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Strike Fighter Squadron 32 (VFA-32), nicknamed the "Fighting Swordsmen", are a
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
strike fighter In current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multirole combat aircraft designed to operate both as an attack aircraft and as an air superiority fighter. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers, and is closely related to the co ...
squadron presently flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet and based ashore at
Naval Air Station Oceana Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The station is located on 23.9 square kilometers. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mi ...
. Their radio callsign is ''Gypsy'' and their tail code is ''AC''. The Fighting Swordsmen of VFA-32 were the 2023 recipients of the Mutha Fighter Spirit Award, awarded annually at the Navy’s Strike Fighter Ball in
Norfolk, VA Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
. Their mission is: "Strike Fighter Squadron 32, as a part of United States Naval Aviation, utilizes the F/A-18F aircraft to project power ashore and at sea, to defend the Fleet against air and sea threats and to carry out all other missions which may be assigned by cognizant authority."


Insignia and nickname

Originally, the squadron used the Fighting Three ''
Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivan (film producer), Pat Sullivan during the silent film era. An anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic young black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, ...
'' symbol and called themselves the "Crazy Cats" because so many pilots were from Fighting Three. At one time, the squadron was known as the "White Lightning." In 1950, the squadron adopted the insignia of a traditional heraldry lion under Naval Aviation wings of gold and the motto "Deus et Patria" that has endured with only slight modernization through today. The VF-32 squadron radio callsign is "Gypsy" and most alumni refer to themselves as "Gypsies". The squadron picked up the nickname ''Swordsmen'' after it switched to the F-8 Crusader and added a sword to the lion's hand.


History


1940s

VFA-32 was established as Bombing Fighting Three (VBF-3) on 1 February 1945, flying the
F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second ...
, when it was split off from VF-3, the famed Felix squadron. Fritz Wolf, a former member of the
American Volunteer Group The American Volunteer Groups were Military volunteer, volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Kuomintang, Nationalist government of China against Empire of Japan, Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The only ...
(AVG) or
Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...
, was assigned as the first VBF-3 commanding officer. At the time, U.S. Navy carriers were closing on the Japanese home islands and were facing aggressive
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
attacks. VBF-3 was assigned to Carrier Air Group THREE on board in the Pacific theater. On 16 February 1945, VBF-3 pilots became the Navy's first carrier-based pilots to strike the Japanese islands. During the heavy action on that day, the squadron shot down 24 Japanese aircraft, earning the Presidential Unit Citation. On 15 November 1946, VBF-3 was redesignated VF-4A and switched to the F8F-1 Bearcat. On 7 August 1948, VF-4A became VF-32 and switched to the
F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...
.


1950s

In 1950, the squadron were deployed to the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
with F4Us aboard . From October 1950 to January 1951, under the command of Richard L. Cevoli, VF-32 hit Korean targets including
Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
Harbor, Puckchong, Chonjin, and Chosin Reservoir. On 4 December 1950, the aircraft of
Ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
Jesse L. Brown, the first African-American aviator to complete the Navy's basic flight training program, was hit by
flak Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...
while supporting embattled Marines at Chosin. He crash-landed his Corsair behind enemy lines on a snow-covered mountain slope. His wingman, Lt. (j.g.) Thomas J. Hudner Jr., could see that Brown survived the forced landing, but appeared to be trapped in the cockpit with smoke coming from the engine compartment. In an attempt to save his squadron mate, Hudner crash-landed his own plane nearby. Hudner found Brown semi-conscious, and with the assistance of a responding helicopter pilot, attempted but was unable to extricate Brown from the crumpled fuselage. Although the attempted rescue failed, Hudner received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
and Brown received, posthumously, the Distinguished Flying Cross. In November 1952, the squadron returned to the East Coast and became the first squadron to operate the swept-wing F9F-6 Cougar. VF-32 made subsequent deployments aboard in 1953 and the in 1955. In 1956, VF-32 became the first squadron to transition to the F8U-1 Crusader, thus becoming the first
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
squadron in the Navy. While deployed aboard as a unit of Carrier Air Group THREE, VF-32 participated in the
1958 Lebanon crisis The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included an American military intervention, which lasted for around three months until President Camille Chamoun, who had re ...
.


