74-463: (Redirected from VA-15 ) VA-15 has the following meanings: Attack Squadron 15 (U.S. Navy) Virginia's 15th congressional district Virginia State Route 15 (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title formed as a letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
148-442: A DShK machine gun which a Marine AH-1 Cobra destroyed. UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters delivered SEAL Team 6 operators in the early morning of 25 October to Radio Free Grenada with the purpose of using the radio station for psychological operations . They captured the station unopposed and destroyed the radio transmitter. However, they were attacked by Grenadian forces in cars and an armored personnel carrier (APC), which forced
222-534: A coalition of six Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada , 100 miles (160 km) north of Venezuela , at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation within a few days. It was triggered by strife within the People's Revolutionary Government , which led to the house arrest and execution of the previous leader and second Prime Minister of Grenada , Maurice Bishop , and to
296-516: A U.S.-led military intervention following a formal appeal for help from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , which had received a covert request for help from Paul Scoon (though he put off signing the official letter of invitation until 26 October). Among the key invasion planners were Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and his senior military assistant Colin Powell . Regarding
370-742: A crisis. On the evening of 13 October 1983, the Coard faction of the Central Committee, in conjunction with the People’s Revolutionary Army, placed Prime Minister Bishop and several of his allies under house arrest. On 19 October, after Bishop's secret detention became widely known, he was freed by a large crowd of supporters, estimated between 15,000 and 30,000. He led the crowd to a relatively unguarded Fort Rupert which they soon occupied. At nearby Fort Frederick, Coard had gathered nine Central Committee members and sizable factions of
444-553: A joint force. This triggered post-action investigations resulting in sweeping operational changes in the form of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act . In 1974, Sir Eric Gairy led Grenada to independence from the United Kingdom , but his term in office was marred by civil unrest. Although his Grenada United Labour Party claimed victory in the general election of 1976 ,
518-464: A nearby mental hospital, killing 18 civilians. Two Marine AH-1T Cobras and a UH-60 Blackhawk were shot down in a raid against Fort Frederick, resulting in five casualties. General Trobaugh of the 82nd Airborne Division had two goals on the second day: securing the perimeter around Point Salines Airport, and rescuing American students held in Grand Anse. The Army lacked undamaged helicopters after
592-453: A patrol boat, causing the mission to be aborted. Another SEAL mission on 24 October was also unsuccessful, due to harsh weather, resulting in little intelligence being gathered in advance of the impending intervention. Alpha and Bravo companies of the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment embarked on C-130s at Hunter Army Airfield at midnight on 25 October to perform an air assault landing on Point Salines Airport, intending to land at
666-551: A reconnaissance plane. On 25 October, Delta Force and C Company of the 75th Ranger Regiment embarked in UH-60 and MH-6 Little Bird helicopters of Task Force 160 to capture Fort Rupert (now known as Fort George ), where they believed the Revolutionary Council leaders lived, and Richmond Hill Prison , where political prisoners were being held. The raid on Richmond Hill Prison lacked vital intelligence, leaving
740-417: A single BTR-60 during the night, dispatching it with a M72 LAW . The 325th Infantry Regiment advanced toward the capital of Saint George, capturing Grand Anse and discovering 200 American students whom they had missed the first day. They continued to the town of Ruth Howard and Saint George, meeting only scattered resistance. An air-naval gunfire liaison team called in an A-7 airstrike and accidentally hit
814-815: A six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield . The squadron flew daily strikes into Iraq and occupied Kuwait until the suspension of hostilities on 28 February. During 1992, VFA-15 transitioned to the F/A-18C Hornet. In 1993, VFA-15 deployed again with CVW-8 on board USS Theodore Roosevelt . They operated in the Adriatic Sea participating in Operation Provide Promise (March - April 1993) and Operation Deny Flight (April - May 1993) over Bosnia. They, then, transited with Theodore Roosevelt to
