VP-26 prepares for return to new home


'Tridents' last
patrol squadron to
relocate from NAS
Brunswick, Maine
By Lt. j.g. Bryce Aubuchon
VP-26 PAO
The "Tridents" of VP-26
 are in the homestretch
 of a six-month deploy-
ment before returning to their
new duty station at NAS
Jacksonville. As the last squad-
ron to finalize its homeport tran-
sition from NAS Brunswick,
Maine; the men and women
of VP-26 look forward to mak-
ing their new home in Hangar
1000 and joining their sis-
ter squadrons in Patrol and
Reconnaissance Wing Eleven
(CPRW- 11).
Aircraft and crews will begin
the redeployment process this


week, with all Tridents scheduled
to be home from deployment by
the first week in June. Over the
past five and a half months, Team
Trident has been flying a variety
of missions from three widespread
locations.
 With its near global deployed
presence, the squadron has sup-
ported counter-drug opera-
tions in Central America, mari-
time security operations in the
Mediterranean, and anti-piracy
and regional stabilization efforts
in the Horn of Africa.
 It has supported Operations
Unified Response and Active
Endeavor, the USS Eisenhower
Strike Group, and has partici-
pated in numerous multinational
exercises including Noble Manta,
Brilliant Mariner and Caya
Green.
 "VP-26 has a long standing tra-
dition of excellence. We look for-

 See VP-26, Page 27


Mayor Peyton recognizes military in newest book club series


By CS2 Sylvia Morris
Staff Writer

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton,
 NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt.
 Jeffrey Maclay, the Jacksonville
Children's Commission, City of Jackson-
ville Military Affairs, Veterans and
Disabled Services Division and members
of the early literacy and military commu-
nities gathered to celebrate the launching
of the newest book in Peyton's Book Club
series, "We Salute our Military!" May 17.
 "We Salute Our Military!" recognizes the
importance of the military's contributions
to the Jacksonville community. Also on
hand were children from the NAS Jax and
NS Mayport Child Development Centers
who were treated to a special story-time
session by the mayor.
 "With approximately 250,000 residents
currently serving our military and about




NewV


FRCSE

delivers first

S-3 to test

squadron
By Marsha Childs .....
FRCSE Public Affairs


fter completing
 extensive mainte-
 nance and repairs
that presented many chal-
lenges, Fleet Readiness
Center Southeast (FRCSE)
turned over the first of
three S-3B Viking air-
craft to Naval Air Test and
Evaluation Squadron (VX)
30 on April 14.
 VX-30 Chief Test Pilot
Cmdr. John Rousseau and
Viking Training Officer Lt.
Christian Pedersen based
at Point Mugu, Calif., per-
formed the acceptance
flight check. They both
were very satisfied with the
aircraft that will support
the squadron's local and
worldwide test events.
 "We were pleasantly sur-
prised, especially with a
plane that has been out of


150,000 resident veterans, the military
is an integral part of Jacksonville's past,
present and future," said Peyton.
 "Our military families are a cherished
part of the community and the newest
installment in the book club series is a tes-
tament to our respect and support for those
families, while at the same time providing
another opportunity to build a foundation
of educational success for our pre-kinder-
gartners."
 Harrison Conyers, division manager for
the City of Jacksonville Military Affairs
and Veteran Services added, "Since Mayor
Peyton came into office, he has been sup-
porting the publishing of books for 4-year-
old children to try to increase the literacy
level in Jacksonville."
 Like the other books in the series, the
characters are based on real people within


See BOOK CLUB, Page 27


 Photo by CS2 Sylvia Morris
NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Maclay and NAS Jax Child Development Center
Program Manager Mary Grenier present a command coin to author Ginger Peacock Preston
during a promotion event showcasing the newest book in Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton's
Book Club May 17. The new book, co-authored by Preston and Donna Peacock Hanczaryk, is
called, "We Salute Our Military!"


iking comes from old


 Photos by Vic Pitts
VX-30 Training Officer Cmdr. John Rousseau (left) and Chief
Test Pilot Lt. Christian Pedersen perform a functional check
flight April 14 and return the aircraft to Naval Air Weapons
Station Point Mugu, Calif. where it will be used to clear the
sea range.


service for so long. It flew
well," said Rousseau. "It's
a testament to FRCSE
employees' steadfastness to
the work."
 Even so, the first air-
craft took more than a year
to complete the Planned
Maintenance Intervals
(PMI) 1, 2, and 3 that will
add five to six years of
service life to the aircraft
before another PMI is due.


 In March 2009, FRCSE
inducted three Vikings
sometimes referred to
as War Hoovers for the
engine's unique, low-pitched
sound.
 The jets were last used
by the "Checkmates" of
the VS-22 for five months
at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq,
in 2008. During the squad-
ron's only land-based oper-
ation, the aircrews flew


The NAVAIR and FRCSE S-3 team gather in the paint hangar to admire the fruit of their labor,
the S-3B Viking jet that underwent planned maintenance that will add five to six years of ser-
vice life to the aircraft.


numerous combat missions
in harsh desert conditions.
 When Aircraft Examiner
Jan Booth did the initial
evaluation to determine
the level of maintenance
needed, he was surprised by
what he found.
 "There was a lot of cor-
rosion we didn't expect to
find, especially from dirt

 See FRCSE, Page 16-17
 FRCSE artisans check the
 wing fold operation on an
 S-3B Viking.


INSIDE


Military Working Dogs wellness Fair
 Handlers/K-9s Train For Profiency FRCSE Raises Awareness
 Pages 10-11 Pages 12-13


Agreement Signed
 AFGE Master Labor Agreement Official
 Page 4