Mike,

The VQ community flies the EP-3 airframe exclusively, having exited the
Whale / boat ops business in the late 1980s.

Another reason it makes sense to move VQ-2 to Whidbey: the Rock is already
host to several VP outfits (maintenance / support commonalities).

http://www.naswi.navy.mil/vq-1/
https://www.rota.navy.mil/vq2/

--
Mike Kanze

436 Greenbrier Road
Half Moon Bay, California 94019-2259
USA

650-726-7890

"Talk is cheap - except when Congress does it."

- Will Rogers


"Mike Weeks" wrote in message
ups.com...


Mike Kanze wrote:
Mike,

Doesn't this beg a question; will one sqdrn be deactivated *down the
road*,
given both are going to be at Whidbey?

Maybe.

Right now I read this as an opportunity to consolidate support, training
and
maintenance assets at one location (NUW) that should not substantially
degrade our ability to provide coverage. It also gives the Rock stronger,
continuing "raison d'être," especially with the EA-6B community now in the
twilight of its service. Remember too that the weight of current and
future
ELINT-gathering opportunities appear concentrated more along the Pacific
Rim
(China, N. Korea) than anywhere else in the world.

This second point is parallel to what was argued in the recent BRAC
recommendation to close Portsmouth Naval Shipyard versus Pearl Harbor NS,
Pearl being closer to the perceived "need."

I agree with ^^ that the Rock will be quite a culture warp from Spain. Put
away those bota bags and break out the poopy suits. Of course the Rock
does
have its nicer points, like tax-free smokes, fireworks, and gaming on the
nearby tribal lands, plus to-die-for skiing and seafood-scarfing
opportunities.

Then there are those summer "fog-tans" that Rocksters have always
enjoyed...g


Certainly can't question what's related above as to why the move; I was
thinking more along the line of "command billet" structure. Since it's
been many a year since either VQ1 or 2 flew off the boat in the whale,
I really don't have a feel for how they are currently structured plane
and personnel-wise. Would it now make "economic sense" to roll the two
into one outfit was basically the question. Time will tell no doubt.

MW