Independence (CV 62) - Naval Cruise Book

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LCDR David Barnes LCDR Gerald Gallop LCDR James Greene LCDR lohn Hamiter LCDR Jonathan Hults LCDR David Lappat - V --; • m - • 1 i 5 ■ 4 LCDR Mark Vance LT John Bede LT Timothy Berg LT Kenneth Carel LT Jeffrey Dodson LT Kendall Geneser J -» m , VF-154 Operation Desert Shield USS INDEPENDENCE (US) — The earliest roots of VF-1 54 date back to the formation of VBF-718 as part of the Naval Air Reserve on July 1, 1946. The squadron was initially based at NAS Floyd Bennett. Brooklyn, N.Y., flying F-6F Hellcats and F-4U Corsairs, was redesignated VF-68A, then VF-837 and moved to NAS Ala- meda, Calif., in April 1951. As an active reserve squadron, VF-837 first saw combat in Korea while embarked on USS ANTIETAM (CV-36) flying F9F-2 Panthers. On Feb. 4, 1953, while steam- ing toward a second combat tour in Korea embarked on USS PRINCETON (CV-37), the squad- ron was officially redesignated VF-154 when the Princeton passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Black Knights deployed to South East Asia on seven combat cruises between 1964 and 1973. They received the CNO Avia- tion Safety Award for an un- blemished safety record during their 1968-69 cruise. The squad- ron also received the Phatha Award in 1969 acknowledging them as the Navy ' s best Phan- tom squadron. In 1970, the Black Knights were awarded the pres- tigious Admiral Joseph C. Clifton Award for having been selected the Navy ' s most outstanding fighter squadron and completing its entire cruise without a single accident, loss of life or aircraft. The Black Knights of Fighter Squadron 154 tran- sitioned from the F-4 Phan- tom to the F-14A Tomcat in April 1984. With the F-14A Tomcat air superiority fight- er, the Black Knights pro- vided fleet air defense and maintained air superiority in all weather conditions. Additionally, the Black Knights provided Battle Group Intelligence as the airwing ' s TARPS (Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System) squadron. When back in port, the squadron operates out of Miramar Naval Air Station, California. FIGHTER- TOWN, USA, and consists of 14 pilots and 13 RIO ' s (ra- dar intercept officers), along with 250 maintenance troops to support 10 Tom- cats. 364

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■ 8fcj. J CDR John C. Dailey Commanding Officer I would like to let the men in our armed services know how much I appreciate their service in defending our count rv and how proud I am of their undivided virtue to go into other parts of the world to preserve and uphold the right of liberty to prevail in the midst of dictatorial disregard of life. San Diego Union Editorial, Aug. 6. 1990 I CDR Selwyn S. Laughter Executive Officer 363

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I 1 1 - p ¥ i«. i r LT Paul Haas LT Paul Innis LT Shaun Kellv LT Kirby Miller LT Brian O ' Malley LT Tighe Parmenter LT Richard Price LT Daniel Rbuis LT James Shea LT Kent Sutton LT Robert Tamas LT |ohn VVhitehurst LTIG Junhovv Chang LT1G Yun Chong LTJG Donald Gish LTJG Mochael Lewis LT|G Marvin Merritt LTJG Matt Mullins LTIG Jeffrey Naven ENS William Maxwel AVCM Charles Hodge AVCM Arthur Mangosing AVCM David Sutton AQCS William Hamilton AZCS Pablo Rabanal AMEC Carl Bender AKC Pablito Camantique ADC Sergie Hernandez AOC Steven Lovett ATC John Mackev 365