By Jaedda Armstrong
On the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, sailors in brightly colored shirts and protective masks jogged between Navy jets as the hot stench of fuel filled the air.
In an orchestra of movement, sailors wiped down jet windows and refueled aircraft while others rapidly waved their hands to signal that a jet was ready to land.
Five minutes later, the F/A-18 Super Hornet's tail hook caught the arresting wire and the engine roared as the jet screeched to a halt.
This jet's pilot and the 43 others who belong to Carrier Air Wing 3 will head to Afghanistan in March to continue fighting the Taliban. They'll have to deal with tighter restrictions on when and where they can drop bombs.
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, announced the changes in July as part of an effort to reduce civilian casualties, which he said are undermining efforts to defeat the extremists.
Some have questioned whether the restrictions are putting troops more at risk. Earlier this month in Afghanistan, a firefight killed nine Afghans and four U.S. troops - including a Chesapeake native.
McClatchy News Service, which had a reporter with the troops when they were ambushed, reported that U.S. commanders, citing the new rules, rejected repeated calls for air and artillery support despite being told that they weren't near a village. That incident is still under investigation.
But the Truman pilots seem to be taking the change in stride.
The rules of engagement change depending on what area of the world pilots are called to, so McChrystal's directive isn't anything new, said Lt. Patrick Bookey, who flies with the Gunslingers of the Strike Fighter Squadron 105 based at Oceana Naval Air Station. No matter where they are, he said, they are generally trained to avoid civilian casualties.
Bookey had just landed on the carrier after completing his final mission in a 10-day training exercise that took place earlier this month. He had flown over the coast of Georgia and simulated dropping a bomb.
The training is designed to test and evaluate the strike group's reaction to real-world scenarios - from small craft attacks to land-based missile attacks - and is mandatory before a carrier strike group deploys.
Rear Adm. Garry White, commander of Strike Force Training Atlantic, said there was no major change to the training because of the new restrictions, but the training is constantly being modified to be as realistic as possible. White said he keeps in contact with commanders in the Middle East to hear about what's going on and incorporate examples in training.
"If we go in and kill innocent bystanders, then we have not just turned the people in that immediate vicinity into our enemies, but all their families, all of their friends, and we won't be able to turn that around," he said.
Pilots, he said, "understand when they drop that bomb, there's a tremendous amount of responsibility that goes along with that."
Cmdr. Rob Mathewson, the executive officer of Strike Fighter Squa dron 105, said the rules of engagement generally shift to better support operations on the ground.
"When we first went in, the objectives were to take control militarily to stop what was going on at that time," he said. "So our rules of engagement were set up to allow us to more efficiently do that. We don't need to do that anymore because now their self-governance is taking over."
Capt. John Rodriguez, the command's strike warfare officer, said training has always included simulating a target near a civilian building to test the pilots' reactions. In most situations, he said, dropping a bomb may not be an option. Instead, a show of force - strafing the ground with the Super Hornet's machine-gun like cannon - may be appropriate.
During a deployment to Iraq early last year, Bookey, 29, said that on most of his missions, he was the "eye in the sky," using radar to search for insurgents hiding behind bushes or inside nearby buildings.
"Most of the time, we're not really ever dropping anything - we are doing shows of force," he said. "All we're doing is showing people that hey, we're here, maybe you should back down a little bit."
Before the decision is made to drop a bomb, he said, a lot of communication must take place.
"It's not just a pilot and a guy on the ground that says, 'We're going to drop this.' It goes much higher than that," he said.
Pilots can also take the explosive pattern of a particular bomb and overlay that pattern over satellite imagery of the target, White said. That makes it easier to determine what, if any, collateral damage may occur.
If the pilots are faced with a situation where it's not clear if civilians are nearby, they are trained to cancel the mission, Bookey said.
"That's the general mind-set," he said. "We certainly don't want to hurt people if we don't inten d to."
Jaedda Armstrong, (757) 222-5846, jaedda.armstrong@pilotonline.com
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America at war
I know that everyone has their own beliefs, opinions and views on everything. I admire that and I personally appreciate the fact that as Americans, we are able to have the Freedom to express ourselves.
