NORFOLK, Va. — After more than eight months at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, finally, on Friday, it was all over.
In tight formations, in their F/A-18 E and F Super Hornets, Carrier Air Wing Seven flew into Naval Air Station Oceana.
First up was VFA-143, the Pukin' Dogs, followed by VFA-103, the Jolly Rogers.
While underway, the wing collectively flew more than 12,000 sorties, amassing more than 24,000 flight hours, all in the Mediterranean Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war dragged on.
The pilots are proud of the work they did.
"Oh, it was outstanding. Working with our NATO allies in the Mediterranean for the last eight months. It's been absolutely amazing. It's about power projection from the sea. And no one does it better than America. So, it's good to be home," said Captain Alex Hampton, Carrier Air Wing Seven Commander.
For Lt. Audrey Mackovjak, this was her first deployment.
"Oh, I'm so proud," she said. "We supported a ton of NATO countries. We assert our dominance out there and it was just great to be on deployment and finally do what I've been training to do for the last four years."
Added Lt. Commander Rob Patrick: "They did a great job, the whole CAG-7, SCG-10, USS Bush knocked it out of the park. It was a great eight-month deployment."
The Bush team might've returned home a little earlier, but the carrier was re-positioned closer to Syria "as a precaution" after an attack on U.S. forces there in March by what the Defense Department said were Iranian-backed militias.
As for the Bush itself, it will return to Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday, along with the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf.
Also returning Saturday to Norfolk will be VAW-121 and VRC-40, followed Sunday by helicopter squadrons HSM-46 and HSC-Five.