US Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26 HSC 26 Chargers Hawaiian Shirt

The USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is one of ten Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the United States Navy. The ship is named for General of the Armies John C. Stennis, an American World War II veteran and the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient. The ship was commissioned on October 25, 1993, and is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The Stennis' helicopter squadron is Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26 (HSC-26). The squadron's primary mission is to provide air support to Aegis ships and submarines in the fleet as needed. HSC-26 also provides training and qualification support for other helicopter squadrons within the fleet. The Chargers are the ship's official flying colors and are identified by their red, green and white tail rotor pendants. The Chargers' history dates back to 1947 when they were known as Helicopter Utility Squadron 26 (HUS-26). Between 1946 and 1951, HUS-26 operated a variety of helicopters including Sikorsky HO4Ss, Bell HTL-4s and Douglas AD-5As. In 1952, the squadron transitioned to the Sikorsky S3F Viking and continued operating them until they were replaced by the UH-1N Huey in 1970. In 1978 the Vikings were replaced by the AH-1W Super Cobra, which served with HSC-26 until 1998 when they were replaced by the MH