1960s

During the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
in late 1962, VF-32 flew 96 sorties to support photo-reconnaissance flights and intelligence-gathering missions. After returning from cruise in 1965, the squadron changed homeport from NAS Cecil Field, Florida to
NAS Oceana Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The station is located on 23.9 square kilometers. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mi ...
, Virginia, and switched to the
F-4B Phantom II The numerous variants, versions, and designations of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom are described below. Production numbers for major versions asterisk indicates converted from other version Variants ;XF4H-1 :Two prototypes for the U ...
. VF-32 detached from Carrier Air Group THREE, ending a relationship that had lasted since the squadron's establishment. In June 1966, VF-32 embarked aboard as a component of Carrier Air Group ONE and sailed for
Yankee Station Yankee Station (officially Point Yankee) was a fixed coordinate off the coast of Vietnam where U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and support ships operated in open waters over a nine-year period during the Vietnam War. The location was used primari ...
in Southeast Asia. The squadron flew 940 combat sorties during three line periods in five months, building a highly successful
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
combat record, losing no aircraft or aircrew. In May 1968, VF-32 deployed aboard for her maiden voyage.


1970s

For service in October 1970, the squadron received the
Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...
for actions in support of the
United States Sixth Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixt ...
operations during the Middle East Crisis. In 1974, VF-32 switched to the
F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experi ...
at
NAS Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, a commu ...
before moving to NAS Oceana as one of the first fleet Tomcat squadrons based there. VF-32 made the first Atlantic Fleet F-14 deployment in June 1975. On that cruise, VF-32 was awarded the Joseph Clifton Award as the Navy's top fighter squadron. In October 1977, VF-32 became the first fleet squadron to fly against the Air Force
F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's des ...
, setting the stage for regularly scheduled dissimilar air combat training between the Air Force and Navy. VF-32 again embarked for the Mediterranean aboard ''Kennedy'' in June 1978. During this deployment, VF-32 conducted the first fleet test and evaluation of the new Television Camera System. The squadron also deployed with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles for the first fleet captive-carry evaluation. A mid-cruise missile exercise, "BUZZARDEX", saw firings of AIM-54 Phoenix and
AIM-7 Sparrow The AIM-7 Sparrow (Air Intercept Missile) is an American medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and various other air forces and navies. Sp ...
missiles at five targets moving at
Mach The Mach number (M or Ma), often only Mach, (; ) is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a Boundary (thermodynamic), boundary to the local speed of sound. It is named after the Austrian physi ...
2.5. In October 1979, VF-32 completed 10 years of accident-free flying. In those 10 years, the squadron flew over 33,000 hours, including 17,000 in the F-14A.


1980s

In 1980, the squadron was again presented with the Admiral Clifton Award. In 1980 and 1981, the squadron achieved an accident-free Mediterranean deployment aboard ''Kennedy'', followed in 1982 by another accident-free Med cruise aboard and the 1982
Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet The Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (also known as COMNAVAIRLANT, AIRLANT, and CNAL) is the aviation Type Commander (TYCOM) for the United States Naval aviation units operating primarily in the Atlantic under United States Fleet Forces Comman ...
Battle "E" and CNO Safety "S" awards. In 1982, three VF-32 Tomcats tail numbers 211, 212 and 214, were modified to carry the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System TARPS pod. In 1983–84, the squadron completed the Navy's first combat deployment since the Vietnam era with CVW-6 aboard ''Independence''. VF-32 flew combat air patrol missions and provided TARPS imagery for 4 December 1983 CVW-6/CVW-3 air strikes on Syrian positions in
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
. VF-32 also flew missions in support of
Operation Urgent Fury The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...
in
Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...
providing pre- and post-battle damage assessment using photography from the TARPS pod. The deployment concluded with participation in NATO exercise "TEAMWORK 84" in the Norwegian Sea. The squadron made a third deployment aboard ''Independence'' from October 1984 through February 1985 to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. The squadron rejoined CVW-3 in February 1985, and embarked aboard ''John F. Kennedy'' in August 1986 for another Mediterranean deployment. This cruise saw the squadron's Class "A" safety record extended another year, but also included the first night F-14 barricade landing. VF-32 participated in a variety of NATO and combined exercises, and extended their major mishap-free safety record to nine years during a 1988–89 Mediterranean deployment, again aboard ''John F. Kennedy''. On 4 January 1989, while flying from ''John F. Kennedy'' during a routine patrol over the
Gulf of Sidra The Gulf of Sidra (), also known as the Gulf of Sirte (), is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or the city of Sirte. It was also historically known as the Great Sirte or G ...
, two VF-32 F-14s intercepted two
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
n
MiG-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...
Floggers, which had originated from the Al Bumbai airfield in
Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...
. After attempting a peaceful intercept, the F-14s used their Television Camera System (TCS) to verify that the MiGs were armed. Hostile intent was declared and the aircraft were cleared to engage. The lead fired an AIM-7 Sparrow, which failed to track. His wingman also fired an AIM-7, which tracked and destroyed one of the MiGs, its pilot ejecting. The first F-14 then closed to AIM-9 Sidewinder range and downed the remaining MiG-23, whose pilot also ejected. The squadron returned to Virginia in February 1989. VFA-32 appeared on an episode of CBS News 48 Hours entitled
Super Carrier - USS Kennedy
"


