Tophatters soar through history

Story by JOSN Sarah Bohannon
August 12, 1999, Release No. 111-99

as published on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Web Site

Thunder without rain or clouds. In a roar of JP-5 fumes, another F-14 catapults nose-first on another mission. As the gray streak cuts across a blue sky, one word comes to mind: power. The VF-14 Tophatters are a living, history-making representation of that power.

"We’re one of two Tomcat squadrons attached to CVW-8," said Lt. Brian "Clam" Gallager, VF-14 pilot and native of Orange Park, Fla. "Our mission is to provide air superiority, long range and strike fighter capabilities," he said.

"The ability to take an airwing full of aircraft to a theater anywhere in the world within days with large scale strike capability any time of day is the function of an aircraft carrier," said Gallager.

"You might say we have self escort strike capability, which means we’re able to carry both air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance," he said. "That all falls under the blanket of strike fighter capability," he added.

"With the addition of the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation Targeting Infra Red Night) pod, we have increased capabilities to reach targets at longer ranges," he said.

"The F-14 has always been able to carry an air-to-ground payload, but the LANTIRN enables us to carry precision guided munitions," said Gallager. "In other words, it has given us the capabilities to take out someone’s mailbox if we wanted to," he added.

"We can hit a target with pinpoint accuracy," said Lt. Jim "Steamer" Stanley, pilot and public affairs officer for VF-14.

"Our planes carry the Phoenix which is the longest range air-to-air missile and has been since the plane was introduced in 1972," he said.

VF-14’s technology and stellar pilots and airmen make the squadron worthy of respect. "We’ve come to find out by working with other air forces that there is a pretty healthy respect for our capabilities to shoot down another airplane from a very long distance away," said Stanley.

The squadron continues to make history. VF-14 is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, which makes it the Navy’s oldest squadron. "We’re the oldest and the boldest," said Gallager. "The airwing from this cruise is going to go down through history. The resiliency of Naval aviators has always amazed me," he expounded. "They can get three hours of sleep one day and perform the next," said Gallager. "It’s nice to get the chance to do what we’re trained to do," he added.

Steam rises from the flight deck. Another successful mission, payload delivered, target hit, pilot and crew safe. Another safe, successful flight, and another day in history for VF-14.

GO TOPHATTERS!