What ship, division, your rank and rate? What did you think of it? Pictures or video's of flight ops? Accidents like getting blown over the side like I did?
2006-10-28 12:40:11 · 4 answers · asked by aviationboatswainsmate 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I worked the flight deck of the USS Forrestal (CV-59) for nearly 4 years at the end of the ship's active life and through Desert Storm and Operation Provide Comfort. I was in the Weapons Department, "W" division as a WT2 (Weapons Technician Second Class Petty Officer) and a certified "special weapons safety observer". My division worked with very "special" bombs (very highly classified if you know what I mean). We stored and maintained them in our magazine in two places on the ship, called forward and aft "SASS" (Special Ammunition Storage Space). When we received EWO (Emergency War Orders) we would strike up the weapons and take them to the flight deck where the squadron Aviation Ordnancemen (AO's - red shirts) would actually load them onto the aircraft. We were there as safety observers (white shirts). Quite a rush, ...the flight deck is like no other place on Earth, that's for sure. Yes I saw several people blown over the side and even saw an ABH2 (yellow shirt) cut in half and killed when an F-14 was trapped and snapped the number 3 wire. The guy was forward of the foul line near the round down (don't know why he was there during recovery of aircraft) when the number 3 wire snapped (sounded like a cannon firing) and recoiled so fast the guy had a fraction of a second to move. The wire cut him in half basically right below the sternum like a knife through hot butter. Damnest thing I ever saw in 20 years in the Navy. I'll never get that sight out of my head.
2006-10-28 19:35:38 · answer #1 · answered by CV59StormVet 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LHD6,V-4, ABF3. I refueled a CH-46 right before in crashed in the sea. Theresa video of it at strangeland.com . Alot died. I liked night opps.
2006-10-28 19:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No - when I served women weren't on carriers yet, just repair ships. Served aboard the USS Vulcan.
I dated and aged myself again.
2006-10-28 14:45:20 · answer #3 · answered by Akkita 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, but i walked on one.
2006-10-28 12:46:25 · answer #4 · answered by Rude dog 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