A search and rescue operation is underway for survivors.
The release did not specify whether the Ford would be returning to combat operations as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The airmen were recognized for providing "crucial refueling" in contested airspace.
In a March 26 message on his official letterhead, Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV asked his Marines, "Are you truly ready to deploy, fight, and win?"
By Hope Hodge Seck
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