The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[HeyJoe]

080526-N-4774B-149 PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (May 26, 2008) Sailors and Marines man the rails of the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) as she passes the USS Arizona Memorial en route to Pearl Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Barker (Released)

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David A. Brandenburg (Released)

 

[KnightNArmor]

I'm glad to see that picture. It sucks we only had 1 day to enjoy Hawaii before going home, but hey... with only a couple days left on deployment... we were just as happy to see it go as we were to see it on the way into Pearl.

 

[HeyJoe]

I'm glad to see that picture. It sucks we only had 1 day to enjoy Hawaii before going home, but hey... with only a couple days left on deployment... we were just as happy to see it go as we were to see it on the way into Pearl.

You might like this one better then...

080526-N-4774B-064 PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (May 26, 2008) A Marine assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) renders honors to the USS Arizona Memorial from the observation deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Barker (Released)

Or this one (even though it is a "Skid kid")

080521-N-4774B-191 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 21, 2008) A Marine AH-1A Super Cobra fast-attack helicopter passes by the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) during sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Tarawa is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility operating in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker/Released)

Only 1 day in Hawaii...that's silly, but at least you got to rock in Hobart, ne c'est pas?

080511-N-4774B-401 HOBART, Tasmania (May 11, 2008) Amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) dominates the view of downtown Hobart during a recent port visit to the island of Tasmania. Tarawa is the first large deck ship to visit Hobart in more than six years. During the visit, Sailors and Marines participated in numerous Battle of Coral Sea commemoration events and received a warm welcome by the Hobart community. Tarawa and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in the western Pacific and Indian oceans as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

 

[Mumbles]

awesome pics.

 

[A4sForever]

Moving day -- and always a sad, inspirational moment. Even the clouds seemed to shed tears on this 7 December, 2004 @ 0755.

The view from Ford Island:

photo by A4sForever

 

[Ave8tor]

080521-N-4774B-191 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 21, 2008) A Marine AH-1A Super Cobra fast-attack helicopter passes by the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) during sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Tarawa is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility operating in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker/Released)

AH-1A?? I'm limited on my attack helicopter models, but this one looks like a W to me. And isn't the Z gonna be the new Super Cobra designation?

 

[HeyJoe]

AH-1A?? I'm limited on my attack helicopter models, but this one looks like a W to me. And isn't the Z gonna be the new Super Cobra designation?

True on both counts. Folks writing the captions are pretty junior and not required to pass any RECCE tests. They mean well, and we reap benefit of ability to take digital photos and pass them back to CHINFO for release almost overnight. I just paste captions as they are posted on CHINFO website. Most of the times, they get it right, but in this case, they goofed.

 

[Xtndr50boom]

The Tomcat fly-over for the Neptune festival in 06, MAGTF at the SF fleet week in 07, and the Blues from same

 

[Old R.O.]

VF-21 F-4J NAS Miramar 1974
There are no USN personnel in this photo.
The pilot was CAPT Don Mueller, USAF, our token Air Force exchange pilot and in the back seat was one Nigel "Sharkey" Ward, RN (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Sharkey'_Ward)

Sharkey had flown one of two RN Phantoms from the East Coast, where HMS Ark Royal was paying a visit, to Miramar. We gave him a back-seat ride and one of our RIOs got some time in an F-4K. Later, Sharkey went on to do some neat stuff with Harriers in the Faulkands (see above link).

 

[Old R.O.]

Just for A4s

VF-126 Bandits TA-4J and A-4F lead a VF-301 F-4S over San Diego (Mission bay in the background). circa 1982.

 

[A4sForever]

VF-126 Bandits TA-4J and A-4F lead a VF-301 F-4S over San Diego (Mission bay in the background). circa 1982.

*sigh* .... it just doesn't get any better than that ... *sigh* .... thanks, Bruddah.

 

[Mumbles]

Boy, that's a shweet pic.

 

[Old R.O.]

Boy, that's a shweet pic.

Okay... just one more for today...

Miramar Tower, Inferno 103 at Atlas, two for the break....

 

[Mumbles]

S H!!

 

[A4sForever]

^ It is, indeed ... now that's my impression of the "kinder, gentler" Navy ...

And that's the view of the flight we normally had RTB'ing into NAS DALLAS, i.e., whoever "won" the fight would lead back to the field. The DALLAS RANGERS frequently led .... 'cept we usually only had the luxury of one bird up at a time for local ACM hops. I think the largest number we ever had on paper simultaneously was 6 birds.

Some of the VF F4 drivers (most of whom worked for SWA or Continental) had "image" problems w/ the A4 leading the pack home -- so they would brief the F4's would lead back, regardless of the outcome of the "fight"/training hop. (The VMFA 'ron didn't seem to have those "image" problems, at least not the more seasoned guys ... :icon_wink)

In the event that I was coming in as -Dash whatever, I usually joined up w/ a barrel-roll around the flight and popped back up in "parade" ... just because I could. Of course, if I got my hat handed to me during the fight/training evolution ... I just quietly moved up from astern into a loose-cruise drag position until we entered the break.