Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Steven Self, from Lancaster, Va., informs members of the crash and salvage team of the successful arrested landing of an F/A-18E Super Hornet aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during flight operations.
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
There is a flurry of activity on deck during flight operations. Every different colored shirt represents a different task. Yellow shirts represent aircraft handling officers, catapult/arresting gear officers, and plane directors. Green could mean a variety of tasks, including catapult and arresting gear crews and maintenance personnel. White shirts can be quality assurance officers, landing signal officers, air transfer officers, and more. Red shirts are ordinancemen, crash teams, EOD squads, and firefighters. Blue can be trainees, aircraft elevator operators, or chock and chain personnel. Purple is the aviation fuel handlers. Brown is the plane captains. White/black signifies an inspector doing a final check on an airplane.