THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070345
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 74 lines
Oceana Naval Air Station's newest F-14 Tomcat squadron, the ``Fighting Checkmates'' of Fighter Squadron VF-211, arrived Tuesday, bringing 14 planes and the first of 300 personnel with them.
The squadron made the cross-country, 5 1/2-hour, non-stop ``commute'' from Naval Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, which is being closed as part of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's decision to move all of the Navy's F-14 squadrons to Oceana Naval Air Station.
Two Air Force tankers met the F-14s over Oklahoma for a refueling to allow the fliers to reach Oceana on time. It will be a routine the outfit will have to become accustomed to as they return periodically to the West Coast to join their ship, the carrier Nimitz.
Eleven of the planes formed a diamond formation above Oceana's tarmac shortly after 4 p.m. They were welcomed by other aviators and a few of the families that have moved to the area. Three of the aircraft arrived earlier.
The plan, said Lt. Cmdr. C.J. Ferguson, the squadron's operations officer, calls for many of the fliers to return to Miramar Thursday, pack their belongings and drive their families across country to Hampton Roads.
``It's a big logistical nightmare,'' said Ferguson. ``We are supposed to have everybody back at work, established, in the area, no kidding, by Monday morning, Aug. 26. Lots of work ahead.''
What the displaced Californians seem to like best about the region is the lower cost of living.
``Sales tax, the cost of gasoline, all that stuff, is a lot lower than San Diego,'' said Laura Baranek, the wife of the squadron's executive officer, Cmdr. David Baranek.
``You gotta love it,'' she said.
Like many of those who have already relocated, the Baraneks found they were able to purchase a home with much more square footage than in San Diego.
``Love it,'' said Lt. Jim Bartelloni, one of the aviators who flew in earlier. ``The people are friendlier, and it's good to have all the Tomcats in one place.''
Some of the new arrivals were a bit upset about last week's three days of rain.
``It never rains in San Diego,'' said Laura Baranek. ``But, hey. At least the grass will grow here.''
The move comes on the heels of the squadron's May 16 return from a Western Pacific deployment aboard the Nimitz. There, the squadron played a vital role supporting Operation Southern Watch, flying daily missions into Iraq.
The squadron is commanded by James E. Oliver, an Annapolis, Md., native and 1978 Naval Academy graduate who has spent most of his career as a West Coast aviator.
VF-211 is the second of five F-14 squadrons and a detachment of another squadron destined for Oceana.
The first of the new F-14 squadrons to arrive at Oceana was Fighter Squadron 2 in May. A detachment of Fighter Squadron 101 is scheduled to make the move in October, with VF-11 and VF-31 coming in January. The final squadron to make the move is VF-213, scheduled to be here in May.
Shutdowns at Cecil Field, Fla., home of the Navy's F/A-18 Hornets, also affect Oceana, which will begin receiving those aircraft next year.
After current A-6 Intruder squadrons are retired and other adjustments are made, Oceana will host a total of 12 F-14 squadrons, 10 F/A-18 squadrons and one Fleet Composite Squadron of ``bogies,'' used in dogfight training.
Oceana, which at its peak in 1989 had 363 aircraft and 12,473 personnel, has seen its complement fall to half that many aircraft and thousands fewer workers because of drawdowns mandated by Congress since 1990.
When the moves are complete in the early spring of 1999, Oceana will surpass its previous strength: Projections call for 374 aircraft and 13,003 personnel. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos D. Kevin Elliott/The Virginian-Pilot
Suzie Frisch points out the F-14s of Fighter Squadron VF-211 to her
nephew Trey Davis, 9, top. Above, Trey's father and Frisch's
brother-in-law, Bill Davis, hugs Trey, his son Tyler, 7, center,
and his nephew T.J. Frisch, right, after landing.
KEYWORDS: U.S. NAVY F-14 by CNB