Great pic from MAA. Berthed are four aircraft carriers, the Coral Sea, the Hancock, Oriskany and the Big E to the far right. Notice the differences in design, deck structure and size?

Fast and the Furious: Pacific Drift

In the last post, Ice gave you a size comparison of an aircraft carrier to a B-52 Stratofortress. Pretty big, right?

Now, imagine this: a high speed bank.

Typically, these awe-inspiring turns are performed as "rudder checks" during post-refit sea trials/shakedown cruises. Imagine a mass, longer than the Empire State building's height, doing a bank like that, at sea, at such an angle. The above pictures are of the USS Nimitz and the USS Harry S. Truman conducting those maneuvers. 

Awesome, isn't it?

Mav out.

Woah that's big.

That's what she said! Haha, sorry, couldn't resist.

For those of you who've never been near a supercarrier before, you're probably wondering... is it really that big? Or are the pictures taken at angles or from a crazy perspective to make them look that way? 

Well, the above is a pretty cool picture I found a while ago of a B-52 Stratofortress doing a low pass near the USS Ranger, circa 1990. There were 2 B-52s in the vicinity of the carrier, during a military exercise. The pilots asked the carrier air boss if they could perform a fly-by and were granted the approval. When the BUFFs were 9 km out, the observers on the carrier's island still couldn't see the big grey birds. Till they got closer. Then only were they able to make out the shape of these massive planes, right above the water; their engines kicking back a spray from the ocean. 

If you've ever been up close to a B-52 at an air show, you'll know it's a pretty big plane. Now, look at the picture. Woah. Right? 

Better than Top Gun?

Check out this mega-ultra super awesome video of flight deck ops aboard the supercarriers of the US Navy!

Mav, out.

They Came in Peace.

It happened on this day, 29 years ago.

At 0620, a truck loaded with 12,000 lbs of TNT smashed through fences and a gate outside the US Marine barracks at the Beirut Airport. The truck bomb detonated at the BLT headquarters, literally lifting the entire building from its foundations. As the building settled back into the cavity where the concrete support pillars once were, it collapsed, killing scores of Marines, sailors and soldiers almost instantly. Entire platoons wiped out while they were resting in the relative comfort of the BLT HQ. Officers and enlisted alike, killed, as they went about their daily duties. In all, 241, dead, many more injured.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble, 52 hours later.


Rest in peace, gentlemen.

Iceman out.

The Grunt Padre

Being a practicing Catholic, I often look for notable Catholic military figures as a source of inspiration. There are actually quite a few, including Dan Daly and Peter Pace. But, there's one who passed away on this day in 1967 during Operation Swift in Thang Binh, Vietnam, who I consider a very personal hero and who's story is an amazing example of love.

Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1957, and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Navy Chaplain Corps in 1966 assigned to 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. He was known by those Marines and sailors he served, as the Grunt Padre, for his willingness to endure the same conditions in the unforgiving climate and terrain they fought in.

On the 4th of September, 1967, approximately 500 Marines of 1st Battalion, 5th Marines were engaged by over 2500 VC. After a little over four hours of fighting, where the volume of fire was described by one Marine as a roar, 26 Marines had made the ultimate sacrifice and many more were severely wounded. Fr. Capodanno asked to go with another company that was committed to the battle shortly after reinforcements were called for.

Minutes after he entered the area of operations, he was shot through his right hand and was patched up by a corpsman right away, but refused to be evacuated. He said that he had work to do.  He moved around those wounded and fallen, administering aid or giving Last Rites and absolution, comforting those mortally wounded. A few hours later a mortar impacted near him and, according to Lt. Joe E. Pilon, it "left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again, he was patched up and once again he refused evacuation. There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or Last Rites".

In Vietnam, there was apparently a written policy stating that if you get 3 Purple Hearts, you'd be sent home within 48 hours.

Fr. Capodanno then spotted a corpsman who was shot in the leg multiple times.
"Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly, the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Father C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine- and with his third Purple Heart of the day- Father C. went home."

