Eisenhower for their latest set of workups and deployment. In December 1999, the squadron passed the 33 year-64,000 hours mishap-free mark, the best safety record in carrier aviation. VAW-121 supported peacekeeping missions over Kosovo and Albania while operating in the Adriatic Sea. USS Eisenhower proceeded to the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch, while the squadron flew multiple missions over Kuwait in support of strikes on Iraq, providing command and control for the first strikes in the Eisenhower'''s 22-year history to actually drop bombs on foreign soil. 2000s While deployed aboard USS George Washington'' in May 2006, the squadron along with rest of battle group conducted training with the Colombian Navy. The exercise was part of "Partnership of the Americas." 2010s On returning from a mission on March 31, 2010, an E-2C Hawkeye suffered a catastrophic engine failure. The condition of the starboard engine made the aircraft almost impossible to control. The pilot, LT Steven Zilberman, made sure the aircraft stayed level so the other three crew members could bail out safely. Seconds later, the Hawkeye crashed into the sea. After three days of a massive search, he was declared lost at sea. For his courage, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The squadron began using its first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft in 2014, ending 37-years operating the E-2C Hawkeye. Sources External links VAW-121 homepage See also History of the United States Navy List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons Early warning squadrons of the United States Navy