Nev Familiar Fac C,-) (f) -2 a I- ('1~ Almost Real 3G Simulator Increases VP Readiness Pages 6-7 Top Performers Enlisted Continuation Boards Established Page 17 $F (),4 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009 www.jaxairnews.com Final The VS era in naval aviation ends By Clark Pierce Editor One day after .the disestab- lishment of its last squad- ron, Commander, Sea Control Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CSCWL) followed suit with a Jan. 30 ceremony aboard NAS Jacksonville. More than 700 guests, most of whom attended the VS-22 deacti- vation the previous day, gathered again to honor the accomplish- ments of the VS community. After recognizing former Sea Control Wing commodores, Commanding Officer Capt. Evan Piritz introduced guest speaker Vice Adm. David Architzel, prin- cipal deputy to the assistant sec- retary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. Ci. ~ 4 2. -, I'*'~~ ~*'~ '1*)~,' ;A~ ~ I ~':~4~$- ~ --V ~ A NASA Glenn Research Center S-3B Viking (bottom) paired up with VS-22 "Checkmates" number 700 for a final fly-over Jan. 30 at NAS Jacksonville. Photos by Clark Pierce Capt. Evan Piritz, commander, Sea Control Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet is piped aboard for the final time by Honors Boatswain's Mate SK2(AW/SW) Adan Manjarrez at the Jan. 30 disestablishment ceremony. "In my career as a naval avia- tor, I've accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours. I'm proud to tell you that 4,300 of those hours were behind the stick of the S- 3 Viking. My first deployment was with VS-30 onboard USS Forrestal. That was followed by a tour as maintenance offi- cer in VS-28 deployed onboard USS Independence. Later on, I returned to VS-30 for my XO/CO tour," said Architzel. "It's my honor to be here today and shake hands with people in the VS community whom I have admired through my entire career. My thanks go to Commodore Piritz and his staff for staging such a well-organized event com- memorating the VP community's contributions to naval aviation," he continued. After sharing some favorite sea stories from his VS deployments, Architzel asked the audience to never forget the spirit of flex- ibility, commitment, perseverance and adaptability that was infused into each squadron by the Sea Control Wing. "Over more than 30 years, the versatility of the S-3 Viking was proven time and time again. There was never a time when the VP community and Lockheed could not reconfigure the Viking to successfully take on new mis- sions." "Our legacy runs deep, going back to World War II when German submarine wolf packs were ravaging shipping lanes between the U.S. and Europe. The Navy responded with con- voy carrier task forces that used Grumman Avengers to spot and target enemy submarines. Most recently, four Vikings from VS- 22 were tasked to spot and tar- get enemy IEDs, as well as per- form surveillance of borders and See CSCWL, Page 10 VS-22 'Checkmates' stand down proudly Hundreds gather for ' bittersweet farewell By Clark Pierce Editor T he Navy's last S-3B Viking sea con- trol squadron, VS-22, made its final mark in aviation history Jan. 29 with its deactivation ceremony at NAS Jacksonville. Aviators, flight crews, maintainers, friends, families, former squadron com- manders and shipmates gathered in Hangar 117 on a rainy day to honor accom- plishments of the "Checkmates" one last time. "This week honors the end of the Navy VS era that spans some 60 years. It began with aircraft such as the Grumman TBM- 3 Avenger, AF-2 Guardian, S-2 Tracker and finally, the Lockheed S-3 Viking, one of which number 701 is displayed here today," said VS-22 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Stephen Fimple. "It is an era that has seen missions flown from aircraft carriers such as USS Lake Champlain, Essex, Wasp, Intrepid, Saratoga, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Photo by lose Ramos The Jan. 29 disestablishment ceremony of the VS-22 "Checkmates" filled NAS Jacksonville Hangar 117 with hundreds of military and civilian well-wishers. D. Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, Enterprise, Harry S. Truman and finally, George Washington." "I never imagined that one day I'd be the last squadron commanding officer of an airplane in a community that has done so much for the Navy. and our nation. It is truly an honor and privilege to be the last operational member of the VS community," said Fimple. "Our last scheduled deployment, and the final at-sea period for the S-3, was onboard USS George Washington in 2008 as she departed Norfolk, Va. for her new home- Photo by Clark Pierce (From right) VS-22 NFO Lt. Steve Kukla, pil 'Li. Tonl. Genest and ADC Mark Mosby stand at attention as the procession of their squadron shipmates is "going ashore" for the last time. port in Yokosuka, Japan. Sailing through both the CVW-17 Top Hook and Golden the Straits of Magellan on the.Partnership Wrench awards." of the Americas cruise was a fitting way for the S-3 to end its sea time. VS-22 garnered See VS-22, Page 11 BASH program protects aircraft and wildlife Photo by Christine Bauer USDA wildlife damage specialists used a variety of methods to trap and relocate Canadian geese that attempted to take up residence in 2008 near the main runway of NAS Jacksonville. By Christine Bauer NAS Jax Natural Resources Manager KT keeping birds and other wild- life away from the NAS Jax unways is a major challenge for both airfield managers and natu- ral resources personnel. The NAS Jax Bird-Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) program implements several tactics to deter animals from venturing near the runways and clear zones. Vegetation management maintains airfield grass height between eight and 12 inches. If the grass is cut too short, large birds such as osprey and vultures are attracted to the small prey animals they can easily see below. If grass is allowed to grow too high, small songbirds will utilize the area to flock and nest. Elimination of standing water is also very important to prevent birds such as Canadian geese from settling in the area. NAS Jax recently saw a large flock of Canadian geese try to make the runway clear zone their new home. It is thought that this was a flock of "golf course geese" that were driven from their previous habitat by Hurricane Faye. In accordance with the base migra- tory bird depredation permit, sever- al attempts were made by airfield personnel to frighten and disperse the geese but the persistent birds - turned almost immediately. Because of the serious flight haz- ard caused by these animals, there was no question that they had to be removed. Personnel from NAS Jax Air Operations, Weapons and Environmental worked together to humanely capture the geese but they were not having any of it. As part of our BASH program, we determined that outside assistance from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wildlife damage specialists was necessary. Using various meth- ods, the USDA team successfully relo- cated the flock. We are working on a long-term agreement with USDA for an on-site specialist. See BASH, Page 14 TOUCHING Naval Hospital Jacksonville TUCHING Health Fair SA S E Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the NHJ Pharmacy hallway B A S E Wear a red article of clothing Project Little Feet A tribute to expectant military mothers Free baby shower, food, prizes & entertainment Register by March 1 at www.coj.net (search Little Feet) ML ML ML M