NORFOLK, Va. - The U.S. Navy's VAW-123 Screwtops are News 3’s Squadron of the Month for May!
The "World Famous" Screwtops, notably recognized by the spiraling logo adorned on each aircraft's radar dome, have established their place in Naval Aviation as the premier Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron in the Navy.
VAW-123 was established in April 1967 and recently celebrated their 50th anniversary.
The squadron has received the coveted Battle Effectiveness award 16 times in their history, including the past two consecutive years. The Battle Effectiveness Award recognizes sustained superior performance in an operational environment, and sustained continuous readiness for combat.
The Screwtops have demonstrated day-to-day excellence in addition to superior achievement throughout their history, having deployed aboard eight different American aircraft carriers in support of:
- Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm
- Operations Deny Flight/Deliberate Force
- Operation Enduring Freedom: Where the squadron became the first carrier-based Navy squadron to operate an expeditionary detachment in support of special warfare units.
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation New Dawn
- And most recently in the fight against ISIS in Operation Inherent Resolve
The Screwtops look to continue their proud history as they move forward to their next series of work-ups and deployment.
The Screwtops have excelled throughout 50 years of operations and remain committed to the standard of excellence that accompanies the title, "The World Famous."
