EAWS Air Wing and Squadron Organization — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The informal title 'CAG' refers to the commander of which unit?
- Carrier Strike Group
- Carrier Air Wing (Correct answer)
- Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department
- Naval Air Station
Correct answer: Carrier Air Wing
CAG originally stood for Commander, Air Group. Today it is the traditional name for the Commander of the Carrier Air Wing, who is normally a Navy captain.
Question 2: What type of squadron does the designation 'VFA' identify?
- Airborne early warning
- Strike fighter (Correct answer)
- Helicopter sea combat
- Electronic attack
Correct answer: Strike fighter
VFA is the designation for strike fighter squadrons, which fly the F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and F-35C. VAW is airborne early warning, HSC is helicopter sea combat, and VAQ is electronic attack.
Question 3: Which type of squadron is NOT normally assigned to a carrier air wing?
- Strike fighter (VFA)
- Electronic attack (VAQ)
- Patrol squadron (VP) (Correct answer)
- Helicopter sea combat (HSC)
Correct answer: Patrol squadron (VP)
VP patrol squadrons fly land-based maritime patrol aircraft and deploy to shore sites. A carrier air wing is made up of squadrons that can operate from the carrier, such as VFA, VAQ, VAW, HSC, HSM, and VRC.
Question 4: In a Navy aviation squadron, which department is responsible for the maintenance and material condition of the squadron's aircraft?
- Operations Department
- Safety Department
- Maintenance Department (Correct answer)
- Administration Department
Correct answer: Maintenance Department
The Maintenance Department, led by the Maintenance Officer, performs organizational-level maintenance. It is divided into divisions such as Maintenance/Material Control, Line, Airframes, Power Plants, and Avionics/Armament.
Question 5: Who is the senior officer in charge of an aviation squadron?
- Maintenance Master Chief
- Executive Officer
- Commanding Officer (Correct answer)
- Air Boss
Correct answer: Commanding Officer
A Navy aviation squadron is led by its Commanding Officer. The Executive Officer is second in command, and 'Air Boss' is the head of the ship's air department.
Question 6: What is the role of the Type Commander for Naval Aviation, COMNAVAIRFOR?
- It directs combat operations for each deployed carrier
- It organizes, mans, trains, and equips naval air forces (Correct answer)
- It builds all Navy aircraft
- It controls the flight deck during launch and recovery
Correct answer: It organizes, mans, trains, and equips naval air forces
Commander, Naval Air Forces (COMNAVAIRFOR) is the type commander for Naval Aviation. It is responsible for manning, training, and equipping aviation units and for providing ready forces to fleet commanders.
