Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 welcomed home 38 personnel from its vertical replenishment detachment, Det. 1 "Gunslingers," at Andersen Air Force Base after a seven-month deployment Nov. 25.

The detachment left Guam May 5, embarked aboard Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8), where they spent the first month flying logistical support to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 to include a sizable ordinance upload to aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). HSC-25's Det. 1 was an invaluable resource for carrier and surface ships of the carrier strike group, flying 93 hours and moving 868 tons of supplies and equipment during this period.

Also in May, Gunslingers worked with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 to rebuild the bombing range Okino Daito Jima (ODJ) off the shore of Okinawa. Det. 1 mapped out and strategically placed 27 targets on multiple sides of the island for use in future exercises.

At the beginning of August, the Gunslingers cross decked from Wally Schirra to USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) to continue logistic support for 7th Fleet, primarily in support of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 73 and CSG-5. While aboard Charles Drew, the Gunslingers moved 4.2 million pounds of ordnance and cargo during 17 missions, totaling more than 110 flight hours.

Det. 1 returned to Guam during late September and early October to support the joint U.S. military exercise Valiant Shield. The detachment was instrumental in providing logistical support for Ronald Reagan and amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), as well as associated ships of those strike groups.

In late October, the detachment returned to Japan to support the Ronald Reagan CSG in the vicinity of Yokosuka, Japan. They offloaded Ronald Reagan's entire store of ordnance in the two days prior to the ship's Thanksgiving holiday standdown period.

"Detachment 1 is proud to have supported the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Bonhomme Richard strike groups by moving over 10 million lbs. (5,100 tons) of cargo and ammunition during 38 vertical replenishment evolutions," said Lt. Scott Brady, one of Det. 1's pilots. "The professionalism, expertise, and dedication of all 38 embarked personnel ensured the safe, successful completion of these demanding missions and truly demonstrated their 'Island Knight Pride!'"

The mission of HSC-25 is to train, deploy, and sustain combat-ready helicopter detachments in support of combatant commander objectives while providing expeditionary and regional area logistics, search and rescue, force protection, and disaster response to the Territory of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands.

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For more news from Commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/AmphibForceC7F/ or Twitter @Amphib7Flt