I set up an ALPHA STRIKE at the extreme range of the A-6E with a Four X Harpoon Load-Out. I also sent up the EA-6Bs to cover the shots, A-5s for BDA, S-3s to cover the possibility of a sub contact, E-2s to provide Air Picture, and A-7s for SEAD and ALL the F-14s on long range air-air to wrestle with the Forgers. I also had a three-ship SH-3H DIP GANG prosecuting a possible PANTHER in another direction from the APLHA STRIKE axis. The bottom line is I flew the whole damn Wing except for a couple of helos.

The strike went well with almost no losses due to effective ECM, and baiting the Forgers out, and then slashing them from the beam. Once all the hardware was done flying, I went to the carrier "Flight Deck" menu and recalled everything on the "Recover All" button. Everything bugged out back to MOTHER and went into the stack at Marshal and entered the hold. I carved off the H-3s and had them continue working the PANTHER problem about 90 miles (an hour) to the south. Then the oddness happened.

The entire Air wing was in the stack holding but none of them would exit the stack and join the approach pattern. I managed to erase the PANTHER with a couple of well placed BLOODHOUNDs, and called the DIP GANG back to MOTHER. All of the Seized-Wing airplanes kept milling about in the stack. The DIP GANG rolled right into the approach pattern on arrival and nothing left the stack until the last DIPPER was down, Then they all came back in a orderly fashion.

Was this expected behaviour?