Maintaining and flying the squadron's 14 aircraft are nearly 320 enlisted personnel and 42 officers. Unlike most squadrons, VRC-40 does not deploy as a unit. Instead, it prepares five separate sea going detachments with a two-plane complement while maintaining ashore "Homeguard" to support local operational commitments. Based at remote forward logistics sites, the deployed detachments support multiple carrier strike groups that operate in the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Fleets aboard deployed aircraft carriers providing continuous fleet support. VRC-40 supports the fleet from ships and bases as far north as Norway, down the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, throughout the Caribbean, in Central and South America, and all over the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern theaters. Recently, VRC-40 played a vital role in support of combat missions during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and was selected as the Commander Naval Air Force Battle "E" winner for the 2010 calendar year.