Something that bothers me is how torn apart this country is. Apparently, "Untied we stand" is out the window. It is sad really. How many people think about how many men and women lost their lives defending this Nation and its people? How many people think about September 11th, 2001? I think about it all of the time. I cry when I hear the National Anthem. I understand what the Flag stands for and I proudly salute it. Regardless if you are, were or never have been in the military, we all live in this country together. I think that most of us agree that this war has gone on long enough and we should pull our troops out, but if you have no affiliation with the military, then why worry about the war? What is the point in arguing about something that you have no part in? Just because the war is over, our taxes are not going to decrease.
Another day of wonderful noise
from these god forsaken machines.
Just as i stepped outside to enjoy my coffee this morning -- BLAM! -- have an earful of that!
You'd think these guys would get the point that we support them through our tax dollars, so why hurt us by flying at treetop level and doing 90 degree banks right over our houses.
*Seems* they could just as easy fly right straight to the oceanfront and do all of their maneuvers out over the water, not our houses.
Oh yeah, i forget again. Sound of Freedom. Wow, if the sound from these beast-from-hell machines meant i was free i'd be levitating.
Your Freedom
Yes, these jets are extremely noisy. I know; I work on them. I am in the Navy, so thank you for supporting me with "your tax dollars." The people I work with also thank you. I really have no idea what members of the military's tax dollars go toward... - (yes, we pay taxes just like you, no tax breaks here for sacrificing everything for the people of this great nation) - maybe it goes toward thanking people like you for complaining about how the Military keeps you free to drink your coffee outside while enjoying the awesome and powerful sound of FREEDOM! If you don't like that sound, then maybe you could get an audio tape of 9/11 and listen to the screams of people just before their death. Also, you do have the FREEDOM to move away from the noise.
I wonder, would you still pay taxes if it was not mandatory? How would you thank us then? Really, the Military needs no "Thank you" for doing what we do. We just need "Your tax dollars."
Dying for Afghans
It is a really hard concept to understand and it makes no sense (neither does the war over there), but if we want to have a chance to win, we have to let our soldiers die fighting. Every time our soldiers get pinned down and we airstrike the area and kill large numbers of civilians, we put our cause back years.
We are not in Afghanistan to protect our soldiers, we are there to fight for the Afghan people (supposedly). That means our soldiers need to die fighting for the Afghan people (makes no sense, but that is not the point). If we want to show the people we care about them, we have to let our soldiers die in firefights protecting the Afghan people. Killing civilians to save American's is counter productive.
Again, what I just said may seem illogical, and in a way it is, but when your goal is to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, it is the only choice. Afghanistan is where empires go to die; Britain, Russia, and now the US. We aren't going to win, but we can at least get a better image by not killing 20 civilians for every insurgent. Put yourself in their place, if some other country came and killed your entire family for no reason but to save their own people
"If the pilots are faced
"If the pilots are faced with a situation where it's not clear if civilians are nearby, they are trained to cancel the mission, Bookey said."
That's very thoughtful and humane and all...but, even to one such as me, who has zero military experience...the question begs: doesn't this mean all the terrorists and the Taliban have to do now is keep civilians with them to stay out of harm's way?
I don't think America got to be America in the first place by playing nice.
The last line of your post
The last line of your post should have a period right after the word "think." You can omit the rest of the sentence. It doesn't mean anything.
Your post
Why attack someone because of their opinion. It i a childish act.
Whatever you do...
PLEASE leave Oceana so i can have one moments rest from the noise!!!!!!!! God i think this noise is worse than the Taliban.
You stink up the smell of the air with Jet Fuel. You pollute the otherwise serene environment with hell-on-earth noise. All of the wildlife and pets run for cover and stay there all day while you guys gleefully fly over our houses.
All for what? Oh yeah, i forgot. Freedom.
Just another word for NOTHING left to lose.
AWWW didn't the Realtor tell you about the Noise
Yes they did You knew and you bought live with just remember """Life is tough it is even tougher if you are Stupid""""" And well you figure it out
the enviroment
What do you think happens when you flush your toilet? Or when you drive your car? When did you move to Oceana? And why?