1990s

When Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces in August 1990, VF-32 joined Carrier Air Wing 3, was put on emergency recall from Nellis AFB and returned to NAS Oceana to prepare to sortie with ''Kennedy''. ''Kennedy'' immediately proceeded to the
Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
to participate in
Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
alongside . During Desert Shield, the ship made several
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
transits and operated in the Eastern Mediterranean. When Desert Shield turned into
Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
in January 1991, VF-32 Tomcats were in the first strike wave flying
Combat Air Patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
mainly in central and western Iraq. VF-32 TARPS aircrews flew daily missions throughout Iraq including supersonic runs over highly defended Al Qa'im. Throughout Operation Desert Storm, VF-32 aircrew logged 1,445 combat flight hours on 403 missions, including 38 combat TARPS missions. After an eight-month deployment, the squadron returned to NAS Oceana on 28 March 1991. Later that year, the squadron won the 1991 AIRLANT Grand Slam missile firing competition with 17 of 17 scored kills. VF-32 and ''John F. Kennedy'' again deployed in October 1992. The squadron conducted a great deal of air-to-ground operations in the Adriatic Sea while on cruise in support of Operation Provide Promise, marking the beginning of the Tomcat strike/fighter mission and provided significant carrier air patrol support for
C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
food drop missions in the former Yugoslavia. The squadron returned home to NAS Oceana in April 1993 and throughout the summer conducted joint exercises with the Air Force and was coined the first "Toms to Bomb" squadron to fully certify the use of bombs on the F-14 platform. The year was highlighted with presentations of the Battle "E" and Clifton Awards to VF-32. In May 1994, VF-32 and CVW-3 embarked aboard . This four-week deployment marked the first extensive at-sea period where women worked alongside men on a fleet aircraft carrier. In September, a small detachment provided TARPS photography and air support for
Operation Uphold Democracy Operation Uphold Democracy was a multinational military intervention designed to remove the military regime led and installed by Raoul Cédras after the 1991 Haitian coup d'état overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The op ...
in
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. In November 1994, VF-32 deployed aboard ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' for another tour in the Mediterranean and the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. The squadron flew missions over Iraq in support of
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...
and over
Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north a ...
in support of
Operation Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the ...
. 1995 marked fifty years of service from the men and women of VF-32. In November 1996, VF-32 and CVW-3 deployed on board for another tour in support of Operation Deny Flight and Operation Southern Watch over Bosnia and Iraq. The squadron brought digital imagery to the TARPS mission through new cameras that could take up to two hundred digital images and was able to store them on board or transmit them to appropriately equipped ground or sea-based receivers up to 300 kilometers away, resulting in a near-real-time reconnaissance capability. The squadron received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its cutting edge work with Digital TARPS. In August 1997, VF-32 began transitioning from the F-14A to F-14B. In February 1998, the squadron received the F-14B Upgrade. In November 1998, VF-32 and CVW-3 deployed aboard to the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea to support Operation Southern Watch and
Operation Deliberate Force Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by NATO, in concert with the UNPROFOR ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), which had threatened and attacked UN-desig ...
. With
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
’s failure to cooperate with
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
inspections of known weapon sites,
Operation Desert Fox The 1998 bombing of Iraq (code-named Operation Desert Fox) was a major bombing campaign against Iraqi targets, from 16 to 19 December 1998, by the United States and the United Kingdom. On 16 December 1998 Bill Clinton announced that he had order ...
was launched on 16 December 1998. VF-32 took part in a 33-aircraft strike package on 16 December. The first night of the four-day operation was conducted by the US Navy only. Over four days, VF-32 expended of ordnance during 16 strike missions and 38 sorties. During Desert Fox many Tomcat firsts were achieved, including the first GBU-24s dropped in combat by the US Navy, the first multiple GBU-24 drop by any platform in combat, the first combat use of the LANTIRN, the first autonomous F-14 delivery of a GBU-10/16/24, and the first F-14 use of
Night Vision Device A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...
s in combat. The squadron returned home in May 1999.


