Mom Follows the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
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 THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--Elizabeth Nijhof of Whitelake, Mich., chains a U.S. warplane to the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Friday Dec. 7, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Moving heavy equipment is tough work but not unusual for women in the modern navy where women have jobs on combat ships that were once the preserve of men. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS---ABH Gail Giberson of San Diego, Calif., moves a wheel chock on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Friday Dec. 7, 2001, in the Arabian Sea. Moving heavy equipment is tough work but not unusual for women in the modern navy where women have jobs on combat ships that were once the preserve of men. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS-- US sailors look at ordnance to be loaded onto US planes aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt Saturday Dec. 8, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. War planes from the ship which had been concentrating on bombing around Kandahar are now targeting hills and caves in which al-Qaida members may be hiding.(AP Photo/Ed Wray, POOL) |
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Sunday December 9 2:18 AM ET U.S. Pilots Review Tapes of Strikes By ANDREW ENGLAND, AP Writer ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - A U.S. navy fighter pilot points to the outlines of four Taliban trucks parked in an Afghan town just as a 500-pound bomb slams into one, turning it into a ball of flame.
The three other trucks erupted into fireballs as secondary explosions - probably caused by armaments the vehicles were carrying - send burning debris shooting into the air.
``They were not taking milk to Sunday school,'' the F-14 Tomcat pilot, who only wanted to be identified by his call sign, Guido, said Sunday.
Guido, who has flown 27 sorties over Afghanistan since Oct. 17, was reviewing video footage filmed as his Tomcat - which has an infrared camera fitted beneath its nose - unleashed the bomb on the truck Saturday.
Since the Taliban lost control of their last remaining stronghold in Kandahar, U.S. fighter pilots have focused on targets like the trucks and building, as well Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who refuse to surrender.
``If the guys don't give up then we will continue to pick them out,'' Guido, originally from Connecticut, said on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the carrier from which his Virginia Beach-based VF-102 Diamondbacks Squadron is flying.
No people could be seen in the video footage, but Guido said the town of a few hundred houses situated on flat, semiarid-looking terrain, was still inhabited. He declined to give further details about the town.
The U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan began Oct. 7 after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Guido, who also acts as a forward air controller looking for new targets, said he had seen less military activity on the ground in recent days and had not seen concentrations of Taliban or al-Qaida forces.
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT THROUGH NAVY COMUNICATIONS -- Naval Flight Officer Lt. Mark who goes by the call sign "Speedy," left and Pilot Lt. Cmdr. John who goes by the call sign "Daego" take a break in their squadron's ready room which has been decorated for the holidays Monday, Dec. 10, 2001 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea. The ongoing military action in Afghanistan will keep the ship's nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines away from their families during the holiday season, but that hasn't dimmed the festive spirit aboard the ship.(AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMUNICATIONS--Cdr. Evan Piritz of San Diego, Calif., looks over Persian rugs which merchant Salah Rahman Dabwan brought aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt from Bahrain Wednesday November 28, 2001. Between getting U.S. war planes ready for their missions over Afghanistan, sailors and marines aboard the ship have been preparing for the holidays by decorating the narrow passageways and buying presents for those at home from Navy contracted vendors from overseas. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, POOL) |
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Tuesday December 11 2:49 PM ET U.S. Sailors Shopping for Christmas By ANDREW ENGLAND, AP Writer
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - U.S. sailors fighting the war on terrorism from the Arabian Sea are getting ready for Christmas - shopping at the ship's store and from vendors who come aboard with jewelry, clothes and Persian rugs.
In the process, the 5,500-member crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt have run up a bill in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
``I bought my mom and sister Teddy Roosevelt sweat shirts, and my dad and uncle T.R. hats,'' said Airman Apprentice Kenneth Hassler, 19, of Salem, N.J. ``They see it (the Roosevelt) on the news and like the fact that I'm helping my country fight and are proud of me. They want the stuff to remember it.''
The ship's store sells baseball caps, coffee mugs and clothes emblazoned with the carrier's logo, as well as watches, compact discs, cigarette lighters and electrical goods.
On average, the store takes in around $20,000 per day, but so far this month it has raked in up to $30,000 per day, said Lt. j.g. Jon Limbert, the carrier's sales officer.
The store took in $48,000 in a one-day sale after Thanksgiving, he said.
The sailors have also been able to buy goods from vendors who come from Italy, Spain, Bahrain and Dubai. One from Bahrain sold $45,000 worth of Persian carpets in a week, Limbert said.
