Rear Admiral Fred Goldhammer said, “The men and women of Carrier Air Wing 17 successfully executed a multitude of missions with incredible professionalism, ingenuity and grit.” He added, “Their dedication throughout a challenging nine month deployment that spanned more than two thirds of the planet enabled our team to consistently project naval power and forward presence while demonstrating the operational flexibility and responsiveness our nation demands of its Carrier Strike Groups.”
While in the U.S. 5th Fleet area, CVW 17 took part in international exercises with partners from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, France, Pakistan and India. The air wing also supported U.S. Africa Command by conducting strikes against ISIS targets in Somalia, while HSM 73 personnel aboard USS Wayne E. Meyer supported combat operations against the Houthi threat in the Gulf of Aden.
Captain Brent Jaquith said, “Putting the pressure on our adversaries involves more than flying planes and helicopters. It involves thousands of Sailors working tirelessly to support our aircraft in harm’s way.” He continued, “When you have aircraft launching off the flight deck around the clock, you need a crew full of capable service-members ready to support. I am exceptionally proud of all of our squadrons and Sailors who supported launching, flying and recovering aircraft throughout this important nine-month mission. It was a pleasure serving with America’s finest sons and daughters.”
Operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area focused on upholding a free and open Indo Pacific, providing deterrence and reassurance to allies and partners. CVW 17 also completed combined exercises with Malaysian, Filipino and Japanese forces, as well as joint training with U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps units.
Across the deployment, the air wing carried out more than 7,400 sorties and logged 18,000 flight hours. Its nine squadrons operate a mix of Super Hornets, Growlers, Hawkeyes, Greyhounds and Seahawk helicopters.
HSM 73, HSC 6 and VRC 30 will remain in San Diego, while VAW 121 returns to Norfolk. VFA 22, VFA 137, VFA 146 and VFA 94 return to Lemoore, and VAQ 139 returns to Whidbey Island.
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group includes USS Nimitz, the Carrier Strike Group 11 staff, Destroyer Squadron 9, Carrier Air Wing 17 and destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur, USS Wayne E. Meyer, USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee.
