SCWS deactivating today

Cmdr. John Klein, the last commanding officer of SCWS, will officially relinquish command and transfer control of the flight simulators and command facilities to the Commander, Sea Control Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CSCWL) to continue fleet service until the last Viking squadron goes away.

Coinciding with the conclusion of more than 30 years of operational service of the S-3B Viking, the disestablishment of the SCWS marks an important chapter in the "sundown" of the S-3B fleet - the last carrier based jet aircraft in the Jacksonville area.

The mission of the Sea Control Weapons School is to make warfighters more lethal. The SCWS has been a driving force behind the conversion of the S-3B from primarily a "sub-hunter" aircraft of the Cold War to the multi-mission platform of today.

Serving as the carrier's primary means of destroying enemy ships, providing overland and oversea surveillance, operational refueling and long distance precision missile strike, this renaissance of S-3B Viking capabilities was largely enacted by the hard work and tactical insight of the long line of personnel serving at the SCWS.

SCWS deactivating todayThe origins of the weapons school came from the formation of the Weapons Training Unit (WTU) following the deactivation of the East Coast S-3B Fleet Replacement Squadron, VS-27, at NAS Cecil Field in the mid-1990s. This WTU comprised a cadre of the best aviators in the S-3B community, dedicated to teaching warfighting tactics in the versatile Viking aircraft. With the congressionally mandated closure of NAS Cecil Field and transfer of all S-3B assets to NAS Jacksonville in 1999, the WTU moved also to its new home to NAS Jacksonville.

In September 2001, the WTU officially became a separate command and was renamed the SCWS, again staffed with the best aviators of the S-3B Viking fleet and charged with supervising the advanced weapons instruction of east coast S-3B squadrons. Several programs directly support the primary mission of the Weapons School, including the Sea Control Advanced Readiness Program (SCARP), Conventional Weapons Technical Proficiency Inspection (CWTPI), Viking Tactic Instructor (VTI) Program and fleet replacement training.

The SCARP consists of a five-week course for all deploying squadrons. Lectures are provided to aircrew on weapons employment, tactics, and carrier strike group operations. This is followed by intense simulator and flight phase instruction, culminating in the evaluation of live weapon delivery. Running concurrently for squadron ordnance personnel is the CWTPI, which trains and recertifies S-3B ordnance divisions for loading conventional weapons. This program consists of five days of release and control systems checks, a five-day weapons loading refresher course and culminates with one week of inspections that demonstrates the command's ability to accurately and safely load and employ live ordnance.

The VTI Program is a graduate-level training program for designating S-3B tactics instructors. To date, the weapons school has conducted 11 VTI classes, with each course lasting six weeks and consisting of hundreds of hours of flight and simulator time. The program has made 102 tactics instructors, and these individuals return to their fleet squadrons to teach the latest and most effective tactics for employing the S-3B Viking. With the final VTI class conducted this past spring, the SCWS dropped more than 500,000 pounds of bombs and missiles to ensure that these 102 trained VTIs would impart their knowledge on the fleet - a fact confirmed by their performance in a decade of operational service, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Additionally, with the deactivation of the sole remaining S-3B Fleet Replacement Squadron, VS-41, in 2006, the weapons school now oversees and conducts all fleet replacement training for pilots and naval flight officers returning to fleet squadrons.

With the final three S-3B squadrons in military service on their final operational deployments, the disestablishment of the SCWS coincides with the eventual retirement of the Viking in early 2009. Culminating a 30-year record of exemplary naval service, the presence of the Viking from the aircraft carrier deck and the skies of Jacksonville will be greatly missed.

Behind the familiar sound of the Viking jet engines was the efforts of five commanding officers, 50 staff officers, 102 VTIs and the enlisted and civilian contractor personnel that made the weapons school such an essential part of the Viking history. Following disestablishment, the majority of aviators at the SCWS will transition to other naval aviation platforms, bringing their professionalism and commitment to excellence to other aircraft types in the U.S. Navy.

Klein finishes 14 months of command at Sea Control Weapons School following disestablishment. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Klein received his wings of gold as a naval flight officer in 1990. Prior to commanding the Sea Control Weapons School, Klein served in VS-28, VS-24, U.S. Navy Test Pilot School and as assistant air officer on board USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). A true tactical innovator for the S-3B Viking, Klein's leadership ensured the continued relevance and importance of the platform through the final years of the SCWS. Following the command's disestablishment, he will report to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in Washington, D.C.