Several squadrons of US fighter jets made a hero's homecoming
today, arriving in Virginia after a tense 9 month deployment
in the Middle East.
They were part of a strike group with the USS
Eisenhower aircraft carrier confronting Iranian backed Houthi militants.
Here's CB S S Charlie Dagada, a homecoming fly over
in the skies over Virginia Beach, to the relief of
families waiting below, the F18 fighter pilots who've been at
the sharp end of fighting for almost nine months at
sea and at war.
Can you briefly describe what it was like out there?
Honestly, it was completely unbelievable.
You don't think anybody on board that Paris striker was
expecting to happen.
After setting sail for the Mediterranean for a routine deployment
last October, the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier in
its five squadrons of F eighteens were redirected full steam
to the Red Sea to battle Iranian backed Houthi rebels
who began targeting ships including US naval vessels.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, this has
been described as the most intense naval combat since World
War 2.
Is that a fair description?
I think it's pretty apartment the, the close range that
we were to the enemy, the fact that we were
employing, you know, self-defense strikes.
This was not a long range projection.
This was this was right in our face.
Norah O'Donnell was the first journalist to report from the
Red Sea aboard the Eisenhower since the conflict began.
Navy officials say the carrier strike group fired more than
400 air to surface missiles and 55 air to air
missiles.
We put a bomb down for every air surface engagement
and then a silhouette of an airborne target for every
air to air engagement that we had.
It is a fight that continues in the intensity of
the close combat.
Fighting and repeated targeting of the carrier itself has taken
its toll on returning service members.
Today is a very big day for everybody as we
actually get to see our families again.
But for us, reintegration is going to take a lot
of time as we square with everything that we've been
through.
The carrier itself is due to arrive over the weekend.
Defense officials tell us they're discussing ways to provide care
and support for pilots and sailors when they return home.
Nora, we met many of those sailors.
They are the best of America.
Welcome home.