Attack Squadron 93 (ATKRON 93) VA-93 ‘Blue Blazers/Ravens’
STATUS:		established as VF-93 on March 26, 1952 VF-93 redesignated VA-93 on September 15, 1956 VA-93 disestablished on July 31, 1986 Nicknames: Blue Blazers (1956-76) / Ravens (1976-86)
AIRCRAFT:		McDonnell A4D-1 Skyhawk (1956-58) McDonnell A4D-2 Skyhawk (1958-60) McDonnell A4D-2N Skyhawk (1960-62) McDonnell A-4C Skyhawk (1962-66) McDonnell A-4E Skyhawk (1966-67) McDonnell A-4F Skyhawk (1967-69) Ling-Temco-Vought A-7B Corsair II (1969-73) Ling-Temco-Vought A-7A Corsair II (1973-77) Ling-Temco-Vought A-7E Corsair II (1977-86)
DEPLOYMENTS:		September 1957 - June 1958 with CVG-9 aboard USS Ticonderoga (CVA 14) February 1960 - August 1960 with CVG-9 aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) August 1961 - March 1962 with CVG-9 aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) November 1962 - June 1963 with CVG-9 aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) August 1964 - May 1965 with CVW-9 aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) October 1965 - June 1966 with CVW-9 aboard USS Enterprise (CVAN 65) January 1967 - July 1967 with CVW-5 aboard USS Hancock (CVA 19) January 1968 - October 1968 with CVW-5 aboard USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) October 1969 - June 1970 with CVW-2 aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) April 1971 - November 1971 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) April 1972 - March 1973 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) June 1973 - May 1986: permanently forward deployed to Naval Station Yokosuka, Japan as part of Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5), assigned to USS Midway (CV 41): September 1973 - October 1973 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) October 1973 - December 1973 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) January 1974 - March 1974 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) October 1974 - December 1974 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) January 1975 - February 1975 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) March 1975 - May 1975 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) October 1975 - December 1975 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) March 1976 - April 1976 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) May 1976 - June 1976 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) July 1976 - August 1976 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) November 1976 - December 1976 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) January 1977 - March 1977 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) April 1977 - May 1977 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) August 1977 - September 1977 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) September 1977 - December 1977 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) April 1978 - May 1978 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) November 1978 - December 1978 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) January 1979 - February 1979 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) April 1979 - June 1979 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) August 1979 - September 1979 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) September 1979 - February 1980 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) July 1980 - November 1980 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) February 1981 - June 1981 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) June 1981 - July 1981 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) September 1981 - October 1981 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) April 1982 - June 1982 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) September 1982 - December 1982 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) February 1983 - May 1983 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) June 1983 - August 1983 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) October 1983 - December 1983 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) December 1983 - May 1984 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) October 1984 - December 1984 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) February 1985 - March 1985 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) June 1985 - October 1985 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) November 1985 - December 1985 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) January 1986 - March 1986 with CVW-5 aboard USS Midway (CV 41) >> NOTE: the squadron would normally operate out of NAF Atsugi or Misawa when the carrier was in port NS Yokosuka. Detachment deployment only: VA-93 / Det. Q: February 1964 - August 1964 with CVSG-59 aboard USS Bennington (CVS 20)
images
A-7E Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CV 41) - 1984 A-7E Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CV 41) - 1981 A-7E Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CV 41) - 1981 A-7E Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CV 41) - 1981 A-7A Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CVA 41) - 1976 A-7A Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CVA 41) - 1973 (National Naval Aviation Museum) A-7A Corsair II (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Midway (CVA 41) - 1970’s (NNAM) A-4E Skyhawk (VA-93 / CVW-5) embarked on USS Hancock (CVA 19) - 1967 A-4C Skyhawk (VA-93 / CVW-9) embarked on USS Ranger (CVA 61) - 1965 A-4C Skyhawks (VA-93 / CVG-9) embarked on USS Ranger (CVA 61) - 1960’s A4D-2N Skyhawks (VA-93) in flight with an A3D Skywarrior of VAH-6 near NAAS Fallon, Nevada - 1961 (NNAM)
history
May 1963: Following the military losses of the Lao neutralist to the Pathet Lao in the Plaine de Jarres, Laos, Ranger (CVA 61) transited to the South China Sea to support possible operations in Laos. 15 Oct 1963: The squadron established a Detachment Q for deployment aboard the anti-submarine carrier Bennington (CVS 20) to provide daylight fighter protection for the ASW aircraft. The detachment flew A-4B Skyhawks. 7 Feb 1965: Following a Viet Cong attack against the American advisors compound at Pleiku, South Vietnam, a reprisal strike, named Flaming Dart I, was ordered by the President. VA-93 participated in this strike, but upon reaching the target, the military barracks at Vit Thu Lu, the mission was aborted due to the weather. 11 Feb 1965: Participated in Flaming Dart II, retaliatory strikes against the military barracks at Chanh Hoa, North Vietnam. 15 Mar 1965: Participated in Rolling Thunder strikes against ammunition storage area in Phu Qui, North Vietnam. May–Oct 1972: Participated in Operation Linebacker I, heavy air strikes against targets in North Vietnam to reduce that country’s ability to continue the war effort in South Vietnam. Apr 1975: Participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American personnel from Saigon, South Vietnam as the country fell to the communists. Aug–Sep 1976: Operated near the Korea Peninsula following the murder of U.S. military personnel in the Korean DMZ by North Koreans. Nov–Dec 1979: In response to the seizure of the American Embassy and its staff, by an Iranian mob, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Midway (CV 41) operated in the Arabian Sea. May–Jun 1980: Following the massacre of several hundred people in the city of Kwangju, South Korea, Midway operated off the coast of South Korea until the crisis had subsided. Dec 1981: Following unrest in Korea, Midway operated off the coast of South Korea for several days. Homeport assignments: NAS Alameda (March 1952) NAS Lemoore (March 1962) NS Yokosuka* (October 1973) NAS Lemoore April 1986 (* VA-93, along with CVW-5 and USS Midway (CVA 41), were part of a program to permanently assign a carrier and air wing to an overseas home port. Midway’s new home port was NS Yokosuka, Japan, and the squadron would normally operate out of NAF Atsugi or NAF Misawa when the carrier was at NS Yokosuka. The assignment was effective 30 June 1973. However, the squadron did not arrive until October 5, 1973.)
patches
VA-93 Ravens insignia VA-93 Blue Blazers insignia
| seaforces.org | US Navy Air Units start page |