2000s

VF-32 deployed once again in November 2000 for the maiden voyage of the . They spent four months in support of Operation Southern Watch and returned home on 23 May 2001. In December 2002 VF-32 deployed once again on ''Harry S. Truman'' in support of
Operation Noble Eagle Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) is the United States and Canadian military operation related to homeland security and support to federal, state, and local agencies. The operation began 11 September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks.. ...
and
Operation Northern Watch Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997. The coalition partn ...
. In support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
(OIF) in 2003, VF-32 was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea aboard ''Harry S. Truman''. VF-32 flew strike missions and missions in support of US
Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
on the ground. VF-32 was involved in the worst
friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy or hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while ...
incident of the war when on 6 April 2003 a squadron F-14 crew was cleared to attack an Iraqi tank near Dibakan, south east of
Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
. Instead, they mistakenly dropped a single
laser-guided bomb A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser guidance to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. First developed by the United States during the Vietnam War, laser-guided bombs quickly pro ...
on a vehicle convoy consisting of US Special Forces and
Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish language ** Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) **Central Kurdish (Sorani) **Southern Kurdish ** Laki Kurdish *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern ...
resistance fighters, killing 18 Kurdish fighters, 4 US soldiers and a
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
translator. An additional 80 people were wounded. An investigation following the war found that the pilot had been cleared to drop without the benefit of target coordinates provided by the Forward Air Controller, who was "operating under great stress" at the time. Overall, VF-32 flew 275 sorties and expended 247 laser-guided bombs and 118
JDAM The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions (PGMs). JDAM-equipped bombs are guided by an integrated inertial guidance system coupled to a Gl ...
. In January 2004 VF-32 became the first operational squadron to attempt the launch of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles from one aircraft. A launch such as this had not been attempted since 1972. Five of the six active radar missiles were successfully launched. VF-32 returned to NAS Oceana in May 2003. In 2004 VF-32 deployed again in support of OIF, becoming the first Naval squadron to redeploy in support of OIF. The squadron delivered multiple precision guided munitions on insurgent hideouts using the LANTIRN pod in the urban
Close Air Support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
environment. This would be the squadron's final deployment with the F-14. In October 2005, VF-32 transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet and in November 2005 the squadron was designated Strike Fighter Squadron Thirty Two (VFA-32). In November 2007, VFA-32 embarked on USS ''Harry S. Truman'' for their first F/A-18F Super Hornet cruise, deploying to the Persian Gulf. VFA-32 and the rest of CVW-3 returned home on 4 June 2008. VFA-32 was awarded the Battle Effectiveness Award for maintaining the highest state of battle readiness and sustained superior performance in February 2009. Throughout the 2010s, VFA-32 saw numerous deployments and conducted extensive combat operations in the Middle East with their F/A-18Fs. In October 2023, VFA-32 began a combat deployment within Air Wing Three onboard the USS ''Dwight D Eisenhower''. The deployment focused heavily within the CENTCOM AOR. For the majority of the deployment, VFA-32 operated from the Red Sea. Constant combat operations against Houthi-Iranian military units in Yemen and over the Red Sea occurred during the deployment. VFA-32 was heavily involved in defensive and offensive operations against Houthi-Iranian drones, as well as fixed and mobile targets. At some point in this deployment, which ended on July 14, 2024, a woman in VFA-32 became the first American female pilot to engage and kill an air-to-air contact.


