"Boots to the Sea", a special ceremony on a US Navy aircraft carrier

"Boots to the Sea", a special ceremony on a US Navy aircraft carrier

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 15:29 PM (GMT+7)

The US Navy has some special rituals, including putting a pair of boots belonging to the “gunner” - the signalman on an aircraft carrier - on the launch pad and firing them out to sea. Why do they do this strange thing?

The crew on the deck of a US aircraft carrier are identified by the color of their uniforms. Those who signal the launch of the aircraft wear yellow. According to Business Insider.

The catapult operators on US aircraft carriers are the ones who give the final signal to the pilots before takeoff. According to Business Insider.

They are also nicknamed “gunners” because of their distinctive crouching posture before a fighter jet launches from the flight deck. According to Business Insider.

In addition to signaling the launch of the plane through a series of gestures and hand positions, the “gunner” has a number of other responsibilities to ensure a safe takeoff, according to Business Insider.

“The catapult crew is responsible for making sure the catapult and the aircraft are ready, while all the crew behind are in the proper, safe position,” said Lt. Col. Robert Neff, a “gunner” on the George Washington, according to Business Insider.

“We tested the entire catapult system, the jet blast deflector, and did wind calculations to determine how much steam was needed to launch the aircraft,” Lt. Col. Robert Neff described, according to Business Insider.

The person who gives the launch signal is also likened to a conductor, as their wands glow in the dark and the instruments are multi-million dollar fighter jets. According to Business Insider.

These personnel are all well-trained. They are naval pilots who have to undergo months of training to become a “gunner.” According to Business Insider.

“We all come from different backgrounds when we recruit as naval aviators, and being a gunner is a completely different job than we were before,” said Lt. Commander Kevin Kreutz, chief catapult officer of the George Washington aircraft carrier, according to Business Insider.

For them, this job is another aspect of the aviation world and controlling flight operations. According to Business Insider.

So when they have to say goodbye to this mission, they all go through an equally special ritual: Kicking their boots off the deck of the aircraft carrier. According to Business Insider.

Putting boots on the launch pad, pressing the button to launch straight into the sea - marking the last mission of a gunner. Therefore, it commemorates the end of a tour of duty or the change of command of a catapult officer on an aircraft carrier. According to Business Insider.

This happened in front of the crew members on the aircraft carrier, and as usual, they congratulated each other when the launch was successful. According to Business Insider.

It was a bittersweet farewell, but certainly a good way to say goodbye and move on to the next mission. According to Business Insider.

PV (According to ANTĐ)

Source: https://danviet.vn/phong-ung-ra-bien-nghi-thuc-dac-biet-tren-tau-san-bay-hai-quan-my-20240312152922415.htm