MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Under the Unit Deployment Program, many fighter attack squadrons deploy in and out of the Pacific region for six months at a time.
On the air station, there is always an attack squadron presence to support Pacific region operations.
Typically Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons or their all-weather counterparts are the most common F/A-18 squadrons found on Marine air stations, but for one attack squadron here, the word “Marine” is absent from its description.
Made up of 229 enlisted personnel, 25 officers and 12 planes, Strike Fighter Squadron 94 is currently the only Navy F/A-18 Hornet squadron on the air station.
VFA-94 is scheduled to depart from the air station between the 12th and 15th of July and will be replaced by VMFA-224.
The unit will be departing in a typical squadron departure, which is broken into two bodies; the main body and the lead body.
Unlike a common squadron departure, where the lead leaves first, VFA-94 will be departing in an opposite order making their main body the first to depart.
Master Chief Petty Officer Chad Lundsford, VFA-94 command master chief, said this order of departure is more cost efficient for VFA-94 than the typical departure routine.
After their departure, VFA-94 will return to its home station Naval Air Station, Lemoore, Calif.
“It’s a very good squadron, one of the best squadrons I’ve been in, and the UDP program is a pretty unique opportunity in the Navy,” said Lt. Cmdr. Gregg Sanders, VFA-94 safety and logistics officer.
Most Navy squadrons fall under a Wing or a carrier air group, but VFA-94 falls under a different chain of command.
VFA-94 is currently the only Navy squadron participating in the UDP. For this reason, VFA-94 is attached to Marine Aircraft Group 12 when deployed here.
“We don’t go on ships. We actually come here in direct support of Marines, specifically (Marine Aircraft Group) 12,” said Lundsford.
When VFA-94 deploys under the UDP, a Marine F/A-18 Hornet squadron is sent on a carrier to replace VFA-94’s presence.
Since VFA-94 constantly works in conjunction with Marines, VFA-94 sailors usually have to abide by Marine Corps customs. For Lundsford, this requirement is a benefit.
“I think the pride and professionalism is held to a higher standard on a Marine base than it is on a Navy base, so in my opinion it’s a good thing,” said Lundsford.
For other VFA-94 sailors, the freedom of not being confined to a ship is what they appreciate about being stationed with Marines.
“It’s a little different because you get more liberty than you would on a carrier. So we have the camaraderie at work, and then we get (to enjoy) the weekends and nights off,” said Sanders, VFA-94 safety and logistics officer.
During their deployment here, VFA-94 participated in exercises Lava Viper in Hawaii, and Foal Eagle and Key Resolve in South Korea. Lundsford and Sanders both said there are many things they will miss about Iwakuni, but due to the work efficiency the squadron has displayed in the past, they’re sure the squadron will adapt to NAS Lemoore with ease.