Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 | |
---|---|
Active | 1 July 1960–present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Navy |
Role | Medium Lift |
Garrison/HQ | Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia |
Nickname(s) | "Rawhides" |
Commanders | |
Current commander | CDR Andrew Dumm |
Aircraft flown | |
Transport | Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-2A Greyhound |
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40), also known as the "Rawhides", is a United States Navy fleet logistics support squadron based at NS Norfolk. Commissioned in 1960, it is the last active fleet logistics squadrons in the Navy, since VRC-30 decommissioned in 8 December 2023. [1]
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40) was commissioned on 1 July 1960 and is tasked with providing Carrier onboard delivery (COD) services to the U.S. Navy's Second, Fifth, and Sixth Fleets. VRC-40, homeported at NS Norfolk, operates the Grumman C-2A Greyhound and reports to Commander, Airborne Early Warning Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
Maintaining and flying the squadron's 14 aircraft are nearly 320 enlisted personnel and 42 officers. Unlike most squadrons, VRC-40 does not deploy as a unit. Instead, it prepares five separate sea going detachments with a two-plane complement while maintaining ashore "Homeguard" to support local operational commitments. Based at remote forward logistics sites, the deployed detachments support multiple carrier strike groups that operate in the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Fleets aboard deployed aircraft carriers providing continuous fleet support. VRC-40 supports the fleet from ships and bases as far north as Norway, down the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, throughout the Caribbean, in Central and South America, and all over the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern theaters. Recently, VRC-40 played a vital role in support of combat missions during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and was selected as the Commander Naval Air Force Battle "E" winner for the 2010 calendar year.
After flying the Grumman C-1A Trader aircraft for over 26 years, VRC-40 completed a transition to the C-2A in 1986, marking the end of the reciprocating engine era in Naval Aviation history. VRC-40's continuing mission is the efficient transportation of passengers, mail, and cargo to and from carriers at sea.
While speed and efficiency are requisite to completion of the squadron's mission, safety is of paramount importance. Among VRC-40's many achievements and accomplishments, the "Rawhides" recently reached one of the highest honors in Aviation Safety by successfully completing 25 years of class "A" mishap free flying.
Every year, VRC-40 carries over three million pounds of mail and cargo and effects over 1,000 arrested landings. Astronauts Alan Shepard and Scott Carpenter, sports icons including Tiger Woods, Dale Earnhardt Jr., numerous Congressional and Cabinet members, business leaders, and entertainers such as Bruce Willis, Charlie Daniels, Jimmy Buffett, Halle Berry and Robin Williams have all flown aboard "Rawhides" aircraft. [2]
The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is carrier onboard delivery (COD). The aircraft provides critical logistics support to carrier strike groups. The aircraft is mainly used to transport high-priority cargo such as jet engines and special stores, mail, and passengers between carriers and shore bases.
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have been used by navies in the COD role. The Grumman C-2 Greyhound has been the United States Navy's primary COD aircraft since the mid-1960s.
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 (VAW-121), also known as the "Bluetails", is an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and Command and control (C2) squadron of the United States Navy, operating the E-2D Hawkeye. Established in 1967, the squadron is based at NAS Norfolk. It is currently assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 and deploys aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush; VAW-121 is undergoing a scheduled maintenance period.
Fighter Squadron Composite 12 (VFC-12), also known as the "Fighting Omars", is a United States Navy Reserve fighter squadron based at NAS Oceana. It provides adversary training to East Coast Navy air wings. VFC-12 reports to Tactical Support Wing, a component of the Naval Air Force Reserve. The "Fighting Omars" are manned by selected reservists, full-time reservists (FTS) and active duty personnel.
A carrier air wing is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct modern US Navy carrier air operations while embarked aboard aircraft carriers, the various squadrons in an air wing have different but complementary missions, and provide most of the striking power and electronic warfare capabilities of a carrier battle group (CVBG). While the CVBG term is still used by other nations, the CVBG in US parlance is now known as a carrier strike group (CSG).
Strike Fighter Squadron 113 (VFA-113), also known as the "Stingers," is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. They are an operational fleet F/A-18E Super Hornet squadron attached to Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) and based at NAS Lemoore, California. Their tailcode is NE and their radio callsign is Sting.
Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, with most of its various squadrons also home based at NAS Oceana. Additional squadrons are based at Naval Station Norfolk/Chambers Field, Virginia; Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina; Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington; and Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Gulf War, Operation Southern Watch, the War in Afghanistan, and the War in Iraq.
The Tactical Support Wing (TSW) is one of three reserve aircraft wings of the United States Navy. The wing reports to the Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve. It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas along with the reserve's Fleet Logistics Support Wing (FLSW). The third reserve wing is the Maritime Support Wing (MSW) which is headquartered at Naval Air Station North Island, California. The wing's primary mission is operational and training support for active forces. It is composed of five flying squadrons.
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Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 (VRC-30) was an aviation unit of the United States Navy tasked with carrier onboard delivery. The squadron was nicknamed "Providers" and was based at Naval Air Station North Island, California (USA). In contrast to most other U.S. Navy squadrons, VRC-30 consisted of five separately named detachments, which were assigned to different carrier air wings.
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 126 (VAW-126), nicknamed the "Seahawks", is a carrier airborne early warning squadron of the United States Navy. The squadron is based at NS Norfolk, equipped with five E-2D Hawkeye aircraft.
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Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 (VAW-112) is an inactive United States Navy squadron. It was nicknamed the "Golden Hawks". VAW-112 flew the E-2C Hawkeye out of NAS Point Mugu and last deployed in 2013 as part of Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) on board USS John C. Stennis.
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