VAW-123
| Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Three | |
|---|---|
VAW-123 Insignia
|
|
| Active | 1 April 1967 – present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Airborne Early Warning |
| Part of | Carrier Air Wing Three |
| Garrison/HQ | NS Norfolk |
| Nickname(s) | "Screwtops" |
| Aircraft | E-2C Hawkeye |
| Engagements |
Vietnam War Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm Operation Deny Flight Operation Deliberate Force Operation Southern Watch Global War on Terror |
| Decorations |
Battle Efficiency Award (13) Safety “S” Award (9) |
| Commanders | |
| Current Commander | Commander Jason Chuderewicz |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare |
E-2 Hawkeye |
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 123 (VAW-123) is based at Naval Station Norfolk, flying the E-2C Hawkeye. They are attached to Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) while deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The squadron nickname is the Screwtops.
The history of VAW-123 begins in 1945 with the commissioning of Composite Squadron Twelve (VC-12), redesignated Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron Twelve (VAW-12), in 1956. On 1 April 1967, VAW-12 was disestablished and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Wing Twelve (CAEWW-12) was formed to command all Atlantic Fleet AEW efforts and all E-2A detachments were established as independent squadrons.
As a result of the reorganization, CAEWW-12, Detachment 59 was commissioned VAW-123 on 1 April 1967, at NAS Norfolk, Virginia. The commissioning date of April 1, 1967, makes VAW-123 one of the oldest VAW Squadron in the United States Navy. In June 1967 VAW-123 set sail aboard USS Forrestal for Vietnam, thus becoming the first East Coast VAW squadron to go to war. On July 29, 1967, while serving in the Gulf of Tonkin, USS Forrestal suffered an onboard fire resulting in the death of 134 crew members, 161 injured, 21 aircraft damaged or destroyed and millions of dollars in damage to the ship. USS Forrestal returned to Norfolk with VAW-123 and the rest of the ship's crew and Airwing. VAW-123 had no loss of any personnel or have any personnel injured in the fire but some of the squadrons E-2A aircraft had very minor damage from the fire and explosions aboard the ship.
Initially attached to CVW-17 aboard USS Forrestal, the squadron became an integral part of CVW-3 aboard USS Saratoga and remained there throughout the 1970s. In 1972 VAW-123 again made an extended cruise to Vietnam waters in the Tonkin Gulf before returning to Norfolk in 1973.
In October 1980, the squadron transferred to CVW-11 aboard USS America. Following a 1981 Indian Ocean deployment, VAW-123 transferred to CVW-1 on 12 November 1981. Since that time, the squadron made several extended Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and North Atlantic deployments as part of CVW-1/CVA-66, until the decommissioning of USS America in 1997. The squadron participated in the 1986 Gulf of Sidra operations off the coast of Libya and was directly involved in the first combat use of the AGM-88 HARM and Harpoon weapon systems.
...
Wikipedia