Mom Follows the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
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Monday Nov. 12, 2001 12:08 PM ET War Admiral Praises Air Campaign Strike Routine Settles in on US Ship (AP)
By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, AP Writer
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - U.S. pilots are ``the point end of the spear'' in fighting against Afghanistan (news - web sites)'s ruling Taliban, playing a key role in the advances of opposition forces, the commander of a battle group involved in the air assault said Monday.
Rear Adm. Mark Fitzgerald said the pilots were pounding targets - many of them mobile - as the Taliban try to regroup after recent loses in northern Afghanistan. Without going into specifics, he identified the targets as ground troops, tanks and artillery.
``We're happy with the way this is going. Our guys have been flying for 31/2 weeks with just one day off, which shows the flexibility of not just the aircraft carrier itself but of all the people in the airplanes,'' the commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt battle group said.
``There's still an awful lot of troops on the ground. There's a lot of capability in the Taliban, and so we are still going after those kind of targets,'' he said. ``The targets are harder to find because they are not fixed targets, they are mobile targets.''
He said the fall of the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Friday boosted morale on the Roosevelt aircraft carrier.
``That was the first big piece of the dominos to have fallen and we played a very direct role,'' he said. ``Our planes were up there providing both interdiction sorties and close air support sorties in that area for a long time.''
In Afghanistan on Monday, anti-Taliban fighters were closing in on Kunduz, the last Taliban bastion in the north, opposition spokesmen said. Taliban fighters were fleeing positions along the front north of Kabul.
Fitzgerald said the air campaign, in its fourth week, has been directly influencing events on the ground in Afghanistan, with the warplanes first taking over the airspace of the country, then hitting Taliban and al-Qaida supplies and logistics and finally focusing on tactical targets - troops, vehicles and weapons on the ground. Fitzgerald said the enemy was being ``choked.''
``We're doing a good job,'' he said. ``That's part of our plan: to go after those mobile targets and to keep them on the run and keep them on the defenses.''
U.S. Navy (news - web sites) F-14 Tomcats and the Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornets took off the carrier's flight deck once more on midnight Sunday, loaded with precision-guided and free-fall ordnance.
They were supported by EA-6B Prowler aircraft, used to jam enemy's communications, as well as surveillance E-2C Hawkeyes, who direct the aircraft to targets together with U.S. special operations troops on the ground in Afghanistan, known as forward air controllers.
The Marine and Navy pilots have been flying an average eight hours a night, having to refuel in flight from U.S. S-3B Viking tankers as well as British and Australian tankers flying in support of the anti-terror campaign.
Not all the ordnance on the planes was being fired; some aircraft were returning with the ammunition. The pilots said they were using different munition as appropriate.
Later Monday, the entire crew of 5,500 interrupted their usual duties for a ship-wide drill of a chemical-biological attack on the carrier.
The alarm bell was sounded, hatchets were closed and the sailors, pilots and support crew put on gas masks and in some cases protection suits, while the ship's fire marshal, Chief Warrant Officer James Littleton and his team, inspected that everyone on board was following the drill routine.
According to the drill's political scenario, the carrier was engulfed in a cloud of chemical-biological agents from an enemy aircraft, Littleton, 35, from Shadyside, Ohio, said.
Launching of aircraft did not stop during the exercise.
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--A U.S. Navy pilot talks with an aircraft maintenance worker from the cockpit of an F/A-18C Hornet on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001. The pilot was preparing to launch from the carrier on a strike mission in Afghanistan on. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, Pool)
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--U.S. Navy seaman Justin Vasquez, 21, of Fort Worth, TX., is pictured aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. From the ship's shafts to the flight deck, American youngsters of different backgrounds, upbringing and cultures, form the bulk of the 5,500 member crew, trained to do just about everything from running the ships engines to sending the aircraft on their bombing runs against Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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-EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Anton Peaches, left, of Gary, IN., and seaman Holley Gibble, 20, of Mexico, MO., are pictured aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. From the ship's shafts to the flight deck, American youngsters of different backgrounds, upbringing and cultures, form the bulk of the 5,500 member crew, trained to do just about everything from running the ships engines to sending the aircrafton their bombing runs against Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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Anti-Taliban forces seized control of the Afghan capital Kabul on November 13, 2001 and reported dramatic gains in the hard-line Islamists' southern heartland as President Bush and his allies expressed growing optimism in their war on terrorism. With advances by the opposition Northern Alliance far outstripping political plans, world leaders sought to set up a broad-based government to replace the Taliban, who have been harboring those blamed for September's mass killing on U.S. soil. (Reuters Graphic)
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According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States military now maintains a force of around 1.4 million active duty personnel. In times of relative peace, this is sufficient to protect U.S. interests at home and abroad.
