{"product_id":"official-vaw-117-wallbangers-e-2d-advanced-hawkeye-coin","title":"Official VAW-117 Wallbangers E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial VAW-117 Wallbangers E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Coin - Airborne Command and Control Squadron 117 (VAW-117), U.S. Navy, officially licensed challenge coin honoring the World Famous Wallbangers and their E-2D Advanced Hawkeye mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEyes over the horizon, any time, any place — the Wallbangers own the picture that keeps the carrier strike group alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVAW-117 was established at NAS North Island, California on 1 July 1974, as part of Fighter Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and has grown into one of the Navy's most decorated and operationally tested airborne early warning squadrons. Home-ported at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, the Wallbangers deploy as part of Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. Flying the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, the only carrier-capable command and control aircraft in the fleet, the squadron's mission covers long-range detection of hostile forces, strike control at sea, fleet air defense, and power projection ashore. The Wallbangers were the first fleet Hawkeye squadron to receive the Cooperative Engagement Capability system, and they led strikes into Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom following September 11, 2001. Their lemur mascot, a symbol of the far-sighted early warning capability of the Hawkeye, ties the squadron's identity to the aircraft's core purpose: looking beyond the horizon to deny the enemy the element of surprise. This coin captures that legacy in a collectible format built for display, recognition, and unit pride.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: VAW-117 veterans and active-duty Wallbangers, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircrew and maintainers, CVW-9 alumni, USS Abraham Lincoln sailors, Navy airborne early warning collectors, challenge coin display boards, shadow boxes, retirement and promotion gifts, squadron reunion tables, and anyone who values the quiet, critical work of carrier-based command and control. It also makes a meaningful keepsake for families and supporters who want to honor the crews who keep the strike group informed, protected, and ready at every hour of every deployment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWallbanger heritage, minted for the crews who own the picture above the fleet.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68070500499565,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/miniPatch_13.png?v=1794605912","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-vaw-117-wallbangers-e-2d-advanced-hawkeye-coin","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}