[Kathy in Alaska]

HUEY DELIVERY — Marines from 1st Marine Air Wing prepare a UH-1 Huey helicopter to be off-loaded from inside a High Speed Vessel in preparation for Exercise Cobra Gold ‘03. Cobra Gold 03 is the 22nd U.S. Pacific Command exercise conducted in Thailand demonstrating the ability of U.S. forces to rapidly deploy and conduct joint-combined operations with the Thai and Singaporean armed forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James P. Douglas.

HOME PORT — Attack submarine USS Louisville returns to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from a more than eight month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Adan Fabela III.

[Kathy in Alaska]

SPRINKLER TEST — At sea aboard Precommissioning Unit Ronald Reagan May 7, damage controlmen inspect the ship’s hangar bay damage control sprinkler systems during functional tests at sea. Reagan is conducting a scheduled ship builder sea trial off the coast of Virginia. Ronald Reagan is scheduled to join the fleet during commissioning ceremonies on July 12. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Rusty Black

WEATHER BALLOON — At sea aboard Precommissioning Unit Ronald Reagan, Petty Officer 3rd Class Timothy Dowd stands by to release a radiosonde attached to a weather balloon. A radiosonde is an instrument carried by a balloon up through the atmosphere, equipped with sensors to measure one or several meteorological variables (pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.), and is fitted with a radio transmitter for sending this information to the observing station. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Janell Blose.

[Severa]

*Cheers for the USS Louisville, named after her hometown* The USS Louisville fired the first Tomahawks in the first Gulf War, it's good to see she's still kicking ass and taking names.