But when the United States engages in a larger scale operation, the military may need to call up reserve forces. In a major conflict, the United States may even institute the draft, drawing soldiers from the general civilian population.
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 This poster, created by James Montgomery Flagg in 1916, helped bring in volunteer troops in both World Wars.
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 The course of events in a draft
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Tues Nov 13 6:51 PM ET Young Americans Keep Terror War Going By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, Associated Press Writer
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - When one of the USS Theodore Roosevelt's giant water processing machines failed, 21-year-old Justin Vasquez stepped in, shutting down the carrier's 400,000-gallon water supply until repairs could be completed.
His fellow sailor, Anton Peaches, is only three years older. The father of two can halt the entire $4 billion nuclear-powered ship if he sees anything out of ordinary with the turbines he monitors in the shaft below sea level.
From the bottom of the carrier to the flight deck, young Americans are the bulk of the 5,500-member crew, trained to do just about everything - from running the ship's engines to sending aircraft on bombing runs over Afghanistan (news - web sites).
``The average age of the crew is between 19 and 26. When you do the math on that, it's probably a neighborhood of 2,500 teen-agers who I have to deal with day-to-day,'' the carrier's commanding officer, Capt. Richard O'Hanlon, said. ``I'm a dad to 2,500 teen-agers.''
O'Hanlon said there are few disadvantages to having such a young crew. In fact, there's at least one important advantage - the youthful energy that under difference circumstances might be spent cramming all night for an exam and dancing at a rave is dedicated to maintaining aircraft worth up to $65 million apiece and doing final checks to make sure planes are ready to fly.
``When I walk around the ship, I am honestly energized by the energy of the crew,'' the captain said. ``It really does make managing, leading, being a part of this crew very, very special.''
Straight from high school, young people turn to the Navy for opportunities they can't find in their home towns, to see the world or to earn money for college. If they make it through four years with clean records, the Navy will pay for additional education, depending on their qualifications.
Dirty and sweaty, those working the machines and fixing the aircraft aboard the Theodore Roosevelt often don't see daylight in weeks. They work 12 hours, sleep and try to forget the reality of being out at sea during a few hours of e-mailing home, reading or working out at the gym aboard the ship.
They all have one thing in common: proud to be part of the war against terror.
``Right now, I feel angry about what happened in New York with so many Americans killed,'' Vasquez said. He then addressed the suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks believed to be hiding in Afghanistan: ``If you want to see what we're made of, you will see what we are made of.''
The most difficult part is being away from home.
Last time Peaches saw his wife, 2-year-old son Anton Jr. and 4-year-old daughter, Kassidy was when the Roosevelt left her home port in Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 19. The carrier is due back home in March.
``A letter from home soothes you and makes everything better. You know that people know you're out here, that people love you,'' said Peaches, of Gary, Ind.
At the end of his 16-hour work day, carrying pallets of food in one of the galleys, Jeremy Dawley, 20, from Cheney, Wash., dozes off listening to CDs of rap and country music to dream of his girlfriend.
For privacy, there is only one thin blue curtain in his 76-inch long, 26-inch wide and 24-inch high berth to separate him from the 40 other men in nearby berthing compartments.
``You think about home just enough for you to remember it. Then you feel better about it and go to sleep,'' Dawley said. ``Sometimes it's hard. You work around the clock around the same people every day. Even if you don't like it, you have to work with them.''
Capt. O'Hanlon said the young crew members are being prepared to handle even greater responsibilities in the future.
``It is quite amazing to see these American youngsters who come from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all kinds of different values,'' he said.
``They get on this ship and they are taught how to operate a ship at sea. They realize what the common goal of the ship is and they all come together to make it work.''
