Year in review

Oct' 01

A flight deck hander guides an F/A-18 Hornet into position for launch on the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

Oct' 01

On board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) an F/A-18 Hornet pilot inspects his aircraft prior to flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nov' 01

A deep sea diver from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) (1) works his way around Ehime Maru. U.S. Navy divers have recovered eight of the nine missing crewmen and more than 2,000 personal items from the ship that sits approximately 115 feet below the surface.

Dec '01

A search and rescue (SAR) swimmer assigned to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 9HC) 4 is hoisted back aboard an HH-60H Sea Howk helicopter while practicing SAR jumps.

Dec' 01

[APF.sub.3] Chris Ambrose closes a valve in the JP-5 fuel console pump room aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).

Dec' 01

On Christmas Day U.S. Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) move out to the front lines to defend and maintain perimeter security at a forward operating base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Jan' 02

AN Jason Correa of Crash and Salvage stands by in full fire-fighting gear, ready for action on the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The nuclear powered aircraft carrier is supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Jan' 02

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (center) waves to the Navy Seabees who are working to expand the facilities at "Camp X-Ray" in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Rumsfeld is in Guantanamo to inspect camp conditions and meet with the guards, medical officers and other support personnel responsible for the confinement and care of 158 Taliban and al Qaueda detainees.

Jan' 02

Crew members on USS Greenville (SSN 772) wait for USS Lake Champlain's (CG 57) Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat to maneuver into position so they can offload supplies and personnel.

Jan '02

AB1 Ruben Guererro and AB3 Matt Porter direct an F-14 A Tomcat onto the aircraft catapult for launch from USS John C. Stennis (CYN 74).

Feb' 02

A Standard missile leaves a trail of smoke off USS Vandegrift's (FF6 48) starboard side, on its intercept course with an incoming "hostile" drone. Nine U.S. Navy ships took part in Missile Exercise (MISSILEX) 02-1, an anti-ship missile defense training evolution, and part of the Commander Task Force (CTF) 75 Multi-Sail battle group interoperability exercise.

Feb '02

MU3 Germiah Reyes and the rest of the "Shore Leave" band entertain spectators in Salt Lake City's Olympic Park during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Feb' 02

BNS Kristy Nisher scans the horizon for surface contacts at sunset and reports back to the bridge of USS Yorktown (CG 48) during this year's UNITAS XLIII exercise.

Feb' 02

Reconstruction of the Pentagon continues nearly around-the-clock as construction crews pour cement for floors and walls to replace those damaged in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Mar' 02

U.S. Navy train members of the Republic of the Philippines' Naval Special Warfare Unit on Fast Rope Infiltration and Exfiltration System (FRIES) concepts. FRIES is a method of dropping off and picking up special operations groups from a variety of field environments.

Mar' 02

Ordnancemen assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) gather their remaining ordnance together for delivery to USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) during their turnover in the Red Sea.

Mar' 02

A Lynx helicopter from the Royal Netherlands Navy, hoists an aircrewman and a U.S. Navy Sailor off the flight deck of Colombian naval ship ARC Almirante Padilla (CM 51) for transfer back to USS Yorktown (CG 48). Almirante Padilla is one of the many South American naval units participating in UNITAS XLIII.

Apr' 02

The Naval Air Station Oceana team, comprised of AM1 Aaron Need ham, AZAN Jamison Lam beth and AT3 Kriten Bauman, took first place overall while pulling a 53,000 lb. F-14 Tomcat 132 feet across USS Harry S. Truman's (CVN 75) flight deck during the "Navy Fitness Challenge."

Apr' 02

As seen form the cockpit of the lead aircraft, two F/A-18C Hornets, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131 conduct combat missions over Afghanistan.

May' 02

Construction workers carefully maneuver the last piece of debris removed from "Ground Zero." The event marked the removal of the last remaining piece of the World Trade Center, Column No. 1001B of Two World Trade Center.

May'02

Marines assigned to Battalion Landing Team (BIT), 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the ground combat element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) conduct a live fire and maneuver exercise during Exercise Cobra Gold 2002.

May'02

POP Star Jessica Simpson sings a song while on USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during the taping of the television special. "Rockin' for U.S. Military."

Jun' 02

MA2 Sean Phelps searches for simulated hostile targets during a SWARM exercise on USS George Washington's (CVN 73) flight deck. SWARM exercises simulate countermeasures during multiple small boat attacks.