Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 308

 

 "Griffins"

....

History 

2. May 1970 VAQ-308 Established at NAS Alameda CA
1. October 1979 VAQ-308 Redesignated VAK-308 
30. September 1989 VAK-308 Disestablished at NAS Alameda CA

 

Planes:
 

 

 

1970 - 1989
KA-3B

   
..
VAQ-308, VAK-308 Deployments 
VAQ-308
6. November 1976 - 20. November 1976 CV-61 USS Ranger CVWR-30 KA-3B ND 630
VAK-308
26. January 1986 - 5. February 1986 CV-61 USS Ranger CVWR-30 KA-3B ND 630
..
VAQ-308, VAK-308 Commanding Officers 
CDR Gregory B. Bambo, Jr. 2. May 1970 16. July 1972
CDR Charles Jacob 16. July 1972 16. June 1974
CDR Gregory L. Davison 16. June 1974 6. December 1975
CDR Tad H. Bingham 6. December 1975 17. December 1977
CDR Gerald F. Hicks  17. December 1977 January 1980
CDR George L. Green January 1980 16. January 1982
CDR James T. Edwards 16. January 1982 24. July 1983
CDR Dennis J. Kowalzyk  24. July 1983 19. January 1985
CDR William C. Burgess  19. January 1985 20. July 1986
CDR Daniel Kalashian  20. July 1986 28. January 1988
CDR David D. Abelson  28. January 1988 30. September 1989

History 

As a result of the overhaul of the Naval Air Reserve, at NAS Alameda, California on May 2, 1970, VAQ-308, under the command of CDR Gregory Bambo Jr., was the first squadron of the first reserve Carrier Air Group to be commissioned. Comprised of a unique complement of civilian reservists and active duty personnel, VAQ-308 was assigned KA-3B’s. At 0750, November 10, 1970, VAQ-308’s Skywarrior, made the first arrested landing for the newly formed Carrier Air Group 30. The landing was made during low ceilings and 14 foot seas aboard USS TICONDERGA (CVS-14) while cruising approximately 100 miles southwest of San Clemente Island. Never before had non-active duty reservists been day and night carrier qualified! This was the first A3 Skywarrior and the first Heavy Attack Squadron ever assigned to the Naval Air Reserve. VAQ-308 along with its later formed sister squadron, VAQ-208, established a new precedence by flying combat support missions in S.E. Asia during the Vietnam War with civilian reservists (not recalled to Active Duty) during short leaves of absence from their civilian occupations. The squadron supported peacetime as well as critical emergency deployments to the Indian Ocean (e.g., during the India-Pakistan conflict in 1971 and the transfer of aircraft to Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973). The AERREFRON designation was adopted on October 1, 1979, thus making VAK-308 and VAK-208 the only Navy units ever to have been given air refueling as their primary mission. After adding over 19 years to the "Whale’s" already long operational tenure, VAK-308 was decommissioned at NAS Alameda on September 30, 1989.


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last update 22. February 2013

written 24. April 2005

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