Second VA-125 (U.S. Navy)

Operational history

• 11 April 1958: The squadron’s mission was changed from air-to-ground/surface attack to the indoctrination and training of pilots and enlisted personnel in attack aircraft for assignment to combat carrier squadrons.
• 11 December 1958: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. E. Thomas, was killed in an aircraft accident.
• March 1960: With the addition of the A4D-2N Skyhawk, the squadron added radar and inflight refueling training to its flight syllabus.
• 19 May 1966: VA-125 was the first squadron in the Navy to receive the TA-4F Skyhawk.
• June 1966: The first of several groups of Australians arrived for training by the squadron on the A-4 Skyhawk. The pilots were to form the nucleus of Australia’s first A-4 squadron scheduled for assignment to HMAS Melbourne.
• 13 March 1967: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. D. Shaw, was killed in an aircraft accident during a routine carrier qualification exercise on the.
• 31 March 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Pilot class began.
• 30 June 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance training program was completed.
• November 1969: The squadron began to develop the required training program for the Light Attack Weapons School. In December 1969 the squadron, in conjunction with VA-122, inaugurated a graduate level course for the Light Attack Weapons School that involved all phases of attack aviation.
• January 1970: The first A-7 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance and Fleet Replacement Pilot classes began.

  Home port assignments

• NAS Miramar – 30 June 1956
• NAS Moffett Field – August 1956
• NAS Lemoore – 24 July 1961

  Aircraft Assignment

• F9F-8B Cougar – Jul 1956
• F9F-8 Cougar – Oct 1956
• A4D-1 Skyhawk – 10 Jun 1958
• A4D-2/A-4B Skyhawk – Aug 1958
• A4D-2N/A-4C Skyhawk – 03 Mar 1960
• AD-5/A-1E Skyraider – Sep 1960
• A-4E Skyhawk – Dec 1962
• TA-4F Skyhawk – 19 May 1966
• A-4F Skyhawk – Feb 1968
• A-7B Corsair II – 25 Sep 1969
• A-7A Corsair II – Oct 1969
• A-7C Corsair II – Aug 1975