NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. — The sailors of VAW-120, more than 700 men and women, make up one of the largest squadrons at Naval Station Norfolk. I recently visited their command to present them with News 3's Squadron of the Month award for October 2023.
According to the Navy's website, the mission of VAW-120 is to fly and train Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers, and Naval Aircrewmen to safely and effectively operate E-2 and C-2 aircraft, preparing them to join the fleet. The squadron gets its name, Greyhawks, from a portmanteau of the two aircraft types.
"They all get trained here, so they learn how to do it the right way," Cmdr. David "Pawnshop" Wiltshire, the squadron's Commanding Officer, tells me.
This history of VAW-120 goes back to 1948, when it was commissioned as Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron TWO (VAW-2) at NAS Norfolk. According to the Navy, VAW-120 became the single site Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) in September 1994 when VAW-110, its west coast counterpart, was decommissioned. As a result, VAW-120 is currently the sole training site for all E-2C/D and C-2A aircrew.
Not only is VAW-120 responsible for FRS training for Pilots, Naval Flight Officers, and Naval Aircrewmen, but they can also be tasked operationally in support of defense and disaster operations. In response to the events of Sept 11, 2001, VAW-120 launched aircraft in support of homeland defense operations. Their missions included airborne surveillance, ground communication relay, and track management along the east coast.
"Whatever the fleet needs, they know they can count on the Greyhawks," Cmdr. Wiltshire added.
