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Patrol Squadron 26 'Tridents' Arrive at New Home

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100610-02
6/10/2010

By Kaylee LaRocque, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 "Tridents" made history June 8 when the squadron's last P-3C Orion arrived at their new home at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla.

VP 26 is the last of the patrol squadrons to transition from Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, to NAS Jacksonville.

The crew arriving at NAS Jacksonville included VP 26 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jeff Draeger and seven other members of the squadron. They were welcomed by Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 11, Capt. Mark Turner, Deputy CPRW 11, Capt. Bill Wheeler and NAS Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Maclay at a special ceremony held in VP 26 new spaces in Hangar 1000.

VP-26's skipper and his crew were also met by squadron members, families, friends and base employees gathered to officially welcome them to their new home.

"I really appreciate this wonderful greeting. To the 'Tridents' - for the last six months, you've met the mission day in and day out over a long and demanding deployment. I'm exceptionally proud of the way we performed as a team on a very widespread deployment. Congratulations on a job well done," said Draeger. "To our 'Trident' families – thank you for your perseverance. It's great to see you back with your loved ones."

"And, to our shipmates at Wing (CPRW) 11, NAS Jacksonville, VP 30, our sister squadrons and our new neighbors here in Jacksonville, thank you for the steady helping hand you've given us over the course of our homeport change," continued Draeger.

The squadron was then officially welcomed by the CPRW 11 commander.

"I want to welcome VP 26 and their families. This is a big day for Wing (CPRW) 11, and we are glad you've arrived here safely. To the leadership – what you've accomplished – over 3,000 flight hours and 450 flights is nothing short of amazing. To the Sailors - from the Arctic to the equator to Central America and Central Asia – you were the ones who made things happen. Thank you for your undying efforts and attention to detail that made our nation stronger," said Turner. "To the families – for six months you carried the burden of home and you served every bit as much as those in uniform. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate your service and your contributions to this nation."

For the families, the return of their loved ones to their new home was a joyous occasion.

"We've been stationed here before. Jacksonville is a wonderful community, and it's great to have people here we know. It helped make the move much easier," said Renee Gage, wife of Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Gage.

"It's amazing to have them back again. We're really thrilled and have been waiting for this day for the past seven months," added Corrie Cyre, wife of Lt. Cmdr. Erik Cyre. "It's been a long deployment but it's been great to have the support of the rest of the VP-26 families and our new neighbors in Jacksonville."