Talk:Skull Squadron

Origins

Skull Squadron, a direct descendant of the US Navy Squadron VF-103, The Jolly Rogers, had its origin in the 1940's. The original VF-103 squadron insignia was a cloverleaf, and the aircraft tailfins had a horizontal yellow arrow outlined in black. Later a stylized aircraft darting through the leaf was added, along with a baseball bat. The baseball stemmed from an early skipper who often carried one with him. In 1991, VF-103's aircraft used the squadron insignia for tail-art, in place of the bold arrow. When the Sluggers became the Jolly Rogers they adopted the famous white skull-and-crossbones. After 1999, the combined UN forces retained the squadron, and renamed it Skull Squadron after a re-formation in late 2007. The renaming reflected UN military policy of making unit names more comprehensible to non-English speaking member countries.

The Skull Squadron have always displayed some of the most recognizable squadron markings in the worlds : sinister white skull-and-crossbones on all-black tails, with gold bands wrapped around the tip of the tail fins, and black bands with gold chevrons (known as vagabonds strips from the Crusader days of VF-84) run down the sides of the forward fuselage.

History

Three distinct U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons have used the name and insignia of the Jolly Roger: VF-61, VF-84, and VFA-103. While these are distinctly different squadrons that have no lineal linkage, they all share the same Jolly Roger name, the skull and crossbones insignia and traditions.

The first incarnation of the Jolly Rogers was established on January 1, 1943 at NAS Norfolk, as VF-17. VF-17 was redesignated as VF-5B in 1946, and as VF-61 in 1948. While in existence, VF-61 flew the F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, F8F Bearcat, F9F Panther, F-9 Cougar, and F3H Demon, and was disestablished on April 15, 1959.

The second squadron to be called Jolly Rogers was VF-84, activated on July 1, 1955. This squadron was initially known as the Vagabonds, but assumed the Jolly Rogers name on April 1 1960. This squadron flew the FJ-3 Fury, F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom II, and Grumman F-14 Tomcat before deactivation on September 29, 1995.

After disestablishment of VF-84, the Jolly Rogers name and insignia were adopted by VF-103, which later became VFA-103, and there has only been one squadron designated VF-103.

VFA-103, along with other US Navy forces became engaged in the UNification Wars, and like many other units, suffered heavy casualties between 1999 and 2008. With an interest in internationalising titles by the UN, the Jolly Rogers were renamed Skull Squadron, a name that stuck with them for then on.

The last campaign on Earth that the Skull squadron took part in, was the Mayan Island Campaign of 2008, where they defeated the Lorraine Group under the command of Captain D.D. Ivanov. At this time the command of Skull Squadron was with one of her most famous leaders, Roy Focker.

Skull Squadron suffered heavy casualties during Space War I with the Zentradi, but also yielded the most experienced officers of the conflict, such as Hikaru Ichijyo and Maximilian Jenius.

Skull Squadron remained a military unit for over 30 years after the conflict. It was formally disbanded in 2042, but members of its unit and interested backers, such as Mr. Richard Bilrer, reformed the unit as a Civilian Military Provider, SMS, or Skull Military Services.

SMS remains in the forefront of Human/Zentradi exploration of space, and is seconded to the 25th Expeditionary Fleet, Macross Frontier since 2050.

1950s

VF-103 (the "Sluggers") was activated in 1952 as an F4U Corsair squadron. After a few years flying the F9F Cougar, VF-103 was one of the first squadrons to transition to the F-8 Crusader. Once the transition was completed they were teamed up with VF-102 on board U.S.S Forrestal. Prior to the introduction of the supersonic Crusader jets, American carrier battle groups were often embarrassed by British bombers during allied exercises as the Royal Air Force E.E. Canberras had always been able to make mock attacks on U.S. carriers with impunity. At the time, the U.S. fighters simply could not put up much resistance. During the 1958 Mediterranean cruise, British pilots were surprised when VF-103 tore through their formation of Canberras before they even had a chance to start their simulated attack.

1960s

The Sluggers became an F-4 Phantom II squadron during the Vietnam War. While a significant part of the US air-component in South East Asia, they did not distinguish themselves particularly during this time.

