Carrier Air Wing Fifteen

Carrier Air Group 15 was established on 5 April 1951, and was deployed to the Korean War in September of that year on board the USS Antietam.

Starting in 1960, CVG-15 would begin a two decade long attachment with the USS Coral Sea that would continue when in 1963,[citation needed] all CVGs were re-designated as Carrier Air Wings.

[citation needed] This cruise was significant as it was an around the world cruise that involved stops in St. Thomas, Monaco, Abidjan, Perth, Subic Bay, British Hong Kong, Sasebo, Pusan, Pearl Harbor and the moving the Vinson's homeport from Norfolk, Virginia on the west coast to Alameda, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[3] In July 1988, during the Olympics in Seoul, CVW-15 embarked on board Carl Vinson and operated off the coast of South Korea for the ship's fourth overseas deployment.

[citation needed] In 1990, CVW-15 made their last cruise with the Carl Vinson before moving back to the Kitty Hawk for the rest of their remaining service in the US Navy.

While on deployment, Kitty Hawk spent nine days off the coast of Somalia supporting U.S. Marines and coalition forces involved in Operation Restore Hope.

CVW-15 aircraft at NAS Alameda in 1974. USS Coral Sea is in the background.
CVW-15 aircraft at NAS Alameda in 1974. USS Coral Sea is in the background.
2 F-14A Tomcats of VF-111 operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in 1987. Note the lighter camouflage of the F-14A with number 200 which wears the tail code "NG" of CVW-9 and the name of CVW-9's (then) parent carrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). The rudders, however, show the markings of VF-111.
2 F-14A Tomcats of VF-111 operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in 1987. Note the lighter camouflage of the F-14A with number 200 which wears the tail code "NG" of CVW-9 and the name of CVW-9's (then) parent carrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). The rudders, however, show the markings of VF-111.