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) June 21, 2000 - December 19, 2000 with CVW-17 aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) June 20, 2002 - December 20, 2002 with CVW-17 aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) June 7, 2004 - December 13, 2004 with CVW-17 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) October 3, 2006 - May 23, 2007 with CVW-7 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) February 1, 2010 - April 12, 2010 with CVW-17 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) November 30, 2010 - June 15, 2011 with CVW-17 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) November 30, 2011 - May 23, 2012 with CVW-17 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) March 11, 2015 - ?? with CVW-1 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)
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E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - April 2015 E-2D Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - April 2015 E-2D Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - October 2014 E-2D Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - October 2014 E-2D Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - October 2014 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) over Norfolk, Virginia - March 2014 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - May 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - April 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - April 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - April 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - April 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - February 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - January 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - January 2012 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - December 2011 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - May 2011 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - February 2010 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - February 2010 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) - February 2010 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) at NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - January 2010 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) at NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - January 2010 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - April 2007 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - March 2007 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - February 2007 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - January 2007 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - November 2006 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - April 2006 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - March 2006 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-7) embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - February 2006 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - March 2004 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - undated E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) - circa 2003 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) - July 2002 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) - September 2001 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) - 2000 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) - 2000 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1992 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1992 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1991 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1991 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1991 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1990 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - undated E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1990 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1990 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm - 1990 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) at NAS Fallon, Nevada - undated E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) - undated E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) - undated E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-17) aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1986 E-2C Hawkeye (VAW-125 / CVW-1) embarked on USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - circa 1975 (NNAM)
history
In December 1976, Vice Admiral Howard E. Greer, COMNAVAIRLANT, presented VAW-125 with the Comnavairlant Battle “E” for readiness, the Cinclantflt “Golden Anchor” Award for career retention, and the CNO Safety “S” Award. VAW-125 is believed to be the first Navy unit to win all three awards in the same year. On 14 January 1978, The squadron suffered the loss of an aircraft (BuNo 159107) and the death of 3 aviators. In June, VAW-125 took the E-2C’s newest weapons system upgrade, the Advanced Radar Processing System (ARPS), to sea for the first time. The Tigertails were then assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) in November 1979, with the squadron making their eighth Mediterranean Sea deployment, this time aboard USS Forrestal (CV 59). While deployed in August 1981, VAW-125 participated in Freedom of Navigation (FON) Operations & Open Ocean Missle (OOM) Exercise in the Central Mediterranean Sea and Gulf of Sidra, during which two Libyan MiGs were destroyed after attacking Battle Group aircraft. Upon return from deployment, the squadron participated in two national tasking missions VAW squadrons would be assigned over the next twenty-plus years, first providing range control services for the second launch of the NASA space shuttle, STS-2, and second providing detection and monitoring services in the first E-2C Counter-Drug tasking, Operation Thunderbolt. While on routine deployment in October 1985, the Tigertails played an instrumental role in the successful intercept of the Egyptian airliner carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship, “Achille Lauro.” Tigertail aircrew spoke directly to the hijackers, convincing them that the communications were coming from the two VF-103/VF-74 F-14s on their wing and persuading the airliner to divert into NAS Sigonella, Sicily. In August 1988, the Tigertails deployed aboard USS Independence (CV 62) for an “Around the Horn” cruise to San Diego, CA . In August 1990, CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) rapidly responded to the invasion of Kuwait by deploying to the Red Sea . VAW-125 and VAW-126 Hawkeyes flew around-the-clock as the force build-up of Operation Desert Shield continued. VAW-125 flew over 890 combat hours controlling strikes on Iraqi targets while providing airborne early warning (AEW) coverage for the Red Sea Battle Group. On a 17 January 1991 strike, Tigertail aircrew detected two Iraqi MiG-21s threatening the strike group. Tigertail controllers vectored two VFA-81 F/A-18s toward the MiGs which recorded the only Navy fixed-wing air-to-air kills of Desert Storm. In January 1994, the Tigertails deployed aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) for her final cruise. During the deployment, the Tigertails joined NATO forces flying in support of Operations Deny Flight and Provide Promise. The Tigertails conducted operational tests of the Navy’s newest Mini-DAMA Satellite Communication Suite. Using this new system, the Tigertails, for the first time, functioned as an Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC), a mission that continues to grow in emphasis to present day. With the decommissioning of USS Saratoga (CV 60), VAW-125 and CVW-17 were paired with USS Enterprise (CVN-65). After completing a two-month Counter-Drug assignment at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, the Tigertails deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in June 1996. In July, the Tigertails again joined NATO forces in the former Yugoslavia, this time in support of Operation Joint Endeavor. In September, USS Enterprise (CV 65) moved to respond to mounting tensions in Southwest Asia . Supporting Operation Southern Watch over the next three months, VAW-125 played a vital role in the enforcement of the southern Iraq no-fly zone. Additionally, Tigertail pilots earned the CVW-17 “Top Hook” Award for carrier landing performance. The squadron was duly recognized for its achievements in 1996, being awarded the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle Efficiency Award, the CNO Safety Award, and the VAW community’s AEW Excellence Award. Within hours of the unprecedented terrorist attacks and national crisis of 11 September 2001, squadron personnel were embarked at sea, leaving NS Norfolk with minimal logistics support and literally nothing more than the shirts on their backs. Transported to USS George Washington (CVN-73), VAW-125 maintenance personnel immediately began dedicated aircraft launch and recovery operations while others prepared ship spaces, established supply requirements, and readied lines of communication to support Operation Noble Eagle. Squadron aircraft flew numerous Command and Control (C2) missions in the New York City vicinity in the days following the attacks as commercial air traffic slowly resumed. During this cruise the Tigertails surpassed an incredible 32-year Class "A" mishap-free milestone with over 64,000 flight hours. In April 2003, the Tigertails became the first East Coast squadron to transition to the E-2C Hawkeye 2000, which boasts improved electrical and vapor cycle systems, mission computer and display stations, and Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). The squadron participated in the Operational Evaluation of the AN/USG-3 airborne node of the Navy’s net-centric CEC sensor fusion system. While deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Central Persian Gulf, North Arabian Sea, and Western Indian Ocean VAW-125 played vital roles in the ongoing Global War on Terror, Operation Enduring Freedom, and operations off the coast of Somalia. In January 2010, The Tigertails were deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE providing humanitarian assistance to the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti. The squadron flew missions each day to provide communications relay, command and control, and general airborne radar services allowing forces afloat and ashore to distribute thousands of tons of rations, water, and medical supplies. In the most extreme of cases crews provided necessary information to medevac helicopters in order to reduce flight time between life saving facilities allowing for many lives to be spared. They then joined the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on its trip around South America as it returned from Norfolk to its home port in San Diego. As of 2014, VAW-125 is assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1 and the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) flying the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. source: wikipedia (2015)
patches
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