Oceana-based jets bomb insurgent targets in Iraq, Navy says

Virginian Pilot ^ | July 22, 2004 | Matt Dolan

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Oceana-based jets bomb insurgent targets in Iraq, Navy says
By MATTHEW DOLAN, The Virginian-Pilot
© July 22, 2004
Last updated: 7:46 PM

Virginia Beach-based fighter jets destroyed two enemy positions in Iraq this week, the Navy announced Wednesday.

The bombing runs against insurgent strongholds on Tuesday marked the John F. Kennedy’s first active engagement of enemy targets since the Mayport, Fla.-based aircraft carrier arrived in the Persian Gulf.

The two fighter jets are part of Carrier Air Wing 17 , based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach and deployed on the Kennedy.

An F-14 Tomcat from the VF-103 “Jolly Rogers” squadron dropped a GBU-12 on a mortar position near the coalition-held Balad Air Base north of Baghdad, according to the Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. The Guided Bomb Unit-12 uses a 500-pound general purpose warhead, according the independent military Web site Globalsecurity.org.

The pilot identifies a target with a laser, and then the bomb aims for the laser’s marking.

With about 20,000 coalition troops occupying a former Iraq air base there, Balad sits in the middle of an area formed by Baghdad, Tikrit and Ramadi known as the Sunni Triangle.

An F/A-18 from the VFA-83 “Rampagers” used a GBU-32 to destroy a building allegedly being used as a firing point for insurgent gunmen north of Samarra. The military Web site describes the GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition as a 1,000-bomb guided by the satellite-fed global positioning system.

On average, the Kennedy completes 20 to 30 missions a day in support of the war effort, a Navy official said.

Reach Matthew Dolan at 446-2322 or matthew.dolan@pilotonline.com

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Woo-hoo. Get 'em.

[xm177e2]

This is not big news. After all, Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

[GeronL]

bombs away

[lula]

'I love jet noise"

They fly directly over our condo here, you could wave at the pilots. There have been alot of complaints about the noise in Virginia Beach. They do get loud, but I'm always reminded how they sacrifice to protect us. Oceana was here well before the whiners.

GO GUYS GO!!!!!

[endthematrix]

Wouldn't it be nice if the mass media were as good writing a story factual and concise as this? Stars and Strips don't keep it this clean and simple.

Go Jolly Rogers!

[Belisaurius]

The same NIMBY idiots in VA Beach who complained about jet noise yesterday will still be complaining about it tomorrow.

[MEG33]

Go Navy!

[wunderkind54]

I love the smell of general purpose warhead bombs exploding in the morning....it smells like victory.

[Severa]

I live just a few miles from NAS Oceana so they're a constant (and welcome) sight over the house.

[JOE43270]

These PEOPLE are the Greatest. May the people who take care of the planes see evaerything while working, so these planes will bring our Guys home. God Bless America.

[A.A. Cunningham]

[ArrogantBustard]

Cool unit patches ... the cat has two tails!

[Oztrich Boy]

Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

everybody knows that