Two Navy pilots killed in jet crash had recently returned from Middle East deployment

(CNN) — Two Naval aviators who were killed when their aircraft crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington State last week had just returned from a Middle East deployment where they took part in strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Lt Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, 31, were killed after their EA-18G Growler fighter jet crashed on Tuesday. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The two aviators had just returned from the Middle East, where they deployed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, operating against the Iran-backed Houthis and defending international shipping lanes that had come under attack.

Capt. Chris “Chowdah” Hill, the commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, mourned the two aviators. “These warriors of VAQ-130 will forever be part of the Ike family, having served with us heroically on our recent deployment. I loved working with them both - just incredible energy and beautiful souls.”

Wileman, whose Navy callsign was “Dug,” was awarded three Strike Flight Air Medals for her role in combat missions carried out between last December and March.

Evans, whose Navy callsign was “Miley,” was awarded Single Action Air Medals for taking part in a sweeping set of strikes against Houthi targets on January 12 and again on January 22, according to the Navy. She was the Training Officer for her squadron, which deployed as part of Carrier Air Wing Three.

Evans was part of multiple combat strikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, making her one of the first women to fly combat missions over land, according to the Navy. She was also awarded three Strike Flight Air Medals for contributing to missions flown between last December and March.

One year earlier, Evans took part in a much more public mission as part of the all-female Super Bowl flyover that marked 50 years of women flying in the Navy.

“It’s just super exciting to get the honor to be chosen,” Evans told Seattle’s King 5 before Super Bowl LVII.

Evans and Wileman were on a routine training mission near Mount Rainier last week when their aircraft crashed. Because of poor weather conditions and difficult terrain, the search for their downed fighter jet took three days. Search and rescue teams ultimately found the remains of the aircraft in a “remote, steep, and heavily-wooded area” at about 6,000 feet east of Rainier, the Navy said.

The two often flew together on an EA-18G, according to the Navy, a modified version of an F/A-18 fighter jet.

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