``It's good to have something that is not typical of the ship,'' said Limbert, who is originally from Houston. ``It's big business, it's a captive audience.''
All the vendors' goods are screened by security before being taken aboard the Roosevelt. The tradespeople come in groups of two to five and spend up to a week on the ship.
Normally, vendors only go aboard when the ship is visiting ports, but because the Roosevelt is on active duty, they were called out specially.
The Navy, which receives 12 percent of the vendors' sales revenue, sometimes helps the traders transport their goods, but the vendors have to pay their own fares to Bahrain. From there, they are flown to the carrier.
``The crew gets a lot out of it. It's a morale issue for us more than anything,'' Limbert said.
Shopping on the Internet, which has been available on the carrier for three years, is also popular with sailors.
Despite the choices, however, some find it hard to find that special something to send home.
``It's very difficult to shop when you are away,'' said Storekeeper 1st Class Kristen Cote, originally from Gardner, Mass. ``I purchased some jewelry from vendors and will make up the rest when I go home.''
Others are doing the same - preparing for a second Christmas in March, when they are scheduled to return to the United States.
``I e-mailed my wife with present suggestions and she said, 'No, not to worry.' She would rather do it when I get back home,'' said a senior chief who only wanted to be identified as Andy.
However, Andy has taken advantage of the carrier's television studio to record a Christmas message on video to send to his two daughters and son.
``It will mean a lot to them,'' said Andy, who read a Christmas story in the recording. ``You never really get used to (being away for Christmas).''
The Roosevelt, which has its own postal service, is one of three U.S. battle groups in the Arabian sea. The other two are led by the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS Carl Vinson.
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMUNICATIONS-AD3 Roberto Cheredia from Chicago, Ill. sweeps the mess deck which has been decorated for the holidays aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Between getting U.S. war planes ready for their missions over Afghanistan, sailors and marines aboard the ship have been preparing for the holidays by decorating the narrow passageways and buying presents for those at home from Navy contracted vendors from overseas. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS -- Sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt observe a moment of silence for victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. at the start of their day which comes at around 6 pm as they are operating on a night schedule Tuesday Dec. 11, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Over 70 countries joined Americans in remembering victims three months after the attacks. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS- US Olympic and World Champion Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner, right, takes on Lt. Cdr. Duke Murphy from Chula Vista, CA during a wrestling demonstration Wednesday Dec. 12, 2001, in the hanger bay of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, in the Arabian Sea. Gardner spoke with sailors about his championship matches signed autographs and handily defeated Murphy. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, POOL) |
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 U.S. sailors play a game of basketball in the hangar bay where aircraft not on the flight deck are maintained, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, December 12, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Sailors aboard the ship have been working on a reversed schedule, starting their day at 6:00 pm and finishing around 7:00 am to provide continuous support to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. REUTERS/Ed Wray-POOL |
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Thursday December 13 4:29 AM ET Fewer Bombs Dropped on Afghanistan By ANDREW ENGLAND, AP Writer
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - U.S. fighters are dropping about 50 percent fewer bombs on Afghanistan (news - web sites) as the war against the al-Qaida terror group and their Taliban allies focuses on the Tora Bora mountains, a Navy task force commander said Thursday.
F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18C Hornets aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt are flying about 40 sorties a day over Afghanistan. But only 10 to 15 planes are dropping bombs, including 2,000 pound bunker-busters that can penetrate caves, said Rear Adm. Mark Fitzgerald.
Three days ago, 25 to 30 fighter jets would have been dropping bombs, Fitzgerald said.
About 90 percent of the fighters' bombs are targeting the Tora Bora mountains of eastern Afghanistan, one of the few remaining areas of Taliban and al-Qaida resistance, he added. The U.S. airstrikes began Oct. 7 after the Taliban administration refused to hand over Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and his al-Qaida group, the prime suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Those planes that don't drop bombs carry out surveillance and reconnaissance operations, as well as providing a show of force, Fitzgerald said.
Afghan opposition forces had given the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters until 8 a.m. Wednesday to disarm and walk out of the Tora Bora area, but the surrender deadline was ignored.
Fitzgerald declined to say whether the deadline had affected bombing missions over Tora Bora, but he said the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters would be forced from the area.
``Whether it happens tomorrow or in a week, that's certainly going to happen. The real question is 'who are you going to get in there?' and 'are people going to leak out or not?','' he said.
In recent days, U.S. aircraft flying over Afghanistan have not seen any large groups of Taliban or al-Qaida forces, Fitzgerald said, adding that he had been surprised by the speed of the Taliban's fall.
