Showing posts with label uss dwight d. eisenhower-cvn69. Show all posts
Showing posts with label uss dwight d. eisenhower-cvn69. Show all posts

Friday, July 30, 2010

Ike Sailors Return To Naval Station Norfolk

~~~ WELCOME HOME USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER -CVN-69~~~

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - After seven months at sea, nearly 5,000 sailors are now safely home. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, or "Ike" as it's affectionately known, docked at its home port Naval Station Norfolk Wednesday morning.

The Ike's crew has certainly been busy at sea and I think they're going to be pretty busy at home now, too. WAVY.com's Katie Collett spoke to some of their family members anxiously awaiting their arrival, and they have big plans for their sailors.

"I'm really excited. The house is clean thankfully, car is all working and ready, the battery's good. That's important, you'd be surprised," laughed one sailor's wife.

Even the little ones have big plans for the ones they've missed.

"Her biggest thing is she wants to go to the beach. She wants to take daddy back to the beach."

It was January when families had to say goodbye to their sailors on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as they headed overseas. While there, the Carrier Strike Group supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and helped protect waters from piracy.

Now, seven months later, those goodbye tears transformed from tears of heartache to tears of joy.

The sailors' return comes on the heels of Carrier Air Wing 7's return one day earlier on Tuesday, it was part of the massive Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.

This homecoming is not only special for the families, but it's also special because the Ike's helicopter squadron has a new home at Naval Station Norfolk. It was based in Jacksonville, Florida. Commanded by Rear Adm. Phil Davidson, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG) is comprised of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) the guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64), USS McFaul (DDG 74), USS Farragut (DDG 99) and Carrier Air Wing 7 was also embarked aboard Eisenhower.

The USS McFaul is scheduled to return Monday.

www.wavy.com


Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Plane From USS Eisenhower Crashes At Sea


Three of four crew members rescued

MANAMA, Bahrain (WAVY) - The Navy says an E-2C Hawkeye from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121 stationed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) crashed at sea Wednesday while operating in the North Arabian Sea.

Three of the four crew members have been rescued and returned to the ship. According to the Navy, search and rescue efforts for the fourth crew member are currently underway.

Officials say the E-2C was returning from conducting operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan when the aircraft experienced mechanical malfunctions and the crew performed a controlled bailout.

The identities of the crewmen involved have not been released.

Both the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the "Bluetails" from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121 are based in Norfolk.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left Naval Station Norfolk on a regularly scheduled six-month deployment January 2nd.

VAW-121 is part of Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW 7).


www.wavy.com