By Lt. Alex Santis

Fighting Marlins reporter

The last group of returning Fighting Marlins touched down at NAS Whidbey earlier this month, as the men and women of Patrol Squadron 40 were reunited with their loved ones.

The squadron left NAS Whidbey on May 26 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Designated as Commander Task Group 57.2 while forward-deployed, they logged over 10,000 flight hours and conducted almost 1,600 sorties over six months with assistance from augment aircraft and aircrews from nine sister squadrons.

The unprecedented 10,000-hour milestone is an achievement never before attained by a single Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Task Group. Missions flown provided surveillance and reconnaissance to Commander U.S. Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet and coalition ground forces in Iraq.

VP-40 also supported Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, conducting anti-piracy and routine maritime patrol operations in the Gulf of Aden and off the East Coast of Africa.

Exercises includes Talisman Saber in Australia, Valiant Shield in Guam and multiple Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Cooperative Operations in the Seventh Fleet.

A number of short-duration detachments were made to Masirah, Oman, the Seychelles, Diego Garcia, Sigonella, Sicily, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Guam.

The 400 men and women of VP-40 wish to thank a number of sister squadrons that provided aircraft and aircrews. Just as important is the solid support network at home that helped make this deployment a success.