ALAMEDA, Calif. (Aug. 13, 2022) - Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, spoke at the Centennial of the Aircraft Carrier ceremony aboard the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum, Aug. 13.
The ceremony celebrated the 100th anniversary of the aircraft carrier and highlighted their importance and impact on naval history in the past and present.
“For over a century U.S. Navy aircraft carriers have deterred aggression, assuring our national security,” Dwyer said. “They are the cornerstone of our Navy’s ability to project power and maintain our enduring commitments to Allies and partners around the world.”
Naval Air Station Alameda played a significant role in naval aviation history and was home to West Coast-based aircraft carriers through its history.
“Growing up in Alameda, I was inspired to become a naval aviator through my exposure to carrier aviation in my hometown,” Dwyer said. “That inspiration drove me to become a carrier-based fighter pilot, a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School Top Gun, and eventually commanding a U.S. Navy carrier-based F/A-18 squadron.”
Through 100 years of innovation, aircraft carriers and air wings have grown, evolved with technology and proven to be even more capable of protecting our nation’s Allies and assets.
“No other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and the combat capability of its air wing,” said Dwyer. “Just last year, at the age of 40, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), embarked elements of the Air Wing of the Future to operate in the South China Sea, proving that a vintage platform can flawlessly deliver unprecedented stealth, electronic warfare and the vertical lift capabilities of the Navy’s newest aircraft.”
The U.S. Navy continues to evolve and protect our nation and interests through the past, present and to the future.
“It is no wonder that such paragons of power inspire awe in our citizens and Allies and give pause to those who wish us harm,” said Dwyer.
Prior to the ceremony, two aircraft assigned to the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122 and 192 conducted a flyover of the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the aircraft carrier. Vice Adm. Dwyer, while a U.S. Navy lieutenant, led a flyover in 1998 when the museum was opened.
U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.