Free Republic

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Six squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 will return to Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana March 9 and 10 following their six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The remainder of CVW-8’s squadrons will return to their homebases of Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla., and NAS Whidbey Island, Fla. The “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron (VF) 31 and the “Black Lions” of Fighter Squadron (VF) 213 will close a chapter in the history of naval aviation by completing the final combat deployment in the...

ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (NNS) -- Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 stationed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) continued to provide support to coalition troops on the ground in Iraq Oct. 19. F-14 Tomcats from Fighter Squadron (VF) 31 conducted precision strikes on a known Improvised Explosive Device (IED) production facility northeast of Baghdad. The fighter jets joined a handful of other Roosevelt-based aircraft this week that have conducted strikes in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom while protecting coalition ground troops. IEDs have been one of the biggest threats to coalition ground forces since the beginning of...