The Grunt Padre was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1969, and his cause for canonization is proceeding forward.

May you rest in God's eternal peace, Father.

One giant loss for mankind

The world has lost yet another hero today.

In 1958, he was selected to be a part of NASA's ultra-elite Astronaut Corps, the original space cowboys. He spent a total of 8 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 31 seconds in space on two separate missions, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11, in which he became the first man to ever set foot on an extraterrestrial body, the moon.

Fair winds and following seas LTJG Armstrong.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding the death of former test pilot and NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. He was 82.

"On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences

 to Carol and the rest of Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own.

"Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

The Original Aviator's Glasses

Ray-Ban's aviator sunglasses have held the market on lenses for pilots and aviation enthusiasts for years. Having owned a pair of Ray-Ban aviators, I can vouch for their quality, but if you want authenticity, history and durability, I'd strongly suggest you check out American Optical's Original Pilot or General sunglasses! Ultra-comfortable, extremely durable and downright badass, it's sure to give you good protection from the sun's rays and it'll definitely make the ladies swoon over you! Built for bomber pilots in WWII to military specifications, they were later adapted for use by fighter pilots and saw widespread popularity in the military and civilian aviation world.

Fact: American Optical's sunglasses were the first ever shades to land on the moon! Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins all had pairs and they now reside in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. They were popular throughout NASA's Astronaut Corps.

CHECK OUT A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR STORY HERE

BUY THEM HERE!

Call the Ball

Awesome footage of the air wing landing aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for its last cruise! You also get to see a few cat-shots, and some of the flight deck operations.

Haze gray and underway

Today, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) departs on her last cruise. The first ever nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the second-oldest ship in commission with the United States Navy, and the longest warship in the world, the Big E is nothing short of a marvel. Active during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the war in Vietnam and on through the 70s, 80s and 90s, the Enterprise has been present in almost every single conflict the US has been involved in over the last 50 years. When the towers fell on 9/11, the Enterprise was on its way home, though as soon as word was received of the attacks, without orders, the ship returned at flank speed to its station near the Persian Gulf, ready to attack targets in Afghanistan.

The Big E has a ton of history in its hull, and will forever remain the sweetheart of America's modern Navy. There's beauty in the sharp lines of this ship, and though it'll be deactivated later this year, and put through the scrapping process, it will forever hold a place in the hearts of all those touched by its fighting spirit.

Sadly, the Enterprise will not stay afloat as a museum ship, due to the removal of the nuclear fuel, and the costs involved in fixing up the ship, after the reactors are taken out (extremely large portions of the ship will have to be cut out in order to extract the nuclear equipment). However, there is a petition circulating around that a ship of the Gerald Ford class, the CVN-80, be named the 9th USS Enterprise.

(http://www.petitiononline.com/CVN79ENT/petition.html)

 Task Force One, the first nuclear-powered task force, sailed around the world (26,540 nmi) in 65 days!

The Big E during her shakedown cruise.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/03/ap-navy-enterprise-crew-revels-ships-long-history-031012/

The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

I'm sure a lot of you, by now, have heard of, and seen the trailers for, the movie Act of Valor. It's a movie about the infamous secretive special warfare group, the US Navy SEALs, and their (fictionalized) fight against a drug-smuggler and a Chechen terrorist. Get this, the guys playing the SEALs.... are real-life active SEALs! You get an unparalleled and highly accurate insight into the way the SEALs operate. Here's the thing though, a lot of it, is in fact, extremely watered down. That's not a bad thing, I found the movie to be an instant favorite, not to mention one that drove me to tears! Watered down, as in, the movie is highly accurate, but the true way SEALs operate is kept from public view, for obvious reasons

It is an amazing testament to the sacrifice these special warfare operators make, and the fact that they're always at war in the defense of the United States. Truly amazing. I highly recommend this movie, to all of you! Take a box of tissues, or a handkerchief... you'll definitely shed a tear or two!

