Carrier Air Wing - Centerpiece of the Carrier Battle Group

A Carrier Air Wing was previously called a Carrier Air Group. A Carrier Air Wing is comprised of all the squadron on an aircraft carrier. The Carrier Air Wing makeup has changed over the years. The Carrier Air Wing normally consists of fighter aircraft, bombers, anti-submarine aircraft, and rescue helicopters, electronic warfare aircraft and cargo aircraft. Fleet air superiority had relied on the F-14 Tomcat but has since been transferred to the F-18 Hornet.

I flew the F-14 for ten years in a Carrier Air Wing before they changed the name to Carrier Air Group. Our mission was to protect the aircraft carrier, and by extension, the rest of the fleet from attack by enemy bombers or any other threat that might arise. It was flying the F-14 in the Carrier Air Wing that motivated me to write West of the Rock. Most people can only imagine what this life was like. Training and flying around the aircraft carrier was intense and dangerous. I had several friends crash and die.

In this book, I describe what this life was like in a Carrier Air Wing. From initially looking up in awe while a civilian as an F-14 flew by, to eventually landing on the pitching deck of an aircraft carrier at night. While flying in the Carrier Air Wing was an adventure I also show the human cost, not just in lives lost, but also to the families who must live without their loved ones at home. The Carrier Air Wing composition has changed over the years but some things remain constant. This book shows there will always be a sacrifice that modern warriors pay.

Want to know more about life in the Carrier Air Wing? Get your copy of West of the Rock today!