HSC-25 welcomes home Sailors

  • Published
  • By By Airman Basic Evan Carter
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  Members of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron-Twenty Five Detachment Six returned to Andersen, their families and friends recently after spending six months deployed in the Pacific theater of operations. 

The 32 person detachment departed Andersen in November of 2006 to provide primary search and rescue support while aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and associated personnel. During the deployment, a duty that HSC-25 members have been fulfilling for over a decade, the team was charged with flying and maintaining two MH-60S helicopters in support of various operations in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan and South Korea. 

In addition to manning a 24-hour SAR operation, the Det. 6 members contributed logistical support during the U.S. and South Korea joint exercise - Foal Eagle. 

Lt. Cmdr. David A. Orlosky, officer in charge, lead the team of six pilots, seven aircrewmen and twenty maintenance personnel to achieving a 99 percent completion rate and flying 300 mishap-free flight hours during their service aboard the Essex, nicknamed the 'Iron Gator'. 

"I am very proud of the Det. Six member's and the fantastic job they performed on one of our more arduous deployments on the Essex," said Commander J.D. Menoni, HSC-25 executive officer. "They were excellent at performing their jobs, proudly showing the American flag and projecting the power of America's military everywhere they went."
After returning home the members embraced their families and friends during a return home celebration at the HSC-25 hangar. 

"It's so great to be home with my family," said Lieutenant Sam Mason, who deployed with the unit, as he embraced his wife and child. "It was a hard deployment, but having faith in myself, my family and in God got me through it." 

"The deployment was long, hard and stressful but we just kept our heads up and kept pushing," proudly explained Petty Officer 3rd Class Roy Wragth, aviation machineist's mate. "I am so happy to have supported such an important Navy/Marine mission."