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#1732797288269888-555: A small group Air Force TACPs from the 21st TASS Shaw AFB ancillary forces, totaling 7,600 troops, together with Jamaican forces and troops of the Regional Security System (RSS). The invaders quickly defeated Grenadian resistance after a low-altitude assault by the Rangers and 82nd Airborne at Point Salines Airport on the island's south end, and a Marine helicopter and amphibious landing at Pearls Airport on
962-662: A wall in Fort Rupert's courtyard and faced a firing squad. The army under Hudson Austin then stepped in and formed a military council to rule the country, and placed Sir Paul Scoon under house arrest in Government House . The army instituted a strict four-day curfew during which anyone seen on the streets would be shot on sight. Within only a few days of these events in Grenada, the Reagan administration mounted
1036-519: The An-12 , An-22 , and An-124 . Such a facility, according to the U.S., would enhance the Soviet and Cuban transportation of weapons to Central American insurgents and expand Soviet regional influence. Bishop's government claimed that the airport was built to handle commercial aircraft carrying tourists, pointing out that such jets could not land at Pearls Airport with its 5,200-foot (1,600 m) runway on
1110-546: The Multi-National Peacekeeping Forces . One of the squadron's A-7E Corsair IIs, flown by the air wing commander, Commander Edward Andrews, was lost when it was hit by a Syrian surface-to-air missile. Commander Andrews ejected, was rescued and returned to USS Independence. From December 1985 to June 1986 the squadron was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 12 , 1st Marine Air Wing for a six-month deployment to MCAS Iwakuni , Japan. This deployment
1184-669: The Vietnam War . Vice Admiral Joseph Metcalf III , Commander of the Second Fleet, was the overall commander of American forces, designated Joint Task Force 120, which included elements of each military service and multiple special operations units. Fighting continued for several days and the total number of American troops reached some 7,000 along with 300 troops from the Organization of American States , commanded by Brigadier Rudyard Lewis of Barbados. The main objectives on
1258-706: The 25 October invasion. Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 6 and Air Force combat controllers were air-dropped at sea to perform a reconnaissance mission on Point Salines. The helicopter drop went wrong; four SEALs were lost at sea and their bodies never recovered, causing most people to suspect they had drowned. The four SEALs were Machinist Mate 1st Class Kenneth J. Butcher, Quartermaster 1st Class Kevin E. Lundberg, Hull Technician 1st Class Stephen L. Morris, and Senior Chief Engineman Robert R. Schamberger. In an interview conducted by Bill Salisbury and published on 4 October 1990, Kenneth Butcher's widow claimed that she had gone to Grenada hoping that her husband had survived. She said, "There
1332-452: The 600 U.S. medical students on the island" and fears of a repeat of the Iran hostage crisis , which ended less than three years earlier. Future U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger , who was then serving as Reagan's Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs , later admitted that the prime motivation for the intervention was to "get rid" of the coup leader Hudson Austin, and that
1406-611: The American Ambassador to Lebanon , VA-15 embarked on USS America operated in the vicinity of Lebanon in support of the evacuation of non-combatants . In November 1980, the squadron, embarked on USS Independence were on station when the American hostages were released from Iran . In May 1981 USS Independence transited the Suez Canal and maintained station in the eastern Mediterranean due to
1480-561: The American troops used tourist maps with military grids superimposed on them. The invading forces encountered about 1,500 Grenadian soldiers of the People's Revolutionary Army (PRA) manning defensive positions. The PRA troops were for the most part equipped with light weapons, mostly Kalashnikov-pattern automatic rifles of Soviet bloc origin, and smaller numbers of obsolete SKS carbines and PPSh-41 submachine guns. They had few heavy weapons and no modern air defense systems. The PRA
1554-635: The Navy SEALs the following morning, allowing Governor Scoon, his wife, and nine aides to be safely evacuated at 10:00 that day. The Marine tank crews continued advancing in the face of sporadic resistance, knocking out a BRDM-2 armored car. G Company subsequently defeated and overwhelmed the Grenadian defenders at Fort Frederick. Navy A-7 Corsairs and Marine AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters made airstrikes against Fort Rupert and Fort Frederick. An A-7 raid on Fort Frederick targeting anti-aircraft guns hit
