During Operation Rolling Thunder, Carrier Air Wing 16 suffered the highest loss rates of any unit in naval aviation during the Vietnam conflict. During three separate cruises on the USS Oriskany (CVA-34), the air wing was continually plagued with high losses. The worst losses were taken during the June 1967 through January 1968 deployment. During 122 days of combat, the USS Oriskany lost one-half the airplanes assigned to her and one-third of her pilots. All total, 20 aviators were killed or missing in action, 7 were taken prisoner of war, and 39 aircraft lost. This thesis examines the factors that led to Carrier Air Wing 16's extreme loss rates. First it provides background information on the Rolling Thunder campaign. Then it discusses the divide between America's strategic goals and its operational-level goals and the resulting effects on the United States Navy. Next, it examines the underlying reasons for attrition at the tactical level and the air wing's leadership to determine what role, if any, leadership played in the losses. The study concludes with a discussion of the morale issues that arise from this experience, and their implications for a professional military dependent on volunteers.


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