Uncommon Valor

Today marks the anniversary of the raising of the flag atop Mt. Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII. Arguably the most famous military photograph to have ever been taken, the second flag-raising's picture encouraged the fighting spirit of the American people and rallied the country in a renewal of efforts to support the fight of the US servicemen overseas.

Six flag raisers, six different people, five Marines and one Corpsman. Three of them died on Iwo Jima, three of them came home and toured the country as part of a war-bonds drive. All six of them had small-town upbringings, strong family values and a rigid adherence to the inherent unwritten code that set each of them as brothers in arms.

• Michael Strank, the toughened sergeant who promised he'd bring each and every one of his squad members home, whether they were alive, in pieces or deceased. 
• Doc John "Jack" Bradley, the quiet Navy Corpsman who, as all other corpsmen serving with the grunts, was considered a fellow Marine. He was awarded the Navy's second-highest honor, the Navy Cross, for his courage under fire in rescuing a fallen comrade. 
• Rene Gagnon, the handsome PFC from New Hampshire who enjoyed the fame that came upon the flag-raisers, but later regretted it towards the final years of his life. 
• Franklin Sousley, the fun-loving PFC from Kentucky, who was always down for a good prank, and loved his little family, and his brother Marines, more than anything.
• Ira Hayes, the Paramarine Corporal from a reservation in Arizona, who could never escape the ghosts of the island he fought on. 
• Harlon Block, the athletic, soft-spoken Corporal who was originally mistaken for another Paramarine, who took part in the first flag-raising.

I highly recommend you read the book, Flags of our Fathers, by James Bradley (his father, Doc Bradley was one of the flag-raisers). It is an amazing read, and gives you an unparalleled insight into the lives of these Marines and Corpsman, their sacrifice, and the demons they faced after the war. 

The future

Ladies and gentlemen, the future of cockpits. The F-35's revolutionary new cockpit design integrates a variety of amazing gadgets that come together seamlessly to form the "brain" of the world's newest fighter aircraft. Touchscreen displays, decreasing the number of knobs, dials, buttons and whatnot, and a helmet-mounted HUD make this one hell of a user-friendly aircraft. Awesome, isn't it?

Iceman's Answers: How do I know which branch is right for me?

Okay, let's start off with the most basic question of them all:

"Which branch do I join?"

There's no easy answer to this. Time and time again, potential recruits need to be reminded that joining the military is a decision that THEY must take, not their parents, friends, significant others, family, etc. By the time you turn 18, you can go right ahead and sign the line on the papers, raise your hand and take the oath. Your parents and friends aren't the ones who should be dictating to you the branch you'll serve in and what you should be doing.

Here's the issue: recruits are confused by the wide array of jobs available, and the different branches that offer these jobs. I've seen confusion between the Marines and the Army, and what exactly they do. The same goes for the Navy and Coast Guard, the Navy and the Air Force, etc.

It all depends on what you want to do. Each branch has it's own set of unique jobs. Let's take aviation, for example. The Navy and Marines usually fly off aircraft carriers. The Air Force is strictly land-based.
If you feel that becoming a fixed-wing pilot is your goal, then you've got 4 options: The Air Force, Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Since there are a variety of fixed-wing type aircraft, let's streamline that a little further to a fighter pilot. Now, that list gets narrowed down to the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. If you don't, for example, want to be a carrier pilot, then the Air Force is the way to go.

Of course, there will always be the motivation to join the branch that seems the best, regardless of what it can offer yo. What I mean by that, is joining, say the Marines over the Army, because everyone says the Marines are the best of the best, and the Army's full of kids who wanted to get their hands on guns, just to have a little fun. Not entirely true. The Marine Corps is an outstanding institution, older than the United States itself! But, that doesn't mean that you don't have half-wits or slackers joining it. The Army also has their fair share of slackers and soldiers who don't do their jobs right, but, is actually very similar to the Corps in terms of jobs and training.