Carrier Air Wing 3 (CARAIRWING THREE) CVW-3
		aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Koper, Slovenia - 2003
STATUS:		established: December 20, 1963 (redesignated from CVG-3) Homebase: Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Aircraft Carrier: USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) tailcode: AC ACTIVE
Squadrons
VFA-32 Strike Fighter Squadron 32 “Fighting Swordsmen” VFA-37 Strike Fighter Squadron 37 “Ragin Bulls” VFA-105 Strike Fighter Squadron 105 “Gunslingers” VMFA-312 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 “Checkerboards” VAW-126 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 126 “Seahawks” VAQ-130 Electronic Attack Squadron 130 “Zappers” VRC-40 Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 “Rawhides” HS-7 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 7 “Dusty Dogs”
history
Deployments: USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / November 1964 - July 1965 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / March 1966 - October 1966 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / May 1967 - December 1967 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / July 1969 - January 1970 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / June 1970 - November 1970 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / June 1971 - October 1971 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / April 1972 - February 1973 (Vietnam War) USS Saratoga (CVA 60) / September 1974 - March 1975 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CV 60) / January 1976 - July 1976 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CV 60) / July 1977 - December 1977 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CV 60) / October 1978 - April 1979 (Mediterranean) USS Saratoga (CV 60) / March 1980 - August 1980 (Mediterranean) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / October 1981 - December 1981 (Caribbean Sea) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / January 1982 - July 1982 (Mediterranean / Indian Ocean) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / April 1983 - July 1983 (Atlantic) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / September 1983 - May 1984 (Mediterranean) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / August 1986 - March 1987 (Mediterranean) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / August 1988 - February 1989 (Mediterranean) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / November 1989 - December 1989 (West Atlantic) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / August 1990 - March 1991 (Gulf War) USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) / October 1992 - April 1993 (Mediterranean) USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) / October 1994 - April 1995 (Mediterranean) USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) / November 1996 - May 1997 (Mediterranean) USS Enterprise (CVN 65) / November 1998 - May 1999 (Mediterranean / Persian Gulf) USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) / November 2000 - May 2001 (Mediterranean / Persian Gulf) USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) / December 2002 - May 2003 (Mediterranean) USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) / October 2004 - April 2005 (Mediterranean / Persian Gulf) USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) / November 2007 - June 2008 (Mediterranean / Persian Gulf)
CVW-3 history: Vietnam In the early 70's CVW-3 began the task of testing the new CV Concept, to incorporating the missions of attack squadrons and anti-submarine submarine squadrons. After completing their missions successfully the CV Concept was validated and implemented. In 1972, CVW-3 was given 60 hours notice before deploying around South America en route to Vietnam. Operations there saw CVW-3 provide strike and support sorties in South Vietnam, Alpha strikes, AAW missions, and reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam. The wings first kill came on 21 June when an F-4J Phantom II downed a MIG-21. Dropping over 14,000 tons of ordnance, CVW-3 spent 175 days on the line engaged in combat operations against North Vietnam. Lebanon CVW-3 was assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), in 1981 and participated in air strikes against Lebanon in support of United States Marines stationed there. Libya In January 1989, two CVW-3 F-14 Tomcats shot down two hostile Libyan MIG fighters over international waters in the Central Mediterranean. In August 1990, CVW-3 and JFK departed on a no-notice Mediterranean/Red Sea deployment in support of Operation Desert Shield, and air crews later flew combat sorties in association with Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. The wing concluded a successful 24th Mediterranean Sea/Persian Gulf deployment aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). During this time, the wing aircraft participated in Operation Desert Fox, a four day strike campaign against Iraq in December 1998. Global War on Terror The air wing sailed with the USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) on her maiden deployment on 28 November 2000. The early months of 2001 saw the air wing operating in the Persian Gulf, conducting Response Options strikes, to include the largest strike over Iraq since Operation Desert Fox, in support of Operations Southern Wact and Maritime Interception Operations. This was the longest period any carrier had spent in the Gulf since Operation Desert Storm. The Air Wing completed its 25th deployment and returned home on 23 May 2001. On 6 December 2002, CVW-3 departed for its 26th deployment to the Mediterranean, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and on 20 March 2003, CVW-3 participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, taking part in defensive counter air missions in Western Iraq, launching aircraft off the coast of Egypt in the South Eastern Mediterranean.
images
aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Naples, Italy - November 2007 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - March 2005 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - March 2005 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - February 2005 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - February 2005 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - January 2005 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - December 2004 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Persian Gulf - December 2004 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediterranean Sea - April 2003 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediterranean Sea - January 2003 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediterranean Sea - January 2003 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediteranean Sea - December 2002 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Souda Bay, Greece - December 2002 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediteranean Sea - December 2002 CVW-3 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - Mediteranean Sea - December 2002 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - March 1999 CVW-3 aboard and over USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 1998 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard and over USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) - May 1995 CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - October 1992 CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - March 1991 CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - Suez Canal - March 1991 CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - March 1991 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - March 1991 F-14 Tomcats, assigned to CVW-3, fly over NAS Oceana, Virginia - March 1991 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard and over USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - July 1990 aircraft of CVW-3 fly over USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - June 1990 aircraft of CVW-3 fly over USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - June 1990 aircraft of CVW-3 fly over USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - June 1990 aircraft of CVW-3 fly over the French aircraft carrier Foch (R 99) - May 1990 CVW-3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) - June 1982 aircraft of CVW-3 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - January 1980 CVW-3 aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) - 1977
patches
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