VS-33 Screwbirds Deactivation Patch — Sea Control Squadron 33 Screwbirds Deactivation Commemorative Embroidered Patch
The Screwbirds' final flight — VS-33's deactivation patch, marking the end of a Sea Control Squadron that hunted submarines from the carrier deck.
Sea Control Squadron 33 (VS-33), the "Screwbirds," was a U.S. Navy carrier-based anti-submarine warfare squadron that operated the S-3 Viking. This deactivation patch commemorates the disestablishment of VS-33, marking the end of the Screwbirds' proud service to the fleet. Deactivation patches are among the most collectible items in military aviation, capturing the bittersweet moment when a squadron makes its final flight and furls its colors.
VS-33 operated the Lockheed S-3 Viking, the carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft that also served as an aerial refueling tanker and surveillance platform in its later years. The S-3 Viking's crew of four used sonobuoys, magnetic anomaly detection, radar, and electronic surveillance equipment to hunt submarines from the carrier's flight deck. When the Navy retired the S-3 Viking from the fleet, VS-33 and its sister squadrons were disestablished, ending an era of carrier-based fixed-wing ASW.
The "Screwbirds" name was one of the most colorful in naval aviation, and the squadron's deactivation closed a significant chapter in the history of carrier anti-submarine warfare.
Perfect For: VS-33 Screwbirds veterans, S-3 Viking community, carrier-based ASW enthusiasts, Navy deactivation patch collectors, and naval aviation heritage historians.
VS-33 Screwbirds — last flight, last patch — the Screwbirds hung up their wings with honor.
