Haviland Hangar dedicated

When you are giving a proper name to a hangar that been on NAS Whidbey Island since 1955 and housed P-2V Venturas, EA-6B Prowlers and now EA-18G Growlers, it better be a good one. On Aug. 5, Hangar 5 officially was renamed Haviland Hangar to honor the second commanding officer of this air station, Cmdr. Willis B. Haviland. Haviland was a decorated naval aviation pioneer and combat pilot who served with distinction in World War I and World War II. He was an active player in the early “slingshot Navy” development of carrier aviation. More importantly, he was the officer in charge of construction who built the air station in early 1942 and later commanded the air station in 1943 and 1944. So it was fitting that the three men who spoke about Haviland, current NAS Whidbey Island commanding officer Capt. Gerral David; Commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet and current occupant of the hangar, Capt. Tom Slais, Jr., and Haviland’s grandson, Willis H. Lamm, all spoke about the man’s past as well as the Navy’s future.
August 12, 2010
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New leadership for NAS Whidbey

Capt. Gregory Jay Johnston will relieve Capt. Gerral K. David as Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 13 in a formal ceremony at Haviland Hangar. “We’ve been the Number 1 Naval Air Station in the entire Navy for the last two years,” said David in recognition of Team Whidbey’s hard work which encompasses 50-plus tenant commands. “We were also recently voted as the Best Place to Work in a Whidbey News-Times survey, and won the Department of Defense Pollution Prevention Award last year.” David thanks the military and civilian personnel who work on base and the community of Oak Harbor that support the air station saying it’s the “spirit of Team Whidbey” that makes the difference. He and wife, Anne, now head to California for a new job as Commanding Officer of Naval Support Activity, Monterey. Johnston hails from Durham, N.C. He is a 1983 graduate of North Carolina State University with a bachelor of science degree in computer science. Johnston received his commission through Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1985 and was designated a Naval Aviator in June 1986.
August 12, 2010
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Wizards’ wily warhead whips water

The Wizards of VAQ-133 recently sent a detachment to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif. to participate in a High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Exercise with members of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 and VAQ-134 Garudas. The primary objectives of the exercise were to provide aircrew and maintenance training in live-fire HARM missile employment and for the aircrew to gain experience in air wing integration. VAQ-133 launched two aircraft for the exercise. The primary Wizard aircraft shooting HARM consisted of “Falcon 42,” piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Troy Miller and crewed by Lt. Steve Kukla, Lt. Vanessa May Rigoroso and Lt. Cmdr. Manuel Biascoechea. “Falcon 43” piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Staub and crewed by Lt. Phil Addison, Lt. Jeffrey Alexander and Lt. Cmdr. Kalohi Clark acted as the backup shooter and range safety aircraft for the exercise.
August 12, 2010
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Whidbey Sailors receive ‘Old Crows’

Two Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Whidbey Island Sailors received awards from the Association of Old Crows (AOC). This marks the second consecutive year that NIOC Whidbey Island has been bestowed an award from the association. Lt. William Norgaard was selected winner of the AOC Joint Award (Navy), and Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Echeverio was chosen AOC Technical Analyst of the Year as a result of their performance during their deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Both awards are highly competitive, and recognize individuals and units that have furthered the aims of the Association of Old Crows in support of Electronic Warfare (EW) and Information Operations (IO) as a result of their impressive contributions.
August 12, 2010
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Walking in their boots to know what they know

The new base chaplain at NAS Whidbey, Cmdr. Michael Hakanson, considers the Northwest his home. He was the command chaplain for Naval Station Everett, he owns a house there and he has relatives from Portland to Sea-Tac. As he begins his tenure at NAS Whidbey Island, the twenty-year veteran is looking to serve the Sailors and Marines here, but he wants to get to know the base and the people more, too. “I want to be a link in the chain for the Sailor who is on the flight line and is far from home,” he said. “I want to know what he or she may be missing in areas of personal faith, or how I can help him or her connect to resources such as Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), Fleet and Family Services, or get help like substance abuse counseling.”
August 12, 2010
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Recycling versus illegal dumping

Normally, when I am faced with the challenges of talking recycling to our community at NAS Whidbey Island, it is because I am trying to promote a specific program or prevent unauthorized behavior from happening. Today, the topic is bordering on both the horrific and the ridiculous: illegal dumping. Did you think that when signing up to work for the Federal Government—active duty, civilian or contractor—that it is okay to intentionally damage government property? That it is okay to throw it in the trash because you don’t feel like doing the paperwork to push it through the system properly?
August 12, 2010
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Ops keeps them bouncing at OLF Coupeville

In pilot lingo, before a Navy or Marine carrier pilot can ‘trap’ he has to ‘bounce’ and NAS Whidbey Island has a great facility to do just that. Outlying Landing Field or OLF, in operation since September 1943, is two-and-a-half miles southeast of Coupeville. Pilots practice carrier landings or ‘bounce’ with touch-and-go maneuvers on the painted outline of a carrier deck about 1,100 feet long. The landing field is about 5,500 feet long and 200 feet wide, but Prowler EA-6B and Growler EA-18G pilots are only really interested in the 1,100 feet. Pilots must master field carrier landing practice (FCLP) under the scrutiny of the landing signals officer or LSO before they’re allowed to head out to the carrier where they’ll need to ‘trap’ or catch one of four arresting cables and land.
August 12, 2010
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Kindness with coffee at NAS galley

When you start work at 5 a.m. in the morning and don’t stop until 6 p.m.800 it helps to have motivation. “And a little coffee doesn’t hurt either,” said 1st Class Culinary Specialist Allyson Page. Page, who is 32 and a 14-year veteran, says that as a watch provider for NAS Whidbey Island, her job is to provide personnel in the galley keep track of galley equipment and maintain a sanitary environment. “Keeping in a good mood is key,” said Page. In fact she says she likes providing customer service.
August 12, 2010
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Shadowhawks introduce Growler to Bush

The Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 Shadowhawks are proud to be part of the inaugural introduction of the EA-18G Growler to fleet carrier-based operations, marking yet another historic benchmark for the Electronic Attack community at large.
August 5, 2010
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Zappers jamming through cruise

On board the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 Zappers are one-quarter of the way through their current combat deployment and already have many stories to share.
August 5, 2010
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