4 JAX AIR NEWS, NAS JACKSONVILLE, Thursday, June 18, 2009 Photos by MC3 Jason Wilson Aircrew from VP-5, TSC Kadena, Wing 2, VP-47, VP-40, VP-9 and VP-8 gather together on the flight line at Kadena Air Force Base, Japan during a recent exercise. A03 Estefania Laudo (front) and AOAN Stephanie Peterson of VP-5 perform maintenance on a pressurized sonobuoy cham- ber while on deployment. Photo by MC2 Harry Rucker iII Several "Mad Foxes" assist Japanese elementary students in VP-5 Sailors participate in a community building project in El learning the English language in Okinawa, Japan. Salvador while on deployment in South America. VP-5: 'Mad Foxes' back home after deployment From Page 1 Australian Air Force. Operating out of Edinburgh, Australia, both countries worked together in ASW train- ing. In March, combat aircrews flew to the aide of USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS-23), which was being harassed by Chinese fishing boats in international waters. The air- craft's presence aided in surveillance and de-escalation of the situation. While operating in Okinawa, the Mad Foxes worked routinely with the JMSDF to maintain control of the sea lanes around Japan. The JMSDF also operates the P-3 aircraft performing similar missions. The JMSDF and VP-5 participated in cross-deck training, where crews from each country flew in each other's aircraft to gain an understanding of the differences and similarities of how each force operates. Lt. Chris Mergen, a VP-5 tactical coordinator, described his experience with the Japanese as very positive. "The JMSDF are a very professional and capable ally. The training for future combined operations with JMSDF was helpful for both navies in breaking down the language barrier," he said. VP-5 in 4th Fleet The Mad Foxes in El Salvador consisted of four combat aircrews and three aircraft conducting counter-narco-traf- ficking missions in South America. Most operations were coordinated with law enforcement ground forces and fast patrol boats from Guatemala, Colombia and Honduras. VP-5 crews performed joint and combined missions with air assets from the U.S. Customs/Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, Royal British Air Force, U.S. Navy Airborne Early Warning assets, as well as SH-60B helicopters deployed on U.S. Navy ships. VP-5 completed 140 missions leading to a seizure of more than nine narco- trafficking assets preventing 29 metric tons of illegal drugs worth over $1 billion s from reaching the United States. Shortly before heading home, the Mad Foxes answered the nation's call by immediately responding to the tragic crash of Air France Flight 447 off the coast of Brazil, more than 14 hours away from El Salvador. Maintenance transition In late 2008, just prior to the squadron's deployment, Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11 directed squadrons to return to a legacy structure of one main- tenance department per squadron. VP-5 Maintenance Officer Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Smith led the transition and certi- fication process during the squadron's deployment. The maintenance department had a tremendous work- load during the deployment to ensure the squadron air- craft were available to meet their assigned missions. They managed and performed scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on seven aircraft, which were comprised of four distinct mission system configurations. Altogether, Photo by Kaylee LaRocque Family members, friends and crewmembers gather at Hangar 511 to welcome home the last aircraft of VP-5 from Kadena, Japan after the squadron's six-month deployment. they amassed nearly 30,000 man-hours at the two deploy- ment sites. Community relations When not flying, the Mad Foxes worked closely with their hosts in both El Salvador and Okinawa and were true ambassadors representing their country with pride and professionalism. In El Salvador, events were orga- nized to allow locals a glimpse of P-3C operations. In addition, volunteers from the squadron spent about 300 hours assisting in a community building project. In Okinawa, squadron members cleaned a local park, helped out at a childcare center, practiced English with an ele- mentary class and spent time at a retirement home clean- ing and helping out with services. Job well done On May 1 Cmdr. Matthew Pregmon was relieved by Cmdr. Wes Naylor III as commanding officer of VP-5 in a seamless leadership turnover that saw Cmdr. Jason Jorgensen assume executive officer duties. Naylor praised the squadron's performance in a multitude of missions from two different areas of responsibility. "Our Sailors performed beyond expectations. P-3s have always been tasked with anything and everything. Our team answered the call with true professionalism and skill," said Naylor. After an 18-hour airlift or a few days voyage in a P-3C, the Mad Foxes of VP-5 arrived home last week to the newly opened NAS Jacksonville Hangar 511. S -* . Photo by AWVAN Scott Beach VP-5 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Wes Naylor greets his wife, Lori, and daughter, Natalie, after returning home on VP-5's last plane to return home from deployment. The VP-5 "Mad Foxes" team in El Salvador in February 2009. a.'7w