1970s

When the war escalated in the summer of 1972, the Sluggers were with Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) aboard U.S.S. Saratoga, which was rushed to the South China Sea in an attempt to deter a second North Vietnamese invasion of the South. On August 10, Lt. Commander Robert Tucker and Lt. J.G. Stanley Edens shot down a MiG-21 with an AIM-7 Sparrow missile during a night interception. It was the first and only night MiG kill by the US Navy.

1980s

In January 1983, VF-103 was among the last fighter squadrons to transition to the F-14 Tomcat. The squadron conducted the first East Coast fighter squadron’s low altitude AIM-54 Phoenix missile shoot a month later. In October 1985, VF-103 and VF-74 participated in the interception of the Egyptian Boeing 737 carrying the Achille Lauro's hijackers, their first interaction with citizens of one of the future members of the Anti-UN Alliance. During a long range night intercept by VF-74 and VF-103, the 737 was forced to land at NAS Sigonella, Sicily. The terrorists were taken into custody and then set free by Italian authorities.

VF-103 and the rest of the airwing participated in Operation Attain Document (The Gulf of Sidra, 1986) and Operation El Dorado Canyon (The Raid on Libya) in the spring of 1986. In 1989 VF-103 transitioned to the F-14A+ (now known as the F-14B)

1990s

VF-103, along with VF-74, took the more powerful breed of the Tomcat to sea in August 1990. When Kuwait was invaded by Iraq the same month, Saratoga was in the Mediterranean and soon joined U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea. VF-103 and VF-74 worked together to develop the fighter tactics which were used in Operation Desert Storm. When the war started in January 1991, VF-103 conducted fighter escort for the air wing’s strike packages, reconnaissance and bomb damage assessment and combat air patrols. On the fourth day of the war, while on an escort mission, a VF-103 F-14B was shot down by what is believed to be an SA-2 'Guideline' SAM. After ejecting from his aircraft, the RIO Lieutenant Larry Slade, was captured by Iraqi troops and held in Baghdad as a POW until the end of the war. The Pilot, Lieutenant Devon Jones, was able to evade capture and, after eight hours deep in enemy territory, was rescued by USAF Special Forces.

On October 1, 1995, VF-84 was disestablished bringing an end to the Jolly Rogers. Not wanting the Jolly Rogers insignia to fade away, VF-103 requested to do away with their "Slugger" moniker and adopt the Jolly Rogers name and insignia.

Also in 1995, VF-103 conducted the fleet feasibility testing of the USAF's LANTIRN targeting pod in a rapid prototyping initiative that led to adoption of the LANTIRN for the Tomcat community. When they deployed with the U.S.S. Enterprise in the summer of 1996, VF-103 became the first Tomcat squadron to introduce the LANTIRN targeting pod to operational service. The LANTIRN radically improved the F-14's strike capabilities by providing an autonomous precision strike capability.

In 1997 VF-103 transferred from Enterprise to U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower, and set sail to former Yugoslavia in June 1998 in support of NATO operations in Kosovo. In November the carrier moved to the Persian Gulf in response to aggressive Iraqi posturing.

In 1999, ASS-1 landed on South Ataria Island. VF-103 was re-deployed on the U.S.S. Enterprise to work with the UN forces to perform tactical strikes during the UNification wars. During these engagements, VF-103 was one of the foremost frontline units, and became well known for its skill in rapid deployments. The reputation it had gained with LANTIRN now made it one of the premier units for testing and deploying new technology in the field. Technologies first explored in combat with Anti-UN Alliance forces included theater Reaction Weapons, UCAV Drone fighters, and OTEC reactive armor.

Seeking to give the squadron a name easily translated into other languages without distortion, the UN Navy renamed VFA-103 as Skull Squadron, though the insignia, traditions, and proud history of the Jolly Rogers remained intact.

2000's through to 2010's

Skull Squadron, under the command of Capt. Roy Focker, transitioned in 2007 to the experimental VF-0. By this time, the squadron consisted of a very young contingent of pilots, thanks to a lower than normal, yet fairly high attrition during the UNification wars.

The first and last deployment, onboard CVN-99 U.N.S. Asuka II, took place in 2008 during the Mayan Islands Campaign, where Skull Squadron was responsible for defeating the so-called Lorraine Group under the command of Capt. D.D. Ivanov and Capt. Nora Polyansky. This defeat saw the last battle of the UNification wars, and the descent of Anti-UN forces into bands of Guerillas.

