The Zappers are the proud winners of the 2005 Tactical Excellence Prowler Squadron of the Year Award. Honors were presented at the annual Prowler Ball on July 23 as all officers joined Cmdr. Tom Slais, Zapper Commanding Officer, on stage to accept their award.

“We had exceptional teamwork from all hands in achieving our level of tactical excellence throughout the year,” said Slais. “Maintainers provided fully-mission-capable weapon systems and aircraft, electronic warfare department personnel provided outstanding tactical support for our missions and aircrew were proactive and aggressive in mission execution.”

The Tactical Excellence award is presented to the EA-6B squadron that best exemplifies outstanding tactics implementation, improvements in Prowler tactical doctrine, weapons system contribution, technical electronic warfare development and innovative tactical concepts.

The award encompassed a timeline including VAQ-130’s entire work-up and deployment cycle. In the four months that the squadron was stationed in the Fifth Fleet Area of Operations, the Zappers flew over 1,625 combat flight hours.

This increased Navy VAQ support by more than 33 percent above the effort level established upon the Zappers’ arrival in-theater.

The squadron submitted three Tactics Improvement Proposals and provided the only fleet input to the MATT Falcon View interface currently under development. The Zappers were the first squadron to deploy with the Block 89A SSA 2.1 Operational Flight Program, and reported valuable input to correct deficiencies which resulted in a fleet-wide rapid reaction file software release.

“We were forward leaning in increasing our tactical efforts to fulfill our warfighting requirements and uphold the fine reputation of the Prowler community,” said Slais. “I could not be more proud of each and every Zapper in VAQ-130.”

The electronic warfare division spent hundreds of hours collecting and analyzing data while on deployment. IS2(AW) Richard Blankenship, an intelligence analyst in the division said, “We had a great shop with a lot of communication and guys willing to do the work.”

Since their return in April, the Zappers have flown over 320 flight hours. They have manned two detachments: an At-Sea Sustainment period aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and a week-long detachment to NAS Oceana, Va.

The squadron has also earned a spot on the COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Honor Roll for two quarters in a row and edged out the VAQ-139 Cougars in a friendly food drive competition to support Whidbey Island Help House.

Two Zappers, AT1(AW/SW) Dietrich Ahner and AO1(AW/SW) Gerardo Sanchez, won recognition as 2005 Prowlers of the Year for Aviation Electronics and Ordnance, respectively. Both credit the support of their shops and the leadership from their mentors as the reasons for being recognized.

“I’m lucky to have a shop that put me in the position to win,” said Ahner.