NAS Lemoore Photocall by Tim Lachenmaier

The opportunity to photograph operations at the US Navy’s west coast “Hornet’s nest” drew several Fence Check supporters to Naval Air Station Lemoore on June 17th.

Located 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles in the otherwise quiet farmlands of Kings County, Naval Air Station Lemoore roars with the presence of 16 F/A-18 squadrons (or 20, if you count the four squadrons that are forward-deployed in Japan). NAS Lemoore is the headquarters of Strike Fighter Wing Pacific, which controls all F/A-18s assigned to Commander Naval Air Force US Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC). Already the home of Pacific Fleet “legacy Hornet” squadrons, Lemoore was chosen in 1998 to be the West Coast base for the F-18E/F Super Hornet.

The Fence Check group arrived at 0900 to be met by Dennis McGrath, one of Lemoore’s senior public affairs officials. Arrangements had been made and plans constructed many weeks in advance to make the photocall a fluid, wide-ranging tour of the base. The main objectives were to photograph flight operations from the Landing Signals Officer’s shack beside the runway, and to photograph the “color” jets of the different squadrons on base.

Lemoore’s main ramps are partitioned by a road that cuts across the base, thus creating an east and a west ramp. Both were loaded with Hornets! We were fortunate that several squadrons were home; just a few weeks before our visit, all the carrier air wings had been either deployed, returning from deployment, or participating in exercises elsewhere. The Fleet squadrons present included VFA-14, VFA-41, VFA-94, VFA-146, VFA-147, and VFA-154. And speaking of fortunate, every CAG or Commanding officer’s jet was out in the sun, not concealed in a hangar. These colorful birds added more character to the diverse selection of F/A-18s that awaited our cameras. We started on the west ramp and then proceeded to the east ramp. Enough time was spent with each squadron to take photos of the parked aircraft and to buy squadron shirts, coins, stickers, and other memorabilia.

After photographing the ramps, we relocated to the LSO shack because a large number of Hornets and Super Hornets were inbound to the field. Controlled chaos ensued, to the point where up to five Super Hornets were in the pattern at once for carrier landing practice. After some time at the shack, we went back to the flightline to shoot some of the jets that had been airborne during our morning tour. Eight hours on base went by in a flash; in reality, one could easily spend days at a place like Lemoore.

The following Strike Fighter squadrons are assigned to NAS Lemoore:

F/A-18C Legacy Hornet: VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet, VFA-94 Mighty Shrikes, VFA-97 Warhawks, VFA-113 Stingers, VFA-125 Rough Raiders, VFA-146 Blue Diamonds, VFA-151 Vigilantes, VFA-192 Golden Dragons, and VFA-195 Dambusters.

F/A-18E Super Hornet: VFA-14 Tophatters, VFA-27 Royal Maces, VFA-115 Eagles, VFA-122 Flying Eagles (also flying the F/A-18F), VFA-137 Kestrels, and VFA-147 Argonauts

F/A-18F Super Hornet: VFA-2 Bounty Hunters, VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks, VFA-41 Black Aces, VFA-154 Black Knights, and VFA-102 Diamondbacks.

VFAs -27, -102, -192, and -195 are normally based at NAS Atsugi, Japan.

NAS Lemoore is home to two Fleet Replacement Squadrons, VFA-122 and VFA-125. These squadrons are primarily tasked with introducing pilots and maintainers to the F/A-18 and ensuring the combat readiness of the Fleet squadrons. Whether it is a brand new pilot or one transitioning to the F/A-18 from a different airframe, the FRS brings pilots up to the Navy’s demanding standards. VFA-125 also trains exchange pilots and helps to fill pilot slots for the United States Marine Corps when necessary.

Acknowledgements

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