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#17327972882691628-590: The Red Sea to conduct operations in support of Operation Southern Watch. They returned to home port with Theodore Roosevelt in September 1993. In March 1999, VFA-15 departed for a deployment which would involve two theaters of operation. After crossing the Atlantic in record time aboard Theodore Roosevelt , squadron aircraft were launched in support of Operation Allied Force 30 August to 20 September 1999. For
1702-564: The US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation. Often, the new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of the earlier squadrons. The first VA-15 was established on 10 January 1942 and disestablished on 1 June 1969. On 1 June 1969 after the first VA-15 was disestablished, the men and equipment were merged with Attack Squadron 67 (VA-67), which had been established on 1 August 1968. On 2 June 1969,
1776-657: The United States for assistance. For safety reasons, Paul Scoon had requested the invasion through secret diplomatic channels, using the reserve powers vested in the Crown . On 22 October 1983, the Deputy High Commissioner in Bridgetown , Barbados, visited Grenada and reported that Scoon was well and "did not request military intervention, either directly or indirectly". However, on the day after
1850-431: The afternoon of 26 October, Rangers of the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment mounted Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters to launch an air assault on the Grand Anse campus. The campus police offered light resistance before fleeing, wounding one Ranger, and one of the helicopters crashed on approach after its blade hit a palm tree. The Rangers evacuated the 233 American students by CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, but
1924-409: The airport and then disembark. The Rangers had to switch abruptly to a parachute landing when they learned mid-flight that the runway was obstructed. The air drop began at 05:30 on 25 October in the face of moderate resistance from ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns and several BTR-60 armored personnel carriers (APCs), which were knocked out by M67 recoilless rifle fire. AC-130 gunships provided support for
1998-546: The airport in 1954 when Grenada was still a British colony. Canadians designed it, the British government underwrote it, and a London firm built it. The U.S. government accused Grenada of constructing facilities to aid a Soviet -Cuban military buildup in the Caribbean. The accusation was based on the fact that the new airport's 9,000-foot (2,700 m) runway would be able to accommodate the largest Soviet aircraft, such as
2072-419: The airport would become a Cuban-Soviet forward military airbase. Meanwhile, an internal power struggle was brewing in Grenada over Bishop's leadership performance. In September 1983 at a Central Committee party meeting, he was pressured into sharing power with Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard . Bishop initially agreed to the joint leadership proposal, but later balked at the idea, which brought matters to
2146-501: The attackers unaware of the presence of several anti-aircraft guns and steep hilly terrain that left no room for helicopter landings. Anti-aircraft fire wounded passengers and crew and forced one UH-60 helicopter to crash land , causing another helicopter to land next to it to protect the survivors. One pilot was killed, and the Delta Force operators had to be relieved by a Navy Sea King helicopter. The raid on Fort Rupert, however,
2220-584: The combined squadron was redesignated VA-15 and adopted the insignia and traditions of the Valions . In August 1968, the squadron began training under VA-174 in the A-7 Corsair II . In October–November 1973 while embarked on USS Franklin D. Roosevelt , the squadron operated in the vicinity of Crete in response to the Yom Kippur War . In June–July 1976 following the assassination of
2294-580: The command post of the 2nd Brigade, wounding 17 troops, one of whom died. The Army had reports that PRA forces were amassing at the Calivigny Barracks, only five kilometers from the Point Salines airfield. They organized an air assault by the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment preceded by a preparatory bombardment by field howitzers (which mostly missed, their shells falling into the ocean), A-7s, AC-130s , and USS Caron . However,
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2368-586: The crisis between Israel and Syria following Israeli raids against Syrian surface-to-air missile sites in Lebanon. In October–November 1983, VA-15 aircraft flew combat close air support and reconnaissance sorties in support of Operation Urgent Fury , the U.S. invasion of Grenada . On 4 December 1983, in response to hostile fire against U.S. reconnaissance aircraft from Syrian positions in Lebanon, VA-15 aircraft participated in coordinated strikes against Syrian radar, communications and artillery positions overlooking
