Originally Posted by
franklin_m
VAQ131, the Lancers, I deployed twice with two A-6 squadrons and no A7 (or Hornets). First time was with VA-145 Swordsmen and VMA(AW)-121 Green Knights. Second time (Desert Storm) was with VA-145 again, and VA-155 Silver Foxes. Both times on Ranger with CAG2. None of those had KA6's. I want to say they were retired from most squadrons a couple years prior in favor of more all weather capable bomb droppers.
My next sea tour was on Kennedy. By then it all the A6's were gone (or nearly so). At that time, CAG8 had just Hornets for bomb droppers. All tanking done by the S3. We preferred the A6 though, as the S3 cruised quite a bit slower than the rest of the strikers when doing organic tanking for strike support.
Okay this has me laughing a bit since my two cruises were with VAQ-130, both on the Kitty Hawk. We had, in the CAW with us:
1984 CAG-2 VF-1 & 2( 12 F-14As), VA-146 &147( 12 A-7Es), VA-145(included four Ks and 12 A-6E-TRAMs), HS-2, VAW-116( 4 E-2Cs), VS-38( 10 S-3As) and the VQ-1 Whale.
1985 CAG-9 VF-24 & 211, VA-165, VA-146 &147, HS-2, VAW-112(with 5 E-2Cs), VS-33 and the ever present VQ-1 Whale