Chain of Command DET OICs: LCDR Jim Russell and LCDR Bill Clark
VQ-1 Guam N2: CDR Rose Levitre
Other Memories Reported to VQ-Det Atsugi just before the holidays and immediately went to work because the person who I was relieving was on leave. The Soviet Navy was conducting an operation that we have been directed to fly on so without any indoctrination on the various intelligence computer systems I read the message boards and covered the maps on the briefing walls with post-its. I made my introduction to the aircrew when they arrived around 4am for their briefing, the first of near daily events for the next three years. I typically would arrive at the office by midnight, do all-source fusion, put together the brief and present to SIGINT aircrew by 5am, then flight follow the mission until relieved by the debriefer between noon and 1pm. Between Soviet exercises, special collection missions, US Exercises and US carrier battle group transits there were very few down periods until Operation Desert Shield (defense of Saudi Arabia) in 1992.
During Operation Desert Shield all the VQ planes/crew shipped out to Kuwait. I deployed to Kuwait from Sep - Dec 1990 supporting Operation Desert Shield. In Jan 1991 Desert Storm kicked off. out there. VQ was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Award for Operation Desert Shield.
In 1991 the squadron closed its permanent detachment in Atsugi, Japan after 30 years and moved it to Misawa, Japan
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