USS Stennis CVN-74 was commissioned on 9 December 1995 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va, and she conducted flight deck certification in January 1996. She takes the name of senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi and is the 7th Nimitz class Aircraft Carrier for the US Navy and is currently home port at Bremerton , Washington. She serve with the US Navy Pacific Fleet Carrier Strike Group 3.
Carrier Air Wing 9 ( CVW-9) is currently assign to CVN-74. This air wing consists of 4 Strike Fighter squadron , 1 Electronic Warfare squadron , 2x Helicopter support Squadron and 1 Early warning Airborne Control Squadron.
Strike Fighter Squadron 14 VFA-14 ” Tophatters ” flying the FA-18E Superhornet uses the callsign Camelot.
Strike Fighter Squadron 41 VFA_41 ” Black Ace” flying the 2 seater F/A-18F Superhornet uses the callsign Fast Eagle.
Strike Fighter Squadron 97 VFA-97 ” Warhawks” flying the single seat F/A-18E Superhornet also uses the callsign Warhawks
Strike Fighter Squadron 151 VFA-151 Vigilantes flies the Single seat F/A-18E uses the callsign Switch.
Electronic Attack Squadron 133 VAQ-133 also known as “Wizards” flies the updated E/A-18G growler and currently base at whidbey Island , WA callsign Magic
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 ( VAW-112) nickname Golden Hawks flies the E-2C Hawkeye.
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 (HSC-14) “Chargers” flying the MH-60S Seahawks. also the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven One (HSM-71) flies the MF-60R seahawks. Both Squadrons are base at NAS North Island , CA.
Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 (VRC-30), also known as the “Providers” flying the Grumman C2 Greyhound providing logistical transport on and off the carrier.
Here are some of the Deck actions on board CVN-74. These photos was taken during the RIMPAC Exercise off the Hawaii coast. On that day we see VFA-97, VFA-41 , VFA-151, VAQ-133 and VFA14 aircrafts doing launch and recovery.
Article by Dave Chng
Photograph by Tom Lee