Cowden-Herrick Graduate Returns from First Naval Deployment

AO3 Blake Barnes, a 2018 graduate of Cowden-Herrick High School, has returned home from his first deployment. Barnes is stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA and attached to the the VFA-32 Fighting Swordsmen squadron, which was deployed with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group TEN.  

(AO3 BLAKE BARNES)

The carrier departed its homeport of Norfolk, Va., on Jan. 17, for the strike group’s Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and follow-on deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation to ensure maritime stability and security. 

On June 25th, the Ike made history breaking the Navy record of 160 consecutive days at sea without a single port call, which was set back in 2002. The carrier comes home with 206 consecutive days at sea. 

Blake is the son of Trent Barnes and Tracy Colclasure and brother to Seth Barnes, who is a 2013 graduate of CH and also serving in the US Navy. Due to COVID-19 and the strict safety measures, his family was unable to greet him on the pier, but some are planning a trip to VA  very soon to welcome him home.