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--U.S. Navy sailors Latasha Govan, left, 19, of South Gate, Calif., and CPO Aubrey Crawford of Jackson, Miss., check JP5 jet fuel for purity in the fuel pumping room of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Monday, Nov. 12, 2001, in the Arabian Sea. The sailors are responsible for maintaining and pumping fuel to different parts of the ship which, though nuclear powered, requires large amounts of the JP5 fuel for it's aircraft. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--U.S. Navy sailors play a game of volleyball in the hanger deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. The sailors play volleyball or basketball for a short period once a week during their off time despite continued strikes in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS-A U.S. Navy deck hand adds boxes to a pile of mail delivered to the USS Theodore Roosevelt operating in the Arabian Sea Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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Blockbuster(R) Donates Videos, DVDs to Troops 11/14/01 9:26 AM Source: PR Newswire
DALLAS, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Blockbuster has begun donating videos to the troops fighting the war on terrorism in Operation Enduring Freedom to help keep morale high during the holidays and throughout the time they are away from their homes and families.
Blockbuster will kick off the initiative by donating more than 3,600 videos to 30 of the USO's overseas centers, as well as DVD players, DVDs and VHS movies to six of its stateside centers to provide entertainment for thousands of American troops. In addition, the chain is sending DVD players, DVDs and VHS movies to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt for its crew of more than 5,000.
"Like all Americans, we were searching for ways to support our troops and communicate our gratitude to them for the heroic work they are doing for our country," says John Antioco, chairman and CEO of Blockbuster. "The relevance of our donation is further underscored by the White House's recent call to action to the entertainment industry, and we are happy that our program complements their effort. Because home entertainment is our business, we approached the USO to see how we could help improve the quality of life for the troops in their home away from home."
Antioco continues, "We have worked with the USO in the past, and knew that they are always working to upgrade the services they provide to our military forces. We were later approached by Capt. Richard O'Hanlon, Commanding Officer of the USS Roosevelt, and responded immediately to his request for videos by sending not only VHS, but DVDs and DVD players as well."
USO Centers
Overseas USO centers include sites in the Persian Gulf, Israel, the Balkan Region and Korea. In addition to these more established centers the tapes may also be utilized in USO Mobile Canteens, as well as expeditiary centers, which are makeshift USO centers set up in tents.
Stateside centers receiving the 100-film libraries include Washington, D.C., San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, Seattle, and Fort Hood, Texas.
"The USO says it 'delivers America' to the troops overseas and that is just what we'll be helping them do by providing a film library in these 36 key centers," says Antioco. "Entertainment is essential to the morale of our military men and women, particularly since so many of them will be away from home throughout the holidays. We know they will enjoy having a selection of films to choose from."
USS Theodore Roosevelt
Blockbuster is sending the Roosevelt almost 200 movies including various DVD titles and multiple copies of VHS titles selected by Capt. O'Hanlon in addition to several DVD players.
O'Hanlon expressed his gratitude via an e-mail from the ship which now flies the flag raised by firefighters over the rubble of the World Trade Center shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11.
He wrote: "We deployed from our homeport of Norfolk, VA on Sept 19 and have been conducting combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom since Oct 17th. Since leaving home we have been operating this ship 24 hours a day with most of our crew, whose average age is 20 years old, working 16-18 hour days.
"As you can imagine the heavy workload, stress of a combat environment, being away from our loved ones for six months with no port visits can be tough on crew morale.
"Your support in providing recently released videos would be greatly appreciated by all of us here at the 'tip of the spear.' The morale boost it would bring to the approximately 5,500 dedicated and professional Americans would be tremendous; not only for the entertainment value but for the comfort of knowing that the American people are behind us. Any help you can provide in easing the stress of our Sailors would be enjoyed and appreciated by all out here."
About the USO
For more than 60 years, the United Service Organizations (USO) has "Delivered America" to America's military personnel -- America's finest. The USO is a Congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization, and is not a government agency. The USO is supported by World Partners and corporate donors, as well as contributions from individuals. For more information on contributing to the USO, please call 1-800-876-7469 or visit our Web site at www.uso.org .
