VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Secretary of the Navy was in Hampton Roads on Tuesday to congratulate the men and women of the Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) squadrons.
They were part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG) that returned last month from a nine-month deployment in the Red Sea.
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Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro visited Naval Air Station Oceana for an "all-hands call."
He said afterward that he wanted to express not just his personal appreciation, but the appreciation of the entire country.
"I spent a good time thanking them, thanking them for their extraordinary accomplishments and defending our national security," Del Toro said. "We haven't seen attacks like these on the US Navy and innocent merchant mariners since World War II. The intensity of those nine months was extraordinary."
While deployed, the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 3, assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, engaged in combat operations in the Middle East region from Nov. 2023 to June 2024.
According to the Navy, CVW-3 collaborated with U.S. Air Force assets and coalition partners to launch seven pre-planned, dedicated strikes into Iranian-backed, Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.
In all, they flew more than 13,800 sorties, amassed 31,000 total flight hours, and completed more than 10,000 aircraft launches and recoveries.
IKECSG aircraft expended nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and released 420 air-to-surface weapons.
Del Toro said the gathering was "great."
He added: "To be able to come here today and express not only my appreciation but the appreciation of the entire Navy for what they accomplished over the last nine months was very, very special."
The Eisenhower received a combat action ribbon in April for performance under fire, among other awards. Six other Navy ships, including strike group members USS Philippine Sea, USS Gravely, and USS Mason, also earned the ribbon.