2442-482: The danger to the United States and Caribbean nations if the Soviet-Cuban militarization of that region was allowed to proceed. He pointed to the excessively long airport runway being built, and referenced intelligence reports showing increased Soviet interest in the island. He said the runway, along with the airport's numerous fuel storage tanks, were unnecessary for commercial flights and that the evidence suggested
2516-885: The dominant Strike Fighter Squadron on the East Coast. In February 2016, plans were announced to deactivate VFA-15 in FY 2017 . The deactivation ceremony took place on 31 May 2017 and the squadron was deactivated on the same day. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons . Operation Urgent Fury American–CPF victory [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Grenadian Opposition [REDACTED] United States : CPF : [REDACTED] Grenada : [REDACTED] United States : [REDACTED] Grenada : [REDACTED] Cuba : [REDACTED] Soviet Union : The United States and
2590-597: The establishment of the Revolutionary Military Council, with Hudson Austin as chairman. Following the invasion there was an interim government appointed, and then general elections held in December 1984 . The invading force consisted of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the U.S. Army 's 75th Ranger Regiment , the 82nd Airborne Division , and elements of the former Rapid Deployment Force , U.S. Marines , U.S. Army Delta Force , Navy SEALs , and
2664-694: The first Marxist-Leninist nation in the British Commonwealth. To lend itself an appearance of constitutional legitimacy, the new administration continued to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Grenada and Sir Paul Scoon as her viceregal representative. The Bishop government began constructing the Point Salines International Airport with the help of the United Kingdom, Cuba , Libya , Algeria , and other nations. The British government proposed
2738-675: The first day were for the 75th Ranger Regiment to capture Point Salines International Airport in order for the 82nd Airborne Division to land reinforcements on the island; the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment to capture Pearls Airport ; and other forces to rescue the American students at the True Blue Campus of St. George's University . In addition, a number of special operations missions were undertaken by Army Delta Force operatives and Navy SEALs to obtain intelligence and secure key individuals and equipment. Many of these missions were plagued by inadequate intelligence and planning;
2812-639: The invasion, Prime Minister of Dominica Eugenia Charles stated the request had come from Scoon, through the OECS, and, in his 2003 autobiography, Survival for Service , Scoon maintains he asked the visiting British diplomat to pass along "an oral request" for outside military intervention at this meeting. On 25 October, the combined forces of the United States and the Regional Security System (RSS) based in Barbados invaded Grenada in an operation codenamed Operation Urgent Fury . The United States insisted this
2886-478: The invasion, which may have further blurred the line between their status as civilians and combatants. They were also expressly forbidden to surrender to U.S. military forces if approached. The regular Cuban military personnel on the island were serving as advisers to the PRA at the time. Cuban advisers and instructors deployed with overseas military missions were not confined to non-combat and technical support roles; if
2960-399: The island's north end, and that Pearls could not be expanded because its runway abutted a mountain on one side and the ocean on the other. In 1983, Representative Ron Dellums ( D - CA ) traveled to Grenada on a fact-finding mission, having been invited by Prime Minister Bishop. Dellums described his findings before Congress : Based on my personal observations, discussion, and analysis of
3034-476: The island. About 630 of the Cuban nationals listed their occupations as construction workers, another 64 as military personnel, and 18 as dependents. The remainder were medical staff or teachers. Colonel Pedro Tortoló Comas was the highest-ranking Cuban military officer in Grenada in 1983, and he later stated that he issued small arms and ammunition to the construction workers for the purpose of self-defense during
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3108-500: The landing. Cuban construction vehicles were commandeered to help clear the airfield, and one even used to provide mobile cover for the Rangers as they moved to seize the heights surrounding the airfield. The Rangers cleared the airstrip of obstructions by 10:00, and transport planes were able to land and unload additional reinforcements, including M151 Jeeps and members of the Caribbean Peace Force assigned to guard
