Kenneth McGovern

Sea Control Squadron 31 (VS-31), known as the "Topcats," was a U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare squadron established in 1948. Originally flying the Grumman TBM Avenger, the squadron later operated the S-2 Tracker and, most notably, the S-3 Viking. VS-31 served with distinction in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, conducting carrier-based anti-submarine and sea control missions aboard various aircraft carriers. The squadron was deactivated in 2008, concluding over six decades of operational service.

USS EISENHOWER

U.S. Navy

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), often referred to as "Ike," is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy in 1977. As the second Nimitz-class carrier, she has played a crucial role in projecting American naval power, participating in major operations such as Operation Eagle Claw in 1980 and multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War and subsequent conflicts. Over her decades of service, Eisenhower has supported combat operations, humanitarian missions, and exercises with allied navies around the globe. Continually modernized, she remains a vital asset in U.S. carrier strike group missions into the 21st century.