Description
US Navy VAQ-137 Rooks Coin
Electronic Attack Squadron 137 (VAQ-137) — “Rooks” — Challenge Coin
Electronic Attack Squadron 137 (VAQ-137), the Rooks, was originally established on 14 December 1973 at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, flying EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The squadron first deployed in 1974 with CVW-14 for a WESTPAC cruise aboard USS Enterprise, and in April 1975 provided essential electronic surveillance during Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Americans from Saigon. The original VAQ-137 was disestablished on 26 May 1994, and the current squadron was reestablished on 1 October 1996 as part of a five-squadron expansion to replace the USAF EF-111A Raven in the Joint Electronic Attack role.
Across both incarnations, the Rooks have compiled an extraordinary combat record. During Operation Desert Storm, the squadron flew 212 combat sorties and fired 30 AGM-88 HARM missiles aboard USS America — the only EA-6B squadron to fight from both the Red Sea and the North Arabian Gulf. In March 1986, VAQ-137 participated in the air strike against an SA-5 site at Sirte, Libya. After September 11, 2001, the Rooks deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt as the first Prowler squadron to use night vision goggles, accumulating 751 NVD hours and flying 254 combat sorties during a record 159 days at sea during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Rooks have earned the Admiral Arthur W. Radford Award for highest achievement in electronic warfare five times, two Prowler Squadron of the Year selections, and eight Battle “E” awards. Today, VAQ-137 flies the Boeing EA-18G Growler with Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, based at NAS Whidbey Island.
Perfect For: VAQ-137 Rooks past and present, CVW-11 personnel, EA-18G Growler aircrew, NAS Whidbey Island aviators, electronic warfare professionals, and naval aviation challenge coin collectors.
A tribute to the Rooks of VAQ-137 — masters of the electromagnetic spectrum, jamming the enemy’s defenses from Saigon to the Persian Gulf and beyond.
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