Traditions


VF-32 Awards

*
Navy Expeditionary Medal The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936. Award criteria The General Orders of the Department of the Navy which established the medal states, "The medal will be awarded to t ...
, for 19-Oct-1962 to 23-Oct-1962, Cuban Missile Crisis. *
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...
, 24-Oct-1962 to 15-Nov-1962, Cuban Missile Crisis. * Meritorious Unit Citation, 29-Sep-1970 to 31-Oct-1970. *
Navy E Ribbon A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
, 01-Oct-1977 to 30-Sep-1978. * Meritorious Unit Citation, 01-Dec-1977 to 01-Mar-1979. *
Navy E Ribbon A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
, 01-Jan-1982 to 31-Dec-1982. *
Navy Expeditionary Medal The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936. Award criteria The General Orders of the Department of the Navy which established the medal states, "The medal will be awarded to t ...
, 20-Aug-1982 to 05-Sep-1982, Lebanon. *
Navy Expeditionary Medal The Navy Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was established in August 1936. Award criteria The General Orders of the Department of the Navy which established the medal states, "The medal will be awarded to t ...
, for several non-contiguous time periods from 01-Oct-1982 to 06-Dec-1982, Lebanon. *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
, 20-Oct-1983 to 03-Mar-1984. *
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...
, 24-Oct-1983 to 02-Nov-1983, Grenada. *
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...
, 16-Nov-1983 to 02-Mar-1984, Lebanon. * Meritorious Unit Citation, 01-Jul-1986 to 06-Jul-1986. *
Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service member ...
, 14-Sep-1990 to 12-Mar-1991. *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
, 17-Jan-1991 to 28-Feb-1991, Desert Storm. *
Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) is a military award of the United States military that was created on January 11, 1996, by President Bill Clinton under . The AFSM is a deployed service medal that is presented to those service members who ...
, for several non-contiguous time periods beginning 22-Oct-1992 to 24-Mar-1993, Bosnia. *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
, as a part of ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' Battle Group, 01-Mar-1994 to 01-Apr-1995. *
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...
, 16-Sep-1994 to 22-Sep-1994, Operation Uphold Democracy Haiti. *
Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) is a military award of the United States military that was created on January 11, 1996, by President Bill Clinton under . The AFSM is a deployed service medal that is presented to those service members who ...
, for several non-contiguous time periods from 15-Dec-1994 to 28-Mar-1995, Bosnia. * Meritorious Unit Citation, 01-Nov-1995 to 30-Nov-1996. *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
, as part of ''Enterprise'' Battle Group, 16-Dec-1998 to 20-Dec-1998. *
Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR) is a United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States Marine Corps military decoration awarded to United States sea service members "who have actively participated in ground or surface combat." Coast ...
, as part of ''Eisenhower'' Strike Group, 19-Oct-2023 to TBD. *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
, as part of Naval Forces Central Command, 19-Oct-2023 to 30-May-2024.


VFA-32 Awards

*
Navy E Ribbon A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
, 01-Jan-2008 to 31-Dec-2008. *Mutha Fighter Spirit Award, 26-May-2023.


See also

*
Naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
*
Modern US Navy carrier air operations Modern United States Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or noncombat missions. The flight operations are highly evolved, based ...
*
Military aviation Military aviation is the design, development and use of military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling aerial warfare, including national airlift (air cargo) capacity to provide military logistics, logist ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the list of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons. The U.S. Navy uses the term "squadron" only to describe uni ...


References


Notes

* *Tony Holmes (2005). ''US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom'', Osprey Publishing Limited. The squadron did sustain combat losses in VietNam contrary to the information above. At least one A-4 was hit by a SAM and destroyed, an Rf-8 was lost on a photo mission and other aircraft were lost due to operational accidents not during combat on the cruise.


External links


Official siteVF-32 Fighting Swordsmen
on
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{{United States Navy Aircraft Squadrons Strike fighter squadrons of the United States Navy