Engel participates in large-scale exercise

In May 2021, two months after a detachment to Naval Air Station Key West, FL, the Star Warriors of VAQ-209 traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi, to participate in Exercise Southern Strike 2021. The EA-18G Growlers assigned to VAQ-209 participated with a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules during the exercise, which is a large-scale, conventional and special operations exercise hosted by the Mississippi National Guard.

Star Warrior Commanding Officer, CDR Dustin Engel, said “As always, the Star Warriors executed flawlessly in a highly dynamic and joint environment with a large number of joint assets, providing outstanding training for all involved. I was particularly excited at the opportunity to work with another unit from my home state of Wyoming and have the opportunity to leverage each other’s experience to create a more lethal warfighting force.”

CDR Engel has accumulated over 2900 flight hours in five aircraft and 100 carrier-arrested landings. His awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, ten Strike/Flight Air Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals, and various service awards and ribbons.

He is married to the former Amy Boyd and has a step-daughter, Cedar. CDR Engel will report to the Navy War College in Rhode Island in November 2021 to pursue a masters degree.