USS Kennedy At War Journal: Adrenaline Pumps When Jets Shoot Off Carrier

Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) | June 28, 2002 | Rachel Davis

[Stand Watch Listen]

Today is the final journal entry. Other stories will be upcoming upon the return of the Times-Union staffers.

ABOARD THE USS JOHN F. KENNEDY -- Blasts from the FA-18 Hornet on Catapult 4 rattle the deck of the aircraft carrier.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Elvis "Junior" Medina and I are sitting in the center deck hatch between Catapults 3 and 4. Colored wands used by controllers on the flight deck light up the Kennedy's topside.

Medina is flipping through pages in a manual as one of the flight deck "shooters," responsible for launching aircraft, looks on. Before each aircraft is launched, wind speed and the weight of the aircraft must be measured against the amount of steam pressure in the catapults used for launch.

"This is where you get the most adrenaline," Medina says as the shooter signals the pilot to rev his engines to full power.

Seven shooters and four trainees are responsible for the 80 or so aircraft launched each day from the Jacksonville-based carrier. They have one of the most dangerous jobs on the ship, battling oil-slicked decks and 30-ton aircraft moving at colossal speeds.

In the hatch we are faced toward the back side of the carrier, looking directly at the jets lined up for launch, one on each side. The shooter, Lt. Cmdr. Pat McCormick, is just behind us winding his yellow wand and signaling the pilot.

McCormick kneels and touches the flight deck signaling the deck edge operator to launch the jet.

The nose of the Hornet dips as it releases and then comes barreling toward us. The right wing misses the top of our heads by about 3 feet and the force from the takeoff pushes us forward, lifting us slightly from the deck.

As it passes, the aircraft kicks up the three-fourths gallon of oil that is injected into the catapult on launch. The grease speckles our clothes and the lower half of our faces, as the rest is covered with headgear and goggles.

As the jet climbs, its two afterburners turn into one solid glow, until it disappears behind the haze.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Ahhh! Big John, my ship. My berthing compartment was directly between the forward ends of catapults 1 and 2.

[Severa]

You guys and your weird choices for racks *grins and shakes head* My hubby is an STS3(SS) aboard a fast attack sub and he's always so happy when his rack is in the torpedo room.

[W. W. SMITH]

Been there, done that. My berth was under the no. three wire.