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PACIFIC OCEAN - Lt. Kacee Jossis, a shooter aboard the
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73),
verifies all the pre-flight checks have been completed and everyone
on the flight deck is in position to commence flight operations. She
looks up at an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Diamondbacks” of
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 and gives the signal to launch the
aircraft.
These seemingly routine operations require the
teamwork of many highly-trained personnel, including a small group
of 11 yellow-shirted catapult officers known as “shooters,” who are
responsible for the the safe and efficient launch of the ship's
aircraft.
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A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a war at sea exercise as part of Valiant Shield 2014 in the Pacific Ocean Sept. 18, 2014. Valiant Shield is a biennial U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps exercise held in Guam, focusing on real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Cavagnaro)
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“The catapult officer is responsible to ensure the
catapult is prepared and ready to launch aircraft, the
aircraft is properly configured to launch, all personnel are
in their proper position and any observers are behind the
foul lines,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Neff, a shooter aboard
George Washington. “We inspect the entire catapult system,
the jet-blast deflector and input our calculations for wind
to determine how much steam is needed to launch aircraft.”
In order to become a shooter, a catapult officer must
accomplish numerous qualifications and on-the-job training.
According to Lt. Cmdr. Kevin
Kreutz, George Washington's lead catapult officer, all the
qualifications can take anywhere from three to six months to
accomplish, but upon completion, being a shooter is one of
the best jobs a Sailor can have on an aircraft carrier.
“For us, it's all about being around flight operations
and continuing to do so,” said Kreutz. “All of us come from
different backgrounds as naval aviators, and being a shooter
is a completely different job than we're used to, so it's
nice to see a different side of the aviation world and
control flight operations.”
In addition to these
duties, shooters are the division officers for the five
divisions that make up George Washington's air department.
“Air department is the biggest department on the ship,
with nearly 750 Sailors,” said Neff. “When we're not out
there on the flight deck shooting aircraft, we're running
our divisions and leading our Sailors.”
In true
shooter fashion, Jossis upheld a catapult officer tradition
by tying her flight deck boots around a catapult and
launched them into the ocean.
“For my last shot on
the flight deck, I was able to shoot my boots to signify my
completed tour as a shooter,” said Jossis. “It was a nice
way to send me off and onto my next command.”
Jossis
reflected upon the two years she spent as a shooter aboard
the ship.
“It's been a good experience,” said Jossis.
“If you're going to come to a carrier as a pilot and not
fly, shooting is the best job you can have. I really enjoyed
working with everyone in air department. It's bittersweet to
leave, but I'm ready to fly again.”
George Washington
is currently participating in Valiant Shield, which is a
U.S. only exercise integrating Navy, Air Force, Army and
Marine Corps assets, offering real-world joint operational
experience to develop capabilities that provide a full range
of options to defend U.S. interests and those of its allies
and partners.
By U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Cavagnaro
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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