3182-493: The lightly-armed SEALs to cut open a fence and retreat into the ocean while receiving fire from the APC. The SEALs then reportedly swam to USS Caron . More credible reports say that rather than swimming to Caron , a highly unlikely event, they destroyed the station and fought their way to the water, where they hid from patrolling enemy forces. They swam toward the open sea, and were picked up several hours later after being spotted by
3256-438: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=VA15&oldid=480788183 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Attack Squadron 15 (U.S. Navy) Strike Fighter Squadron 15 (VFA-15)
3330-501: The losses on the first day and consequently had to delay the student rescue until they made contact with Marine forces. Early on the morning of 26 October, Cuban forces ambushed a patrol from the 2nd Battalion of the 325th Infantry Regiment near the village of Calliste . The American patrol suffered six wounded and two killed, including the commander of Company B, CPT Michael F. Ritz and squad leader SSG Gary L. Epps. Navy airstrikes and an artillery bombardment by 105mm howitzers targeting
3404-535: The main Cuban encampment eventually led to their surrender at 08:30. American forces pushed on to the village of Frequente, where they discovered a Cuban weapons cache reportedly sufficient to equip six battalions. Cuban forces ambushed a reconnaissance platoon mounted on gun-jeeps, but the jeeps returned fire, and a nearby infantry unit added mortar fire; the Cubans suffered four casualties with no American losses. Cuban resistance largely ended after these engagements. On
3478-571: The mansion without opposition, but BTR-60 armored personnel carriers counter-attacked and trapped the SEALs and governor inside. AC-130 gunships, A-7 Corsair strike planes, and AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters were called in to support the besieged SEALs, but they remained trapped for the next 24 hours. At 19:00 on 25 October, 250 marines from G Company of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment landed at Grand Mal Bay equipped with amphibious assault vehicles and four M60 Patton tanks; they relieved
3552-420: The military. As one journalist writes, "What happened next, and on whose orders, is still a controversy." But a mass of troops in armored personnel carriers, under the supervision of Lt. Colonel Ewart Layne, departed Fort Frederick for Fort Rupert to, as Layne described it, "recapture the fort and restore order." After surrendering to the superior force, Bishop and seven leaders loyal to him were lined up against
3626-437: The mission, in part because she was not consulted in advance and was given very short notice of the military operation, but she supported it in public. The United Nations General Assembly condemned it as "a flagrant violation of international law" on 2 November 1983, by a vote of 108 to 9. The invasion exposed communication and coordination problems between the different branches of the U.S. military when operating together as
3700-472: The new international airport under construction in Grenada, it is my conclusion that this project is specifically now and has always been for the purpose of economic development and is not for military use.... It is my thought that it is absurd, patronizing, and totally unwarranted for the United States government to charge that this airport poses a military threat to the United States' national security. In March 1983, President Reagan began issuing warnings about
3774-581: The next several weeks the squadron flew four to eight-hour missions deep into Afghanistan. In 2002, VFA-15 deployed on USS Theodore Roosevelt to the Mediterranean . In support of the US invasion of Iraq , from 19 March to 15 April 2003, the squadron delivered over 245,000 pounds of ordnance. In September 2005 the squadron deployed to the Persian Gulf, returning on 11 March 2006. On 8 September 2008
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#17327972882693848-419: The next thirteen weeks, VFA-15 flew over 1,100 combat sorties over Kosovo to bring an end to Serbian ethnic cleansing . The battle group then steamed to the Persian Gulf and supported Operation Southern Watch . Upon their return, the squadron made a homeport change to NAS Oceana due to the closure of NAS Cecil Field . During their 2001 deployment, the squadron took station in the Persian Gulf, patrolling
3922-399: The north end. Austin's military government was deposed. An advisory council designated Sir Paul Scoon as Governor-General of Grenada until the 1984 elections. The invasion date of 25 October is now a national holiday in Grenada, called Thanksgiving Day , commemorating the freeing of several political prisoners who were subsequently elected to office. A truth and reconciliation commission
