I just got through reading the airplane thread, and it reminded me I have never found the answer to what VMF stands for. You know like VMF 214.

OK, I've got the MF part (Marine Fighter squadron), but I have no idea what the V would stand for.

V= fixed wing
H= Helo
O= observation

The center "M" is always for Marine.

VMO = fixed wing, observation.

HMM = Helocopter Medium

HMA = Helo attack

HMH = helo, heavy

Vicious Man Farting?

V= Fixed Wing
M= Marine
F= Fighter

VMFA= Fixed Wing Marine Fighter All Weather (now all F-18's)

VMA= Fixed Wing Marine Attack (Harriers)

VMAQ= Fixed Wing Marine ECM (EA-6B)

Thanks guys. That explains why the v was so hard to figure out. It isn't spelling what it stands for.
So are F-14's considered fixed wing too?
And what are they going to call Osprey squadrons?

And I always thought the "V" meant it was a Carrier based/capable squadron, as V in CV (Carrier) or CVN (Carrier-Nuclear).

Ain't ar15.com wonderful!

Actually, the Osprey is called the MV-22.
For now, they are still using the HMM designator
(Helo Marine Medium Lift)

hydguy

you wouldn't be at Cherrypoint would you??

It is amazing the thing's learned on this board. [smoke]

I used to be. MWSG27, WES27, Utilities Section.
1979-1982.

No, the V simply ment aviation, and specificly Heavier than Air aviation when it was introduced. Zepplens and blimps and their squadrons began with Z. When helicopters were introduced they got H. They didn't get to use A because A was already used.

Aircraft Carriers became CV instead of CA because CA was already the abbreviation for "Cruiser, Armored". And they could not be AC because "A" in the first position of a designation stood for "auxiliary" and was for non-combatant Naval ships like transports, tankers, coaliers and the like. AC may have in fact stood been the abbreviation for a coalier, have to check. There weren't many since we stopped using coal in ships about the same time we adopted this alpha-numeric numbering system.

At last word the Osprey was considered a VTOL aircraft and not a helicopter, so when they actually do enter service the squadrons will become VMM. But right now there is only one such squadron VMMT-204, as there are only 7 Ospreys at the moment, but 11 more are on the way.