From Vietnam to Desert Storm: The Remarkable Career of Captain Kent Ewing

Captain Kent Ewing is a retired United States Navy officer and highly respected naval aviator whose distinguished military career spanned nearly three decades. Best known in Hampton Roads and throughout the naval aviation community as the former Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66), Ewing led the legendary warship during Operation Desert Storm, where the carrier and its air wing conducted combat operations in both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Throughout his Navy career, he also commanded Carrier Air Wing Seventeen, Attack Squadron 66, and the combat stores ship USS Sylvania.  A graduate of the prestigious U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Captain Ewing logged more than 18,000 flight hours in over 100 military and civilian aircraft and completed more than 1,100 aircraft carrier landings. His service included combat missions during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, earning numerous decorations including the Bronze Star and multiple Air Medals. Widely recognized for his leadership and aviation expertise, he became known as one of the Navy's most accomplished carrier aviators of his generation.  Following his retirement from the Navy, Captain Ewing continued an accomplished career in aviation and aerospace leadership, serving in executive and flight operations roles with several major aviation organizations and companies. A longtime resident of the Hampton Roads region, he remains active in the aviation community as an instructor, mentor, and speaker, sharing stories and insights from a remarkable career that stretched from Vietnam-era naval aviation to commanding one of America's most iconic aircraft carriers during wartime.