3996-481: The opposition did not accept the result as legitimate. During his tenure, many Grenadians believed Gairy was personally responsible for the economic decline of the island and accused him of corruption. The civil unrest took the form of street violence between Gairy's private militia, the Mongoose Gang , and a militia organized by the communist New Jewel Movement (NJM) party. On 13 March 1979, while Gairy
4070-567: The perimeter and detainees. Starting at 14:00, units began landing at Point Salines from the 82nd Airborne Division under Edward Trobaugh , including battalions of the 325th Infantry Regiment . At 15:30, three BTR-60s of the Grenadian Army Motorized Company counter-attacked, but the Americans repelled them with recoilless rifles and an AC-130. The Rangers fanned out and secured the surrounding area, negotiating
4144-631: The skies of the southern Iraqi no-fly zone. Soon after returning through the Strait of Hormuz in early fall 2001 to begin the voyage home, the September 11 attacks unfolded. For the next four weeks VFA-15 took station in the North Indian Ocean and prepared for combat, with flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), including combat air patrols over Pakistan . Missions into Afghanistan began on 7 October, and over
4218-729: The speed with which the invasion commenced, it was said the U.S. had been conducting mock invasions of Grenada since 1981: "These exercises, part of Ocean Venture '81 and known as Operation Amber and the Amberdines, involved air and amphibious assaults on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques . According to the plans for these maneuvers, 'Amber' was considered a hypothetical island in the Eastern Caribbean which had engaged in anti-democratic revolutionary activities." Reagan stated that he felt compelled to act due to "concerns over
4292-456: The squadron deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of OEF. They returned 18 April 2009. On 11 May 2011, the squadrons of CVW-8 embarked on USS George H.W. Bush 's maiden deployment, scheduled to conduct operations in the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations. Upon return from deployment, the squadron was awarded the Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Battle "E" Award as
4366-499: The students informed them that there was a third campus with Americans at Prickly Bay. A squad of 11 Rangers was accidentally left behind; they departed on a rubber raft which was picked up by USS Caron at 23:00. By 27 October, organized resistance was rapidly diminishing, but the American forces did not yet realize this. The 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines continued advancing along the coast and capturing additional towns, meeting little resistance, although one patrol did encounter
4440-421: The students were a pretext. Although the invasion occurred after the execution of Prime Minister Bishop, the remaining Grenadian ruling party members were still committed to Bishop's Marxist ideology. Reagan said he viewed these factors, alongside the party's growing connection to Fidel Castro, as a threat to democracy. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Barbados , and Jamaica all appealed to
4514-528: The supposed Cuban civilian technicians on Grenada were in fact military personnel, including special forces and combat engineers. A summary of the Cuban presence in The Engineer , the official periodical of the U.S. Army Engineer School , noted that "resistance from these well-armed military and paramilitary forces belied claims that they were simply construction crews." U.S. Special Operations Forces were deployed to Grenada beginning on 23 October, before
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#17327972882694588-457: The surrender of over 100 Cubans in an aviation hangar. However, a Jeep-mounted Ranger patrol became lost searching for True Blue Campus and was ambushed, with four killed. The Rangers eventually secured True Blue campus and its students, where they found only 140 students and were told that more were at another campus in Grand Anse, northeast of True Blue. In all, the Rangers lost five men on the first day, but succeeded in securing Point Salines and
4662-562: The surrounding area. A platoon of Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 4 under Lieutenant Mike Walsh approached the beach near Pearls Airport around midnight on 25 October after evading patrol boats and overcoming stormy weather. They found that the beach was lightly defended but unsuitable for an amphibious landing. The 2nd Battalion of the 8th Marine Regiment then landed south of Pearls Airport using CH-46 Sea Knight and CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters at 05:30 on 25 October; they captured Pearls Airport, encountering only light resistance, including
