Official VAW-120 Key West DET Patch and Name Tags — Carrier Airborne Early Warning Training in the Florida Keys
Key West DET means Hawkeye training with the best views in naval aviation.
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 120 (VAW-120) — the 'Greyhawks' — is the United States Navy's East Coast E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound Fleet Replacement Squadron, responsible for training every East Coast Hawkeye pilot, naval flight officer, and enlisted aircrew member before they report to fleet squadrons. Based at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, VAW-120 conducts detachments to various locations to provide the diverse training environments that Hawkeye crews need to develop proficiency in airborne early warning, battle management, and carrier-controlled approach operations. A Key West detachment takes VAW-120 aircraft and crews to Naval Air Station Key West, Florida — one of the most unique training environments in the military, with expansive overwater operating areas, excellent year-round flying weather, and tactical training ranges that support the full spectrum of airborne early warning missions. Key West has been a favored detachment location for Navy tactical aviation for decades, offering the combination of challenging overwater flying and the legendary off-duty culture of the Florida Keys. This DET patch and name tags commemorate participation in a VAW-120 Key West detachment — where Hawkeye training meets island living.
Perfect For: VAW-120 Greyhawks students and instructors, E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound community members, NAS Key West detachment veterans, and anyone who trained in the Florida Keys with the Greyhawks.
