Carrier Air Wing Eleven.

During more than 60 years of service, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 has evolved to meet the ever-changing mission. Today, the staff of CVW-11, based at NAS Lemoore, Calif., comprises approximately 25 officers and 25 enlisted personnel. Operating from Nimitz (CVN 68), the wing's organic assets include VFA-14 with the F/A-18E Super Hornet; VFA-41 flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet; VFA-94 with the F/A-18A Hornet; VAQ-135 flying the EA-6B Prowler; VAW-117 with the E-2C Hawkeye; and HS-6 flying the SH-60F and HH-60H Seahawk. When deployed, the wing will be augmented with VMFA-232 F/A-18C Hornets and C-2A Greyhounds from VRC-30.

Maintaining a high level of proficiency is no small task for an air wing. Air wing commander Captain Jim Greene described some of the wing's recent challenges and successes. "CVW-11 spent about 13 months of a 14 month period away from home, starting with workups in late 2002 and culminating in an 8 month deployment to the Arabian Gulf aboard Nimitz. We arrived in the Gulf approximately two weeks after the initial strikes of Operation Iraqi Freedom, yet four of our brand new Super Hornets (two F/A-18Es and two F/A-18Fs) got to the fight one week early. The robust airborne refueling capability of a 5-wet (one buddy store and 4 external tanks) Super Hornet allowed us to organically refuel four Super Hornets on a 1,600 mile, one way trip to Diego Garcia, B.I.O.T., from the eastern Indian Ocean. From there they followed a USAF KC-135 and landed on Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) to augment CVW-14 for a full week of combat operations before Nimitz's arrival."

After returning from the Nimitz deployment in November 2003, the air wing maintained a fast pace. "Approximately 25% of the air wing (17 aircraft and 500 personnel) embarked Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during her homeport change from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego, Calif., the highlight of which was a two-day transit of the Strait of Magellan," Capt. Greene said. "In June, another 25% of the air wing supported Lincoln's deck certification. For a little over a week, CVW-11 was operating in two different oceans and two different hemispheres simultaneously."

Power projection is what the wing is all about, and CVW-11 has significant combat experience. CAG Green commented, "Since I arrived in 2001, the air wing participated in the first strike against Taliban forces in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) from the deck of Carl Vinson (CVN 70). When we returned from that deployment in January 2002, we traded VF-213 and VFA-22 for the first two Tomcat-to-Super Hornet transition squadrons, VFA-14 and VFA-41, which included the first operational two-seat Super Hornet. The all-Hornet air wing proved effective during our Fallon det in December 2002, and we were more than ready to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. When major combat operations were over, the other carrier strike groups departed and the Nimitz/CVW-11 team stayed through the summer to provide on-call close air support for coalition forces on the ground."

When VS-29 deactivated on 30 April 2004, it marked the end of the S-3B Viking's service with CVW-11. As with the departure of the Tomcat from the air wing, the wing's Super Hornets took up the Viking's traditional missions. "The strike fighters of CVW-11 will truly have to be multimission capable as they take over the maritime interdiction role and 100% of the airborne tanking mission from the Vikings," Capt. Greene said.

Even as its composition changes, the air wing's mission remains the same. CVW-11 continues to provide the flexibility, range, and lethality needed by Naval Aviation, anytime, anywhere.

RELATED ARTICLE: CVW-11: From WW II to OIF 

Carrier Air Group 11 was established in October 1942 and made its first deployment as a shore-based group at Guadalcanal in 1943. In 1944 the group deployed aboard Hornet (CV 12). During the Pacific war, CVG-11 was credited with destroying over 600 enemy aircraft, as well as numerous enemy surface combatants and merchant ships. The air group received the Presidential Unit Citation for its achievements.

In July 1950 the air group deployed to the Korean theater aboard Philippine Sea (CV 47). CVG-11 helped keep the Pusan perimeter from collapsing in the early phases of the conflict, took part in the assault on Inchon, and supported the landing at Wonson. Following the major Chinese offensive in November 1950, the group participated in operations around the Chosin Reservoir and then supported the evacuation of over 150,000 troops and civilians from the Chosin/Yalu areas to Hungnam. The group remained in theater supporting operations until they crossdecked to Valley Forge (CV 45) to return to the States. CVG-11 served two additional Korean deployments, aboard Philippine Sea in 1952 and Kearsarge (CVA 33) in 1953.

The Navy redesignated the air group as Carrier Air Wing (CVW 11) in December 1963, and in October 1965 it deployed to Vietnam aboard Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as part of the Seventh Fleet. The wing conducted seven combat deployments, and received the Presidential Unit Citation and two Navy Unit Commendations.

During a deployment to the Arabian Gulf in April 1988, CVW-11 led a major strike against Iranian warships and facilities, for which the wing received the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. During two subsequent gulf deployments aboard Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the wing flew in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq. During the 1993 deployment, the wing also supported Operation Restore Hope in Somalia.

Assigned to Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the air wing deployed in 1998 for Operations Desert Fox and Southern Watch in Iraq. Its 2001 cruise began with operations in support of Southern Watch and concluded with the wing's participation in Operation Enduring Freedom. Assigned to Nimitz (CVN 68), the air wing deployed in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently preparing for a future deployment aboard Nimitz, CVW-11 continues its long legacy of distinguished service.

Rick Llinares is a professional photographer and writer specializing in Naval Aviation. The author thanks Capts. Jim Greene and "TC" Cropper, Cdr. Jim Calvert, and the staff of CVW-11 for their assistance. Special thanks to Cdr. John Fleming, CHINFO, for his support of this article.