VUP-19 is one among 28 lively responsibility squadrons augmented by Coaching and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) and Chosen Reserve (SELRES) Sailors.
“The VUP-19 Reserve Element has seven TAR officers and 86 SELRES officers and enlisted aircrew who supplied almost 30 % of certified aircrew manpower for the squadron’s fiscal yr 2021 predominant working base (MOB) in help of U.S. seventh Fleet operations,” mentioned the VUP-19 Reserve Element Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Nate Wolf.
Because the lively element rotates personnel out and in of the squadron and ahead working base (FOB), Reserve element Sailors are in a position to stay in place, permitting for the buildup of crucial resident data and the mentoring of latest squadron members. Along with operational flight schedule help, Reserve element members additionally serve in management roles inside the squadron.
“The Reserve Drive has been the one biggest boon to the Navy’s first unmanned squadron, VUP-19,” mentioned VUP-19 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Brian Conlan. “Capitalizing on a wealth {of professional} expertise each inside and out of doors of the Navy, the VUP-19 Reserve Element harnessed probably the most numerous group of naval aircrew to deploy the MQ-4C Triton into probably the most difficult environments and ship a pressure multiplier to fleet commanders and nationwide choice makers. Backgrounds within the maritime, tactical, fighter, and take a look at platforms, complemented by civilian know-how and finest practices, ship a cutting-edge menace in opposition to our adversaries. These of us actually embody citizen troopers, and VUP-19 enjoys an unimaginable stage of success due to what they bring about to the combat.”
Reserve Sailors have been instrumental within the 2021 repositioning of VUP-19’s FOB in Guam to Misawa, Japan, which allowed the squadron to keep away from the chilly temperatures and convective exercise related to latitudes near the equator in the course of the summer time months in an effort to extend MQ-4C Triton seventh Fleet presence.
The FOB, which has since returned to Guam, is slated to proceed to shift between Guam and Misawa rotationally.
The Reserve Element Sailors who supplied important help to this effort maintain quite a lot of roles inside the squadron, detailed by Wolf under:
Mission/Operations Planning Direct Assist
Members of the VUP-19 Reserve Element are material specialists in mission planning and are closely relied upon to create and construct operational mission plans for the squadron. This is likely one of the most necessary features for placing an unmanned plane into flight. The mission plan is utilized by the brains of the plane, the Built-in Mission Administration Laptop (IMMC), to carry out all of the automated features. The plane merely can not fly with out a legitimate and protected mission plan and the Reserve Element leads this effort.
Squadron Detachment OIC/ LNO in Misawa, Japan
The squadron has used 5 Reserve element senior officers this previous yr to behave as ahead detachment officer in cost (OIC) and liaison officer (LNO) to the pressure commander. These officers are in control of working the day-to-day web site operations to take care of, launch, and recuperate the MQ-4C Triton plane. As well as, they deal with the care and feeding of the forward-deployed Sailors, enabling them to maintain Triton flying.
Ahead Working Base Pilots in Misawa
Triton has 4 Air Automobile Operators (AVOs) ahead deployed to help the launch and restoration of the Triton plane. These AVOs will detach ahead for about two months at a time and have a neighborhood management station that enables them to have a direct line of web site command and management connection to the plane. 4 Reserve AVOs have deployed ahead to each Guam and Misawa.
Repositioning Flight Crew Members
The repositioning of [unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)] has elevated complexity when in comparison with manned plane. The aircrew depend on a number of satellite tv for pc constellations to take care of a past the road of sight (BLOS) command and management connection. We had a number of Reserve aircrew handpicked for his or her expertise to fly the air automobile to each of its reposition missions.
VUP-19 Reserve Element not solely helps the squadron’s operations within the seventh Fleet Space of Duty, however in the entire squadron’s operations.
Reserve Sailors comprised 75% of the crew within the inaugural launch for the Triton plane from Naval Station Mayport in January 2022, offering 8.2 hours of ISR help to Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2.
“I couldn’t be prouder of my Sailors as they proceed to reply the decision and supply superb operational help to the Fleet,” mentioned Wolf. “We’ll proceed to at all times ask for tactics to get within the combat to face hand in hand with our lively element brothers and sisters.”
The VUP-19 Reserve Element helps VUP-19 in its mission to make use of the baseline MQ-4C Triton plane to offer persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), distributing beneficial and time-critical intelligence to combatant and fleet commanders. Cmdr. Nate Wolf has turned over tasks as VUP-19 Reserve Element commanding officer to Cmdr. Matthew Romero.