4736-461: The units to which they were attached participated in an engagement, they were expected to fight alongside their foreign counterparts. Bob Woodward wrote in Veil that captured "military advisors" from socialist countries, including Cuba, were actually accredited diplomats and their dependents. He claimed that none of them took any actual part in the fighting. The U.S. government asserted that most of
4810-469: Was an aviation unit of the United States Navy , based at Naval Air Station Oceana . The squadron was in service from 1 August 1968 to 31 May 2017, although the squadron had adopted the traditions of the first VA-15 , which was established on 10 January 1942. The unit's nickname was "Valions" and its call sign was Pride . Two distinct squadrons have been called the "Valions". Officially,
4884-542: Was being done at the request of Barbados' Prime Minister Tom Adams and Dominica's Prime Minister Eugenia Charles. The invasion was sharply criticized by the governments in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago , and the United Kingdom. By a vote of 108 to 9, with 27 abstentions, the United Nations General Assembly condemned it as "a flagrant violation of international law." H-hour for the invasion
4958-772: Was designed to test the enhanced interoperability between Marine and Navy squadrons, with emphasis on close air support for Marine ground operations and the sharing of other techniques used by both communities. The squadron participated in Operation "Team Spirit" in Korea. In June 1986, the squadron began transition training in the F/A-18 Hornet , and on 1 October 1986, VA-15 was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 15 (VFA-15) . The squadron accepted their first F/A-18 Hornet in January 1987. On 28 December 1990, VFA-15 departed for
5032-402: Was launched in 2000 to re-examine some of the controversies of that tumultuous period in the 1980s; in particular, the commission made an unsuccessful attempt to locate the remains of Maurice Bishop's body, which had been disposed of at Austin's order and never found. At the time, the invasion drew criticism from many countries. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher privately disapproved of
5106-402: Was more complex than initially thought. Most of the Cuban civilian expatriates present were also military reservists. Fidel Castro described the Cuban construction crews in Grenada as "workers and soldiers at the same time", claiming the dual nature of their role was consistent with Cuba's "citizen soldier" tradition. At the time of the invasion, there were an estimated 784 Cuban nationals on
5180-534: Was not regarded as a serious military threat by the U.S., which was more concerned by the possibility that Cuba would send a large expeditionary force to intervene on behalf of its erstwhile ally. The PRA did possess eight BTR-60PB armored personnel carriers and two BRDM-2 armored cars delivered as military aid from the Soviet Union in February 1981, but no tanks. The Cuban military presence in Grenada
5254-408: Was set for 05:00 on 25 October 1983. U.S. troops deployed for Grenada by helicopter from Grantley Adams International Airport on Barbados before daybreak. Nearly simultaneously, American paratroopers arrived directly by transport aircraft from bases in the eastern United States, and U.S. Marines were airlifted to the island from USS Guam offshore. It was the largest American military action since
5328-514: Was successful in capturing several leaders of the People's Revolutionary Government. The last major special operation was a mission to rescue Governor-General Scoon from his mansion in Saint George, Grenada . The mission departed late at 05:30 on 25 October from Barbados, resulting in the Grenadian forces being already aware of the invasion and they guarded Scoon closely. The SEAL team entered
5402-521: Was temporarily out of the country, Maurice Bishop and his NJM seized power in a nearly bloodless coup . He established the People's Revolutionary Government , suspended the constitution, and detained several political prisoners. Bishop was a forceful speaker who introduced Marxist ideology to Grenadians while also appealing to Black Americans during the 1970s heyday of the Black Panther movement. After seizing power, Bishop attempted to implement
5476-488: Was this fisherman who said he saw four guys in wetsuits come out of the water, and then two days later he saw four bodies being thrown into the water. So we would like to think they made it, 'cause there was a boat smashed up on the beach. We would like to think the four of them got in that boat, made it to shore, got someplace, and were captured. And they're, you know, gonna come back." The SEAL and Air Force survivors continued their mission, but their boats flooded while evading
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