NORFOLK, Va. - More than 200 men and women in Carrier Air Wing Three returned home on Thursday after finishing a seven-month deployment on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).
CVW 3 contains squadrons based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Lemoore, and Naval Air Station Whidby Island.
Returning to NAS Oceana were Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131 "Wildcats," Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 "Gunslingers," and Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 "Swordsmen."
Returning to NS Norfolk Chambers Field were Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123 "Screwtops," Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, Det 4 "Rawhides," and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 "Dusty Dogs."
The groups left their home bases on June 1 as part of Carrier Strike Group 10 and headed for the Mediterranean Sea and the 5th and 6th U.S. Fleet areas of responsibility.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Dec. 13, 2016) Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 fly in formation above the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike). Ike, currently deployed as part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Rafael Martie)
During the deployment, they conducted maritime and theater security cooperation efforts and missions supporting Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq and Syria.
CVW 3 completed 1,900 combat sorties while delivering 1,220 precision guided munitions. Of these, 215 combat sorties were completed in the 6th Fleet AOR and 1,685 in the 5th Fleet. During operations in both theaters a total of 648 tons (1.3 million pounds) of ordnance was delivered. The ordnance included Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM).
Over the entire seven-month deployment the air wing made 12,280 flights totaling 33,395 flight hours. This included more than 9,000 aircraft launches and over 13,000 arrested landings, or “traps.”