In 2009, Skull Squadron converted to the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter, and was deployed onboard the ASS-1, now refitted and re-christened the Macross. Here, the squadron took part in the opening of Space War I with the Zentradi force commanded by Vrlitwhai Kridanik.

Members of Skull Squadron's Vermillion Team involuntarily took part in the first contact with the Zentradi. Subsequently, Skull Squadron's Vermillion team were responsible for several noteworthy steps to establishing interstellar peace - Acceptance of defecting Zentradi into the population onboard the Macross, Marriage between Lt. Maximilian Jenius and Milia Fallyna, a defecting Meltrandi Fighter Pilot, the strategy that resulted in the defeat of the Bodolzaa Fleet, and the subsequent establishment of peace with the Zentradi on a re-seedling Earth.

Skull Squadron experienced significant losses - Roy Focker perished in late 2010 in combat, saving the lives of many onboard the Macross. Alomst half the squadron's pilots were lost in the conflict, producing a cadre of trained and experienced men and women. Chief aces at the end of the war included Ichijyo and the Jenius family.

Skull Squadron left the Earth in 2037 with the Macross 7 Fleet.

2030's

Echelons of Skull Squadron took part in the encounters of the Macross 7 fleet with the Protodeviln on Varauta in 2037-2038. Triumph over these enemies was a long and desperate battle, and again resulted in a near obliteration of the unit.

Skull Squadron, as a UN Spacy unit, was formally disbanded in 2040. However, individual echelons of the group refused to simply disappear after release from the Spacy.

2040's-2050's

Mr. Richard Bilrer, a veteran and successful businessman after Space War I, saw a gap in the market for a civilian military provider. In 2052 he founded SMS, or Skull Military Services, a reborn Skull Squadron able to intercept enemies which an inevitable governmental and bureaucratic process delayed action until the peril would be acute. Travelling himself with his unit, the SMS departed in 2047 with the 25th Long-range Expeditionary Fleet, Macross Frontier.

SMS was commanded at this time by Capt. Ozma Lee, a veteran of the ill-fated 117th Macross Exploratory Fleet. During the Frontier's first contact with the Vajra, the discovery of the first intact planet of the Protoculture, as well as chastisement of traitors to the destruction of, as well as rescue of survivors of , the Macross Galaxy (27th Long-range Expeditionary Fleet).

At this time the SMS disposed of the developmental VF-25F, S and D Messiah Variable Fighters. During initial conflict with the Vajra, the team lost Henry Guilliam, an experienced pilot. They however gained a very skilled young pilot in the process, Alto Saotome.

The SMS was also responsible for determining that the loss of Macross Galaxy fleet was due to treachery on the part of Grace O'Connor, who was also responsible for the loss of the 117th Research Fleet. Further, they resolved the responsibility for the murder of President Howard Glass, at the hands of his aide, Leon Mishima.

Skull Squadron is currently re-grouping on the Protoculture Planet, which has not yet received a name.

Skull Squadron tradition and lore

The squadron's prized mascot is a set of skull and crossbones enclosed in a glass encasement. "Passing of the bones" to the "FNG" (F'ing New Guy) is a time-honored Skull Squadron tradition. The newest Cadet to have received the Bones is Lt. J.G. Alto Saotome.

The bones are supposedly the remains of Ensign Jack Ernie of VF-17. Ernie was allegedly killed during the Okinawa invasion in World War II, earning a posthumous Navy Cross. As his flaming aircraft spiraled towards earth, he made one last radio transmission in which he asked "to be remembered with the skull-and-crossbones." According to the story, Ernie's family later presented the squadron with the set of skull and crossbones and asked the squadron to fulfill Ernie's last wish. However no Jack Ernie appears on squadron rosters for VF-17, VF-61, or VF-84. VF-17 did not serve in the Okinawa campaign. No one named Ernie is on the Navy's list of Navy Cross recipients, for example. None of this has stopped the "Skull Squadron", regardless of year or squadron number, from embracing this tale.

The Skull Squadron has also embraced two new traditions since Space War I: Skull Leader is callsign of Fighter 001, which has the reputation for being Never Shot Down. An unofficial tradition, but which has happened at least three times in the Squadron's history, has been the formal recruitment of Skull Two, by the Skull Leader personally. The best known members to have experienced this recruitment method have been Lt. Shin Kudo, Capt. Hikaru Ichijyo, and Lt. Alto Saotome.