After nearly nine months of intense fighting against Houthi missiles and drones in the Red Sea, nine naval squadrons of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) Carrier Strike Group returned home on July 12.
Flying low over the base in southeastern Virginia, 12 F/A-18E Super Hornets from VFA 83 "Rampagers" landed one by one and slowly entered nearby hangars.
Happiness burst
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s lengthy and intense deployment to the Middle East began on October 14 of last year, shortly after the resurgence of the Israel-Hamas conflict. About a month and a half later, Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed to the hot spot and participated in the US-led Operation Prosperous Guardian (OPG). Since then, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has extended the CVN-69 deployment twice, with the first extension in late April and the second in June.
Accordingly, the CVN-69 group has spent nine tense months in the Middle East. While deployed to the Red Sea, these naval units, along with air forces and coalition partners, have led strikes against Houthi drones and missiles. Their mission is to maintain freedom of navigation and ensure safe passage in the region.
The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returns to Naval Station Norfolk, July 14, 2024, concluding a nine-month deployment in the Red Sea. Photo: Navy Times
Sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) return to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, July 14, 2024. Photo: USNI News
The last of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group arrived at Naval Station Norfolk on July 14. VRC-40 “Rahides” and VAW-123 arrived earlier on July 12. On the same day, VFA-83, VFA-131, VFA-32 and VFA-105 arrived at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
During the nine months of separation, the families of the crew members of the IKE (another name for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower) were eager to see their loved ones.
On land, families gathered at two naval bases early on July 12. Meanwhile, at sea, as the sun rose, each of the nearly 5,000 personnel aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower eagerly awaited the familiar sight of the Virginia coast.
Relatives welcome sailors returning from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) with joy, July 14, 2024. Photo: USNI News
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Nelson - nicknamed "Fat Goose", was happily welcomed by his wife and parents.
"I got a little emotional while I was still in the cockpit," Nelson told WAVY TV 10, the NBC News affiliate in Portsmouth, Virginia.
While hugging her husband, Lindsay Nelson said she was overwhelmed with happiness when she saw her most beloved person return after two extensions of his mission.
"The combat operations were very busy and intense," said Lt. Col. Nelson. "It's good that everyone is back safe and sound. I'm glad to be home with my wife."
Lieutenant Kyle Rowland, 29, stands next to a row of five F-18 Hornet fighter jets. Rowland got married just weeks before he enlisted.
"I'm going to run up to her, kiss her and thank her," Rowland said of his wife. "I want to thank her for waiting for me for nine months," he emotionally shared with The Virginian-Pilot.
Ideal Weapon
From the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, more than 13,800 successful sorties were flown and more than 31,400 flight hours were accumulated, according to the US Navy.
Speaking to reporters on board the ship, Captain Marvin Scott, commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic, said that during the recently concluded deployment, there were naval aviator units rotating in the air, 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week.
With about 80-140 sorties per day, the operational tempo is “very, very busy,” according to Scott, and IKE itself is “occasionally” the target of Houthi attacks.
“During our time in the Red Sea, we carried out more than 400 active strikes using precision-guided bombs and shot down about 60 drones,” he said.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in the Red Sea, June 7, 2024. Photo: USNI News
An F-18E Super Hornet of VFA 83 "Rampagers" at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, July 12, 2024. Photo: USNI News
In addition to U.S. Navy ships playing a key role in nearly every conflict over the past several decades, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has also supported some of the most important strategic operations at sea since the Tanker Wars of the 1980s, most recently operations in the Red Sea.
The IKE flagship of Carrier Strike Group 2 has been at the forefront of US efforts to keep international shipping lanes open in the Red Sea corridor leading to the Suez Canal, despite harassment attacks by Houthi rebels.
In parallel with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returning to its homeport in Norfolk, present in the Middle East since July 12 is Carrier Strike Group 9 with the flagship being the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) to ensure the continuity of the naval mission in the Red Sea.
What the Eisenhower team demonstrated, according to Captain Scott, Commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic, could help solidify the position of aircraft carriers (also known as aircraft carriers) in modern naval warfare.
Opponents have long argued that the massive surface warships are tempting targets for enemy anti-ship missiles. But Scott said that, at least for the asymmetrical fighting that is taking place off Yemen, a carrier strike group is the ideal weapon at sea.
"The carrier strike group is the answer to these problems. This is truly naval warfare," said Scott, who is also the commander of CVW-3.
Minh Duc (According to DVIDS, WAVY TV 10, The Virginian-Pilot, Photo: USNI News)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-tro-ve-sau-9-thang-tac-chien-cuong-do-cao-o-bien-do-204240716152529882.htm
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