[9] The pilot, Lieutenant (junior grade) Douglas M. Webster, the aircraft, A-4E BuNo 151022, (a re-designated A4D-5), of VA-56 Champions, and the B43 nuclear bomb were never recovered[10] from the 16,000 ft (4,900 m) depth.

In 1976, while aboard the Midway, CVW-5 took part in Operation Paul Bunyan during the Korean axe murder incident.

'[2] CVW-5 began its final combat cruise aboard the Midway on 2 October 1990[14] as part of Operation Desert Shield to the Persian Gulf in response to the Invasion of Kuwait.

From November to January 1991, the air wing participated in numerous multinational exercises and operated continuously in the Persian Gulf.

At the same time four Intruders attacked Shaibah Airbase in Southern Iraq, encountering heavy AAA fire.

[17][18] For the next 43 days the air wing flew 3,383 combat sorties and expended more than four million pounds of ordnance.

[19] Also, in 1991, in consideration of the surrounding communities the Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP), known in Japan as NLP,[citation needed] was moved to the island of Iwo Jima, 650 miles (1,050 km) away as an interim measure until another landing field could be situated within 100 nautical miles (200 km) of the base.

[2] USS Independence deployed to the Persian Gulf in mid-1992 and started the Southern Watch operation, a multi-national mission to monitor Iraqi compliance with the "no-fly zone" below the 32nd parallel north.

Kitty Hawk left its berth at Fleet Activities Yokosuka in early April 2000 to begin a routine deployment to the Western Pacific.

In addition to Guam, the ship made port calls throughout the Western Pacific and participated in exercise Cobra Gold with the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

[2] USS Kitty Hawk with CVW-5 got under way 1 October 2001 with a mere 24-hour turnaround, after an accelerated sea trials and carrier qualifications period, carried out on short notice following the events of 11 September.

The initial plan for CVW-5 was to provide air defense during the USS Kitty Hawk's transit to station.

Air Wing aviators flew 600 missions over Afghanistan as part of the attacks, including more than 100 combat sorties during this at sea period.

CVW-5 deployed to the Persian Gulf and supported Operation Iraqi Freedom flying from USS Kitty Hawk.

[22] Thus, CVW-5 became the first U.S. Navy carrier air wing flying only variants of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as strike aircraft.

[23] On 14 January 2014, the U.S. Navy announced that USS Ronald Reagan would replace George Washington as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group Five.