Subscribe
AT SEA - Commander Naval Air Forces awarded the 2012 Pacific Fleet Battle Efficiency (“E”) award to the “Golden Hawks” Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 112 for the VAW Carrier Air Wing (CVW) category, Feb. 12.
The aviation Battle “E” is the Navy’s top performance award presented to the squadron in each competitive category that achieves the highest standards of performance readiness and efficiency. The award recognizes a unit’s training and operational achievements. This year, VAW 112 competed against five other West Coast E-2C Hawkeye Squadrons.
“It’s truly a testament to everyone in the squadron working together,” said Cmdr. Evan Morrison, VAW 112’s executive officer, from Chatham, Ill. “It was no one individual; it was a collective effort from maintenance, training, safety, operations and administration. We all worked together as a unit.”
VAW 112 cites by participating in a variety of exercises and operations as a key factor in this achievement.
“A lot of exercises we participated in last year contributed to our success,” said Lt. Peter Kowalcyk, a VAW 112 naval flight officer from Neptune, N.J. “We did a lot of different training events with the air wing, and being a part of Operation Enduring Freedom as well as closing out Operation New Dawn. We were the last naval aircraft to fly out of Iraq.”
“This is the culmination of a year’s hard work, not just for the air crew but the maintainers too,” added Kowalcyk. “We wouldn’t have won the award without their attention to detail.”
VAW 112, previously awarded the Battle “E” in 1979, 1985, 1997, and 2007, painted one of their aircraft with a giant “E” to commemorate this year’s accomplishment and plan to place a plaque in their squadron hangar when they return home to Point Mugu Naval Base, Calif.
VAW 112 is one of nine squadrons with CVW 9, deployed with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSCSG). The JCSCSG also includes the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Destroyer Squadron 21, and guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). The JCSCSG is forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.
For more information on the JCSCSG visit www.stennis.navy.mil or www.facebook.com/stennis 74. For more information on VAW 112 visit www.cacclw.navy.mil/vaw112/ or www.facebook.com/pages/Vaw-112-Golden-Hawks-Official-Command-Page/156385387717399
| Date Taken: | 02.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2013 05:01 |
| Story ID: | 102254 |
| Location: | USCENTCOM, AT SEA |
| Hometown: | NEPTUNE CITY, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, VAW-112 Wins Battle 'E', by CPO Joshua Keim, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
