# VS-29

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{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Sea Control Squadron 29
| image                         = 300px
| dates                         = 1 April 1960 – 30 April 2004
| country                       = [United States of America](/source/United_States_of_America)
| branch                        = [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy)
| garrison                      = [NAS North Island](/source/NAS_North_Island)
| nickname                      = Dragonfires
| equipment                     = [Grumman S-2 Tracker](/source/Grumman_S-2_Tracker)<br>[Lockheed S-3A/B Viking](/source/Lockheed_S-3_Viking)
| battles                       = [Cold War](/source/Cold_War)<br>[Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War)<br>[Operation Southern Watch](/source/Operation_Southern_Watch)<br>[Operation Desert Fox](/source/Operation_Desert_Fox)<br>[Operation Enduring Freedom](/source/Operation_Enduring_Freedom)<br>[Operation Iraqi Freedom](/source/Operation_Iraqi_Freedom)}}

'''Sea Control Squadron 29''' ('''VS-29''') or the "Dragonfires" was a former Sea Control and [anti-submarine warfare](/source/anti-submarine_warfare) (ASW) squadron of the [US Navy](/source/US_Navy) that existed between 1960 and 2004.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=VS-29|url=http://gonavy.jp/navy/sqn/VS29.html|access-date=2020-12-07|website=gonavy.jp}}</ref>

== History ==

=== As the Tromboners (1960–1975) ===
VS-29 was originally commissioned on 1 April 1960 as the Tromboners by splitting [VS-21](/source/Sea_Control_Squadron_21) in two,<ref>{{Cite web|title=VS 21 Redtails|url=https://vs29.org/History/VS21/VS21.htm|access-date=2020-12-07|website=vs29.org}}</ref> the squadron making 12 small deployments in the East Pacific between July 1960 and May 1964 aboard the [aircraft carrier](/source/aircraft_carrier) {{USS|Kearsarge|CV-33|6}} as part of CVSG-53 <ref name=":0" /> which included the recovery of the [NASA](/source/NASA) [Mercury](/source/Project_Mercury) capsules.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Articles|url=https://vs29.org/History/Articles/Articles.htm|access-date=2020-12-07|website=vs29.org}}</ref> From 19 June 1964 to 16 December 1964, they made their first [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War) cruise on ''Kearsarge'' with [Grumman S-2F Trackers](/source/Grumman_S-2_Tracker) followed by three more Vietnam cruises on the carrier in 1966, 1968 and 1969. VS-29 made their first Atlantic deployment which was short-lived between September and November 1971 on {{USS|Wasp|CV-18|6}}. In September 1972, VS-29 made their last deployment with the Grumman Tracker (S-2E) on {{USS|Ticonderoga|CV-14|6}} as part of CVSG-53.{{fact|date=January 2024}}
alt=VS-29 on the maiden deployment of the S-3 Viking in 1976.|left|thumb|VS-29 on the maiden deployment of the S-3 Viking in 1976.

=== First years of using the S-3 Viking (1975–1982) ===
In 1975, the squadron transitioned to the [Lockheed S-3A Viking](/source/Lockheed_S-3_Viking) before making the first West Pacific S-3 Viking deployment<ref name=":1" /> as part of [CVW-14](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Fourteen) on {{USS|Enterprise|CVN-65|6}} between 30 July 1976 and 28 March 1977.<ref name=":0" /> Two more deployments (including one Westpac deployment) followed on {{USS|Ranger|CV-61|6}} as part of [CVW-2](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Two). This was followed in 1981 by the first deployment of many that VS-29 would make with [CVW-15](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Fifteen), this time on {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|6}}.{{fact|date=January 2024}}

=== USS ''Carl Vinson'' and CVW-15 (1983–1990) ===
After a shakedown cruise in 1982, VS-29 made history by joining the nuclear-powered carrier {{USS|Carl Vinson}} on her maiden deployment, a round the world cruise<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 - 1983 Cruise Book|publisher=[United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy)|year=1983|isbn=|location=|pages=412}}</ref> from [Norfolk](/source/Norfolk%2C_Virginia), Virginia to [NAS Alameda](/source/Naval_Air_Station_Alameda), California. Seven more deployments followed which included taking part in the [RIMPAC 1984](/source/Exercise_RIMPAC) and RIMPAC 1986 [naval exercise](/source/naval_exercise)s. On 31 July 1990, the squadron returned from their last cruise with CVW-15 and the S-3A Viking.<ref name=":0" />
alt=An S-3A Viking from VS-29 on the USS Carl Vinson in 1985.|left|thumb|An S-3A Viking from VS-29 on USS ''Carl Vinson'' in 1985.

=== CVW-11 and final years (1991–2004) ===
VS-29 joined [CVW-11](/source/Carrier_Air_Wing_Eleven) on {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN-72|6}} in September 1990 on its transit to the West Coast before taking part in the ship's maiden cruise on 28 May 1991 taking part in [Operation Fiery Vigil](/source/Operation_Fiery_Vigil) in the [Philippines](/source/Philippines) before arriving in the Persian Gulf just after the [Gulf War](/source/Gulf_War) ended. This was the first deployment that VS-29 deployed with the S-3B Viking.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn72-91/index.html|title=USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Maiden Cruise Book 1991|publisher=Walsworth Publishing Company|year=1991|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>

Three more [deployments to the Persian Gulf](/source/Operation_Southern_Watch) followed for VS-29 between 1992 and 1995 aboard ''Abraham Lincoln'' followed by one Persian Gulf deployment between 1996 and 1997 on ''Kitty Hawk''. After moving with CVW-11 back to ''Carl Vinson'', VS-29 took part in RIMPAC '98 before deploying to the Persian Gulf in November 1998.<ref name=":0" /> During this deployment, [Operation Desert Fox](/source/1998_bombing_of_Iraq) took place with VS-29 delivering {{cvt|51,000|lb}} of fuel to CVW-11 twenty aircraft strike force from ''Carl Vinson''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Articles|url=https://vs29.org/History/Articles/Articles.htm#decommissioned|access-date=2020-12-07|website=vs29.org}}</ref>

During [Operation Enduring Freedom](/source/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)) in 2001, they became the first Viking squadron to be used in combat during the conflict.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn70-01/index.html|title=USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) WestPac Cruise Book 2001-02|publisher=|year=2002|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> After completing their last deployment on {{USS|Nimitz}} on 5 November 2003 which included taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom,<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn68-03/index.html|title=USS Nimitz (CVN 68) WestPac and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2003|publisher=|year=2003|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> VS-29 held a decommissioning ceremony on 17 April 2004,<ref name=":1" /> before being finally decommissioned on 30 April 2004.<ref name=":0" />

{{commonscat|Sea Control Squadron 29 (United States Navy)}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Anti-submarine squadrons of the United States Navy
Category:Sea control squadrons of the United States Navy

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [VS-29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VS-29) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VS-29?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.