NAS JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The “War Eagle” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 and the “Huntsmen” of Mobile Tactical Center-11 have returned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Saturday morning.
The return comes after a six-month deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.
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The War Eagles were attached to the Commander, Task Force (CTF) 57 and 67. They provided extensive intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability to the fleet.
CTF-57 operated out of Bahrain and Israel in the Middle East, while CTF-67 primarily operated out of Iceland, the Azores, Norway, and Scotland.
VP-16 deployed across six detachment sites, spanned two continents, and over 7,400 miles flying missions in support of several operations.
The War Eagles were always mission-ready and provided theater security for Joint Forces Air Component Commander throughout the deployment.
“I am extremely proud of the effort, sacrifice and hard work the War Eagles displayed daily during this deployment,” said Cmdr. Timothy Campbell, VP-16′s commanding officer. “We brought Keflavik back to life as the premier ASW hub and supported high-end FIFTH Fleet operations out of Bahrain. Every Sailor led with perseverance, resolve, and grit, both in the air and on the ground.”
They were also able to complete a 100 percent mission completion record.
They worked tirelessly to maintain seven p-8A Poseidon, encompassing over 26,497 man-hours.