Strike Fighter Squadron 105
(VFA-105) also known as the "Gunslingers" is a United States Navy strike fighter
squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana
, Virginia
. The
"Gunslingers" are an operational fleet squadron and fly the
F/A-18E Super Hornet. The radio callsign is
"Canyon" and the tail code is AC.
Mission
Squadron Insignia and Nickname
The first VA-105's insignia was approved by
CNO
on 2 March 1953, and consisted of a yellow winged red canon and
black bomb imposed on a yellow background. The squadron was known
as the "Mad Dogs". The second VA-105's insignia was approved by the
CNO on 20 September 1968, and has remained essentially unchanged.
The squadron gained the nickname "105th Light Attack and Twilight
Pursuit Squadron" during the Viet Nam War. "Twilight Pursuit" was a
tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that squadron aircraft
carried the air-air
AIM-9
Sidewinder missile. The nickname became somewhat more formally
accepted in the months leading up to the 1974-75 Med Cruise.
Appearing on squadron patches, belt buckles, (stickers and
lighters) proudly worn by officers and enlisted men alike, the
moniker was heavily promoted by the squadron's A7E Corsair pilots.
Most notable among that group were squadron CO CDR R.F. "Moon"
Moreau, XO CDR J.E. Carpenter and pilots: LCDR Brodsky; LT J.
Plant; LT J. Lubrano; LT W. "Farkle" Farquar; and LTJG B.B.
Johnson. The current squadron often refers to itself as the "105th
Strike Fighter and Twilight Pursuit Squadron".
History
Two distinct squadrons have been designated VA-105. The first was
decommissioned, and the second was later redesignated as VFA-105,
the main subject of this article. Officially, the US Navy does not
recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new
squadron is formed with the same designation. Often, the new
squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of the
earlier squadrons.
1950s
The first
VA-105 was commissioned on May 1, 1952 at
NAS Cecil
Field
flying the venerable AD-1 "Skyraider."
The
squadron changed home-base between NAS Jacksonville
and Cecil several times during the '50s. In
Jul–Aug 1958, the squadron flew
close
air support missions from
USS
Essex during the landing of U.S.
Marines in Beirut
,
Lebanon. Aircraft from VA-105 were the first to be on
station during the landings, and squadron aircraft flew road and
border reconnaissance sorties. Several aircraft were damaged by
ground fire on their reconnaissance missions, however all aircraft
returned safely to
Essex.
In Sep 1958 when the Chinese
communists
began shelling the Quemoy
Island
group, Essex was ordered to transit the
Suez
Canal
and report to the U.S. Seventh Fleet for duty in the Taiwan Straits
. In Nov 1958, the squadron's mission was
changed to training personnel in the AD-6 Skyraider. The squadron
was decommissioned on 1 February
1959.
1960s
The second Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIVE (VA-105) was
established on 1 November 1967 at Cecil Field, flying the new
A-7A Corsair II. On 4 Mar 1968 the
squadron completed A-7A training under
VA-174
and became an operational Atlantic Fleet unit.
The
"Gunslingers" embarked on their first deployment to Southeast
Asia aboard USS Kitty Hawk , participating in
combat operations in the Gulf of Tonkin
from January to October 1969. Following the shootdown of a Navy EC-121 by
the North Koreans in April, Kitty Hawk was part of a
continuing American presence being maintained off the coast of
Korea
.
1970s
In Sep and
Oct 1970 following the hijacking of several airliners by Palestinians, the outbreak of serious fighting
in Jordan
and the
invasion of Jordan by Syria
, USS
Saratoga 
, with VA-105 embarked, operated in the eastern
Mediterranean, prepared to support an evacuation of Americans from
Jordan and to show support for the Jordanian
government.
In
Jun–Dec 1972, the squadron participated in Linebacker I and Linebacker II operations, heavy air strikes
against targets in North Vietnam
to interdict the flow of supplies into South
Vietnam.
In May 1973, the squadron upgraded to the A-7E.
As of Dec
1979 the "Gunslingers" had two
Western Pacific and six Mediterranean deployments to their
credit.
1980s
In Jun
1982 following the invasion of Lebanon
by Israel
, VA-105
operated from USS John F.
Kennedy to support an evacuation of Americans.
From
Jul–Dec 1984, the squadron deployed to MCAS Iwakuni
, assigned to MAG-12, 1st MAW. This was the
first time a Navy squadron participated in the
United States Marine Corps
Unit Deployment Program
(UDP) and the first Navy squadron since World War II to come under
the command of a Marine Corps officer. While deployed with the
Marines the squadron’s major mission was
close air support.
During the '80s, the
Gunslingers completed eight overseas
deployments, including six to the Med, and a
1983 around-the-world deployment aboard the USS Carl
Vinson (CVN-70).
1990s
VA-105 was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FIVE
(VFA-105) on 17 December 1990, as the squadron transitioned to the
F/A-18C. The "Gunslingers" reported to
CVW-3 aboard the
USS John F. Kennedy on
September 1,
1991.
VFA-105 made their first Hornet cruise in October
1992. They returned from the Mediterranean in April
1993, and began workups for a deployment aboard
the
USS Dwight
D. Eisenhower in
October 1994.
The squadron then started workups for a
deployment aboard the USS Theodore
Roosevelt
in October 1996. VFA-105 and the rest
of CVW-3 deployed in 1998 in support of Operation Southern Watch and
Operation Desert Fox onboard
USS
Enterprise
.
2000s
On
November 28, 2000 VFA-105 embarked on
the maiden deployment of USS Harry S.
Truman to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf in support of
Operation Southern Watch
(OSW). The Gunslingers deployed in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard
Truman in
2003, operating from the
Mediterranean Sea.
VFA-105 became the first East Coast squadron to transition to the
FA-18E
Super Hornet in July
2006. In March
2007, VFA-105 became
the first operational Navy strike fighter squadron to be commanded
by a female when CDR Sara Joyner took command.
References
See also
Wikis
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