Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Neadria Hazel | 190915-N-LZ521-0142 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 15, 2019) Aviation Mechanic 2nd Class...... read more read more
Subscribe
VFA 131 “Wildcats” Ready to fight tonight
By Mc3 Sophie A. Pinkham
The “Wildcats” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131, assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, are integrating with the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) for Tailored Ship’s Training Availability/Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP) as Carrier Strike Group 10 prepares for the battle ahead.
VFA 131’s primary mission is to deploy weapons when called upon: an important role in demonstrating CSG 10’s lethality and sea presence.
“For a VFA squadron, success is ultimately determined by our ability to lethally execute across the full range of strike fighter mission sets,” said Cmdr. Aras Knasas, VFA 131’s commanding officer. “TSTA/FEP has provided a fantastic opportunity for Wildcat pilots to continue honing our air-to-air and air-to-surface employment and to integrate with the CVW-3, Ike and CSG-10 teams.”
Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic Brian Pietrzak, a branch chief for VFA 131, says his squadron’s mission saves lives.
“It’s specifically personal to me because I’ve had family members that have passed away in Iraq,” said Pietrzak. “I had a cousin that was in the U.S. Army that died from an improvised explosive device attack. We provide close air support for guys that are on the ground and they’re hopefully making it through one more day.”
Pietrzak says he gets thanked by those close to him for what he does.
“I have friends, a cousin and a little sister that are in the Marine Corps that actually thank me because they talk about days being in a fire fight and they hear jet noise,” said Pietrzak. “Everything just stops. That’s the power of projection in the sky.”
With approximately 230 Sailors attached to the squadron, Pietrzak says it’s a tight knit community.
“The people make it without a doubt,” said Pietrzak. “They always say it’s like a family. I could go across a squadron, and I know everyone that’s in the squadron.”
Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Angelo Lindine, a day check supervisor for VFA 131, says his favorite part of being in the squadron is the way they come together to meet an objective.
Pietrzak also mentions how teamwork is an integral part of the air wing’s culture.
“We have a great CVW 3 staff,” said Pietrzak. “We have other great squadron members and if you need help, you can ask any one of the other squadrons and they’ll do whatever it takes to help you. They’re not selfish for their own rights and own objectives. The whole air wing has phenomenal teamwork.”
As Lindine works with his team of junior Sailors in the hangar bay, he says working on avionics is exactly what he wanted to do when he joined the Navy.
“I thought it would be cool to work on all the electronics on the F/A-18s,” said Lindine. “What we’re doing right now is we’re making sure that when the pilot has ordnance on the jet and pushes the button, that the ordnance does what it’s supposed to do. Without what we do here, the pilots have no confidence that the jet’s going to do what it’s supposed to do.”
No matter what job needs to get done, VFA 131 ensures that CSG 10 is the lethal force ready to fight tonight.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2019 13:29 |
| Story ID: | 344189 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 302 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, VFA 131 “Wildcats” Ready to fight tonight, by PO1 Sophie Pinkham, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
