Carrier Air Wing Two Carrier Air Wing Two ( CVW - 2 ) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore . The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan ( CVN - 76 ) . Mission . To conduct carrier air warfare operations and assist in the planning , control , coordination and integration of seven air wing squadrons in support of carrier air warfare including ; Interception and destruction of enemy aircraft and missiles in all - weather conditions to establish and maintain local air superiority . All - weather offensive air - to - surface attacks , Detection , localization , and destruction of enemy ships and submarines to establish and maintain local sea control . Aerial photographic , sighting , and electronic intelligence for naval and joint operations . Airborne early warning service to fleet forces and shore warning nets . Airborne electronic countermeasures . In - flight refueling operations to extend the range and the endurance of air wing aircraft and Search and rescue operations . Subordinate units . CVW - 2 consists of 9 Squadrons History . Established 1 May 1945 as CVBG - 74 , the new " Battle Air Group " originally comprised 96 F4U - 4 / FG - 1D Corsairs and 46 SBW - 4E Helldivers . Redesignated CVBG - 1 on 15 November 1946 , the first true deployment took the Air Group to the Mediterranean Sea from October 1947 to March 1948 . Renamed CVG - 2 in 1948 , the Air Group saw action during the Korean War in support of the Inchon invasion , the bombing of Seoul , securing the Kimpo Airfield , as well as leading four Carrier Air Groups on a long - range strike coordinated with USAF jets against the Suiho Dam on 23 – 24 June 1952 . In 1961 , the first A4D - 2 Skyhawks came aboard while patrolling the Formosa Straits during tensions between Taiwan and Mainland China . In late 1963 , the Air Group ' s first deployment with F - 4 Phantom s began , and on 20 December the Air Wing was redesignated Attack Carrier Air Wing Two ( CVW - 2 ) . Vietnam . The first of seven combat deployments to Southeast Asia began in 1965 . Air Wing Two was credited with the first three confirmed Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 17 kills over North Vietnam . In July 1966 , the Air Wing marked its first all - Phantom deployment and E - 2A Hawkeyes joined the team . Coordinated carrier operations in the Gulf of Tonkin earned the air wing the Navy Unit Commendation in February 1967 . Peacetime . The air wing began a long affiliation with during the 1967 - 68 deployment . New A - 7A Corsairs and A - 6A Intruders made CVW - 2 the first all jet Attack Carrier Air Wing . CVW - 2 spent thirty days of the deployment in the Sea of Japan reacting to North Korea ' s seizure of USS Pueblo ( AGER - 2 ) , earning the Air Wing the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation . During its last Vietnam deployment , which began in December 1972 , CVW - 2 introduced laser - guided bombs ( LGBs ) to Navy combat operations with great success . Strikes by VA - 145 destroyed fourteen of fifteen targeted bridges within three hours . CVW - 2 made its first peacetime deployment in over twelve years in 1974 . CVW - 2 was then redesignated Carrier Air Wing Two as part of the CV concept . In 1978 - 79 , anti - submarine combat units joined the team with VS - 29 flying S - 3A Vikings and HS - 2 in SH - 3D Sea Kings During the subsequent 1979 deployment , RVAH - 7 , as part of CVW - 2 , marked the final operational overseas deployment of the RA - 5C Vigilante . VF - 1 and VF - 2 flying the F - 14A Tomcat were assigned for the September 1980 deployment , four months of which were spent in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf awaiting the release of the U . S . hostages in Iran . The Air Wing made its tenth straight deployment aboard USS Ranger in 1982 before reassignment to USS Kitty Hawk . CVW - 2 returned to Ranger in 1987 , largely composed of Grumman aircraft . The " Grumman Air Wing " deployed to the Western Pacific / Indian Ocean in July 1987 flying many " Earnest Will " escort missions into the Persian Gulf . CVW - 2 also flew in support of U . S . military assaults on oil platforms used as staging bases for Iranian militia attacking tankers in the Persian Gulf . From February to August 1989 , RANGER / CVW - 2 conducted normal patrol operations in the Western Pacific / Indian Ocean . Following that deployment , VMA ( AW ) - 121 left CVW - 2 and was replaced by VA - 155 . Gulf War . 1 April 1997 , 18 June 1999 and 16 March 2001 marked the beginnings of Western Pacific and Persian Gulf deployments for CVW - 2 and the USS Constellation . Throughout these combined 18 months of deployed time , CVW - 2 has successfully conducted a total of over 33 weeks of high tempo operations in the Persian Gulf , including more than 13 , 000 sorties while in Fifth Fleet ’ s Area of Responsibility . Operations during the last three deployments have included joint - combined exercises with forces from allied countries in the Persian Gulf region , as well as exercises with Saudi Arabian , Qatari , Kuwait , and Bahrain . In addition to flying training missions , CVW - 2 has flown over 3 , 500 sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch , enforcing the no - fly zone over Southern Iraq and CVW - 2 aircrew lead the opening strikes on Baghdad at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom . CVW - 2 and the USS Constellation flew 26 continuous days of combat over Iraq , clearing the way for our ground force advance on Baghdad . Port calls during the past three deployments have included stops in Sydney and Perth , Western Australia , Manama ( Bahrain ) , Jebel Ali ( United Arab Emirates ) , Singapore , Kelang ( Malaysia ) , Hong Kong ( China ) , Pusan ( Korea ) , Yokosuka ( Japan ) , and Hawaii . After USS " Constellation " decommissioned in August 2003 , Carrier Air Wing Two shifted carriers to the USS Abraham Lincoln . CVW 2 joined " Abraham Lincoln " by September 2005 . 21st Century . During its 2004 - 2005 deployment , Carrier Air Wing Two executed 4400 fix - winged sorties for a total of 7588 flight hours , as well as 1518 rotary - wing sorties for a total of 4401 flight hours . The air wing also completed 4455 flight deck landings ( traps ) while also flying 1737 humanitarian relief missions in support of Operation Unified Assistance between 26 December 2004 and 3 February 2005 . During its 2006 deployment , Carrier Air Wing Two participated in three major exercises ( i . e . , Foal Eagle 06 , Valiant Shield 06 , RIMPAC 06 ) , and its aircraft flew 7 , 871 sorties , with a total of 7 , 578 catapult launches from the flight deck of the " Abraham Lincoln " . Between 24 – 31 March 2006 , during Foal Eagle 2006 exercises , strike squadrons VFA - 2 , VFA - 34 , VFA - 137 , and VFA - 151 from Carrier Air Wing Two teamed with U . S . Air Force aircraft from the 18th Wing based at Kadena Air Base to provide combat air patrols and coordinated bombing runs via the exercise ’ s Combined Air Operations Center . During its 2008 deployment , Carrier Air Wing Two flew approximately 7 , 100 sorties , totalling more than 22 , 000 flight hours , which included 2 , 307 combat sorties that dropped 255 , 963 pounds ( 116 , 102 , 863 . 8 kg ) of ordnance in support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan ( OEF - A ) and Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) as a part of the U . S . Fifth Fleet .