Move
You have chosen to live where you do, if you don't like it move.
I enjoy the jets flying over and all they stand for. Someday you may thank one of the pilots in those jets for keeping you and this country safe.
The men and women flying those jets are not "gleefully flying" but training in specific areas and levels. They spend long hours studying and preparing for their flights.
And Yes, they are out there for your freedom.
If you think this is loud, ask someone who was in the Trade Towers when they were hit what it sounded like.
Next time a jet flies over your house, thank the young men and women who are serving to protect this country.
When these pilots leave, others will be returning from their current deployment only to start the training process again. Welcome to NAS Oceana - we have been here a very long time.
ROE's
I have spoken on this handicap many times but now have a question to ponder.
What would happen if the gloves came off? If we had no ROE'S restricting our troops and the enemies we face knew this and got a taste firsthand.
I am in firm belief that people tend not to riot after the first few are shot in front of them. My kids would behave if only one got spanked!
Think about it.
Time to quit!
Until we can fight fire with fire we are wasting our time, tax money and most importantly the lives of our men and women in the armed forces. You cannot fight someone with no regard for humanity in any shape or form with a civilized humane doctrine. When the enemy (those wishing to kill all of you) hides amongst innocent women and children then who brought the danger to them? When the enemy utilizes the western media, civilized mentality and humanity of the west against them then the tables are turned and the so called rules only one side has gives the advantage to the enemy.
Wake up America before it is too late.
New rules
Whats next ?,,, waiting to see the whites of their eyes !!!! This is amazing....What wizard thought this crap up ?....It seems the consensous is to pull out,,, I,we, appreciate what our military has done while there, but this is a new low....the bad guys are dedicated to their cause and way of life. They do not want anything like ours, let them live in huts,caves, or whatever is there. I feel sorry for the innocents,, but the US cannot babysit everyone !!!
Civilian Casualties
GOOD MORNING VIET NAM! Here we go again.
Taking the new ROE in stride?
What a sad state of affairs we have here. How can we "take the new rules of engagement" in stride when our buddies cry for air support in order to save their lives? We are talking about losing American soldiers lives to ensure we don't kill or damage those who we aren't sure about. I can't believe this! Or, yes, I can believe this! It is the way war is fought when the politicians take over and the leaders become their pawns. Every Admiral and General in the Commander in Chief's direct chain of command, and those commanders on the ground in the war zone should resign. Now.
Pride, honor, commitment? Right. I have just realized that this war, and any future war we may become involved in is nothing less than empty glory. May God have mercy on our servicemen and women who had their lives taken is this war. And may God's judgement be on those who caused their loss.
TR
TR
I Didn’t say anything about To be preemptive, "Turning Afghanistan to glass” I’m tired of the military getting screwed and killed by the politicians, News media, and liberals.
Oh yea hard working Americans who now have to pay for lazy people who can’t get out of there own way, but can afford a cell phone.
"liberals" smitty says
You want to blame the "liberals" but it was Bush who sent our troops into combat with inadequate protective gear and underarmored vehicles.
It was Bush who left a losing war in Afghanistan.
Fight to Win Or Get Out, Collateral Damage Is Part of War
We are starting to fight this war like Vietnam. Very soon now, the Generals and people in charge over there will have to get approval from the White House prior to dropping a bomb on a target. Sound familiar, sounds like Vietnam. Another little part in history that this will remind you of. When the Allied Forces where landing in France on D-Day a German General wanted to move his Panzer Division down to help in Normandy, but he had to get approval from Hitler first. So he calls Hiltlers office, he was sleeping and his staffed refused to wake him up (everyone knows what happens after that). This is what will happen over there. Our troops will be under-fire, they will call for an air strike, but the people that have to approve it will be sleeping. If you don't learn from history you will repeat it!!!!
BODY BAGS
We need to get more body bags because yet again, our glorious political leadership is ensuring the death of countless American men and women and for what? It's amazing to me how politicians seem to think they know more about the art of war. Get out and get out now!