History Of MATKWEPSDET

Medium Attack Weapons Detachment, (MATKWEPSDET) was created on September 17, 1987. It was created as a joint effort by Naval Attack Squadrons VA-42 (Atkron Four-Two), The Green Pawns and VA-128 (Atkron One-Two-Eight), The Golden Intruders. The Golden Intruders also took on the role of FRS for the Marines replacing VMAT(AW)-202 (Marine All Weather Attack Two-Zero-Two), Intruder College, as the Navy, converted former Marine Intruder Squadrons to the F/A-18A Hornet. The detachment reported to the Commanding Officer, Attack Squadron One-Two-Eight and was part of Attack Wing One, COMNAVAIRPAC.

For years, both squadrons sent detachments to NAF El Centro to accomplish VISWEP Qualifications. In 1987, the Navy announce that it was eliminating Neutral Duty. Neutral Duty was created for Sailors as an alternative to shore duty. Essentially, it allowed the Navy to place shore duty sailors in a detachment and send them just about everywhere. In a RAG Squadron, they make two different detachments, Carrier Qualification, and Live Bombing. Carrier Quals are obviously done on an Aircraft Carrier (Which ever is available at the time a CQ is needed and VISWEP is always at NAF El Centro.

Because of the constant need for these detachments, and the lack of sailors wishing to leave home on their shore duty time, the Navy and the two squadron realized it would be easier to create a permanent detachment at NAF El Centro to service the two squadrons as needed. They also did not need to fight for hangar space once the permanent detachment was established. Prior to that, there was plenty of scheduling difficulties. El Centro is a very popular spot for flight training due to the great weather that exists at El Centro.

The Detachment's plankowner's were primarily made up of personnel transferred over from the recently disestablished VA-174 Detachment at NAF El Centro. In 1987, the A-7E was being phased out as the F/A-18 was being phased in. VA-174 was the A-7 RAG Squadron. Their purpose was the same as M.A.W.D's. The first Officer in Charge was LCDR D.E. Lamont. Lt. Mitchell was the Administrative officer and Senior Chief Ross was the Command Senior Chief. Their were four other chiefs and the rest of the 130 other personnel were made up of E6 and below.

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We maintained up to 13 aircraft with a maximum staff of 124 enlisted and 2 officers. VA-42 had 18 aircraft and a staff as large as 900. We did the usually routine. One of the aircraft that flew in usually was in bad shape (Poppin the RAT when the CSD's Failed was usually the most popular gripe!). It then got cannibalized to create enough parts (There never were enough parts, just ask any AK on a VISWEPS DET!) for the other aircraft. We immediately ordered those parts for the "Canned" aircraft and on the last hour of the squadron's visit, we usually got it on it's way back home.

Stationed at NAF El Centro, M.A.W.D. as we came to be known, managed to work with subpar equipment and facilities. NAF El Centro was an old base. Most of the buildings and hangars were built prior to W.W.II. M.A.W.D took parts of condemned buildings and used them to install acoustic ceilings, paneling, even the walls themselves to create a ready room. The Seabees built the ordinance office to save our budget for taking care of the squadron aircraft.

The Heat! El Centro during the summer reached as hot as 126 degrees when I was there. Add bugs (especially crickets that fly!) and you have the happiest place on earth!

We were a unique bunch. We were all very different, but extremely team oriented. It was required to accomplish what we did with as little as we had.

When I left MATKWEPSDET, we still did not have enough personnel to do the job on our own. VA-42 and VA-128 would send around 15 to 20 Sailors and Marines. A shipmate informed me later that they finally got enough personnel on board to no longer require additional support from the FRS. It was still an incredible job done by the personnel to perform the job of about 300 with as many as half that number. I do not know if the personnel number problem was resolved in the years following 1990.

Medium Attack Weapons Detachment was disestablished in October of 1995 due to the disestablishment of all A6 Fleet Replacement Squadrons.

Upon the disestablishment of Medium Attack Weapons Detachment, the Navy created Strike Fighter Weapons Detachment, Pacific Fleet, which transferred the personnel, equipment, assigned spaces and accommodations of the former detachment.