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-EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS-U.S. Navy pilot Cmdr. Ray Kelley of Newark, OH talks to reporters about strike missions in Afghanistan in the VF102 Diamondback squadron ready room aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001. Kelley said that US warplanes have shifted their focus from hitting Taliban and Al-Qaida targets to trying to distinquish between civilian and military convoys trying to move across Afghanistan's fluid front lines. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 crewmembers assigned to the signal bridge monitor ships alongside during a replenishment at sea aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Wednesday, Nov.14, 2001. The Theodore Roosevelt battle group is conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Eric A. Clement
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In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 the U.S. Navys Ticonderoga Class cruiser USS Leyte Gulf is underway conducting missions supporting the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group at an undisclosed location at sea Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Eric A. Clement)
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In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 a CH-46 Sea Knight assigned to Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Eight assigned to the fast combat support ship USS Detroit conducts a replenishment at sea as the cruiser USS Leyte Gulf makes her approach at sea aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. Units assigned to the Theodore Roosevelt battle group are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Eric A.Clement)
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In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001, aircraft assigned to carrier air wing one are staged on the bow of the ship during a scheduled break in flight quarters at sea aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. The Theodore Roosevelt battle group is conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Eric A. Clement)
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In this handout picture from the U.S. Navy made available Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 a U.S. Navy crewmember directs placement of an E2-C Hawkeye assigned to the Screwtops of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Three during preparations for flight quarters on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt at an undisclosed location at sea, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001. The Theodore Roosevelt battle group and embarked carrier air wing one are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, James K. McNeil)
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EDS NOTE: CONTENTS MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--The USS Theodore Roosevelt sails through the Arabian Sea on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001. The Navy and Marines have been on station in the Arabian Sea for about a month and a half, launching strike missions against the Taliban in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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Friday November 16 12:45 PM ET American Muslim Sailors Mark Ramadan By HRVOJE HRANJSKI, Associated Press Writer
ABOARD THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - A dozen American seamen - the only Muslims among a crew of 5,500 - gathered in their warship's chapel Friday for prayers to mark the holy month of Ramadan.
Seaman Jermaine Scales said he couldn't see the sliver of moon that heralds the start of the Muslim holiday. And with the USS Theodore Roosevelt circling in the northern Arabian sea, he can't always pray in the exact direction of Mecca.
``We have compasses. But if I can't find the direction of Mecca, I just pray,'' the Baltimore native said. ``Allah knows my intent is in my heart.''
Some Muslim political and religious leaders have cautioned the United States to suspend its bombing campaign on Afghanistan during Ramadan, the holiest of Muslim holidays.
But the U.S. strikes, though lighter because the strategy has changed with fast-moving events on the ground, have continued. And Muslims in the U.S. military say their country has no choice.
``I know what the United States is doing had to be done,'' said Michael Davidson, another Muslim sailor aboard the Theodore Roosevelt. ``We are defending ourselves and our homes. Allah said we have the right to defend our home.''
Muslims believe God began to reveal the Quran, their holy book, during a Ramadan 14 centuries ago. To spiritually renew themselves in keeping with the gift of the Quran, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan.
``I am going to fast and I am going to try not to swear,'' said Scales, 29, a muscular man with a soft voice as he clutched a string of prayer beads. ``I'll try not to say bad things about my fellow men.''
Islam may be the fastest-growing religion in the United States, but there are only about a dozen Muslims on board the Theodore Roosevelt, and no Muslim preachers, Scales said.
Davidson, a 21-year-old from Madison, Wis. said the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington had given him the chance to clear up misconceptions about Islam among the sailors.
``People asked me what jihad (holy war) means, and a lot of people have started reading about Islam, and I am always ready to talk,'' he said.
Scales said some on board derided Muslims in his presence and seemed to equate Afghanistan's fundamentalist Taliban with all Muslims.
His superior ``jumped in, saying we won't tolerate any kind of discrimination or harassment of any sort,'' Scales said.
Officers throughout the carrier's divisions said they sat down with the sailors and explained to them that being Muslim is not the same as supporting the Taliban or the al-Qaida terrorist network, suspected of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks.
``I told them: If I hear anything about discrimination, you will be dealing with me directly,'' petty officer Penny Rise said.
Food onboard seems to be more problematic than the war. Although there is a large variety on offer, a lot of it contains pork - forbidden to Muslims.
``Food? I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly,'' Davidson said, smiling.
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