Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (United States Navy)
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 3 | |
---|---|
United States of America | |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Fleet air reconnaissance |
Role | TACAMO |
Garrison/HQ | Tinker Air Force Base |
Aircraft flown | |
Reconnaissance | Lockheed EC-130G/Q Hercules Boeing E-6 Mercury |
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (VQ-3), nicknamed the Ironmen, is a naval aviation squadron of the United States Navy based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (United States). The squadron flies the Boeing E-6B Mercury airborne command post and communications relay aircraft. It is part of the Navy's TACAMO community, whose mission is to enable the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense to directly communicate with U.S. submarines, bombers, and missile silos during a nuclear war.[1]
Operations
VQ-3 has a complement of 78 officers and 454 enlisted personnel. Since 1992, it has operated under Navy Strategic Communications Wing 1 at Tinker Air Force Base. It deploys aircraft to fly operational patrols out of Travis Air Force Base, California.[2]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/EC-130G_Hercules_of_VR-21_TACAMO_component_in_flight_off_Hawaii_c1964.jpg/220px-EC-130G_Hercules_of_VR-21_TACAMO_component_in_flight_off_Hawaii_c1964.jpg)
The squadron began on 23 December 1963 as a detachment of Fleet Tactical Support Squadron 21 (VR-21) at
The TACAMO Community Veterans Association organization has a museum and history kiosk at Kalaeloa Airport, on the site of the former NAS Barbers Point. It was dedicated 6 September 2016, with former members of VQ-3, VQ-4, and VQ-7 in attendance, chronicling the history of VQ-3.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Peloni, Matthew (3 June 2011). "Navy VQ-3 squadron welcomes new commander". Inside Tinker AFB. Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma: Tinker Air Force Base. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ISBN 9781591146858. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "VQ-3 - The Ironman Squadron". Old TACAMO. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
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