``We thought it would take a longer period of time ... certainly what has proven out is the Taliban were not as strong and not very well liked within the country. That has precipitated their fall and we have certainly enabled it with air power,'' he said.
U.S warships are likely to remain in the northern Arabian sea for some time, despite the Taliban's collapse.
``The political side of Afghanistan is far from settled,'' he said. ``There certainly will be a requirement for us to be on station until they achieve some political stability in the country.''
U.S. fighter jets are now focusing more on providing escorts for humanitarian operations and anti-Taliban forces, as well as scouring the country for remaining Taliban vehicles or weapon caches, Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said he hoped some of the burden would be taken off U.S. jets by Italian and French aircraft aboard their carriers.
Fitzgerald is the commander of a task force that includes around 40 vessels with ships from Australia, France, Italy, Britain and Canada.
The Italian carrier Garibaldi is already in the Arabian sea undergoing ``integration training'' with the U.S. Navy (news - web sites), while the French carrier Charles de Gaulle is expected to arrive soon.
If their governments approve, both carriers could launch aircraft on combat sorties, Fitzgerald said.
``We've been out here 31/2 months and we would like to get a break,'' he said.
The Roosevelt is one of two U.S. carrier battle groups in the northern Arabian sea. The other is led by the USS Carl Vinson.
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMUNICATIONS--U.S. sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea watch a news report, Thursday Dec. 13, 2001, showing the video tape, released Thursday by the Pentagon, of Osama Bin Laden speaking about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. War planes from this ship continue bombing missions in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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Monday December 17 6:00 PM ET USS Roosevelt Crew Takes a Day Off By ANDREW ENGLAND, Associated Press Writer
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (AP) - Once or twice a month, sailors aboard this carrier take a break from launching fighter jets toward Afghanistan to fire shotguns, assault rifles and automatic pistols off the ship's fantail.
From young sailors experiencing their first taste of life at sea to tattooed veterans who have spent more than 10 years in the Navy, the USS Theodore Roosevelt's crew are being taught to handle weapons to shield themselves against intruders.
The training is part of the Navy's efforts to improve ship security following the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole while it was refueling in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen U.S. sailors were killed and 37 injured in the attack blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network, also the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Roosevelt has not made a port call since it left its home port in Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 19, part of the measures to ensure ships' safety since the Cole attack.
In the past, sailors didn't always pay attention to security because of the ``buffer of being at sea,'' Rucci said. Ships are most vulnerable when they pull into ports, becoming huge, stationary targets. At sea, they are always on the move, and carriers travel in battle groups that include submarines and frigates.
The training is ``an education process for the whole ship,'' Cmdr. Greg Rucci said.
``There are people who were qualifying (in weapons training) who were junior sailors and there are people qualifying for the first time who may have 15 or 16 years in the Navy,'' said Rucci, who is in charge of the Roosevelt's security. ``They are all learning to be part of the ship's defense.''
Before the Cole attack, only 10 percent to 15 percent of a carrier's crew were weapons proficient. Now up to 80 percent of the Roosevelt's 5,500 crew are being taught to use small arms, Rucci said.
The weapons used by the sailors, some of whom had never handled a gun before, include shotguns, 9 mm pistols, M16 rifles, M60 machine guns, 0.50-caliber machine guns and M203 grenade launchers. M16s are being used on carriers for the first time, replacing the older M14s.
A security detail of around 60 Marines used to be deployed on carriers, but this was stopped seven years ago because of cutbacks, Rucci said.
Sailors only carry weapons when they are on watch.
The number of small arms available on the Roosevelt has increased threefold in the last 18 months, Rucci said, without disclosing the figure.
Improvements can still be made, he said, such as training sailors to use 9 mm pistols from the moment they start boot camp.
``From day one in boot camp all the way to the point of their retirement, they (sailors) should know how to handle a weapon ... recognizing they are part of the defense of our nation not just a yeoman, or a metal-smith, that they are integral to the security of the United States.''
Recent Navy recruits said they only received a few hours' rifle instruction during basic training.
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(Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, December 17th, 2001, 1:06 p.m.) The flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt looked more like a cruise ship, at least for a day. After weeks of sending fighter jets to pound al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan, sailors on the Norfolk-based ship gathered Sunday for hamburgers, volleyball and music. The reason for the celebration? The give the ship's 55-hundred crew members a day off to adjust to a new work schedule. The Roosevelt is switching to the day shift. The shift swap follows the arrival of the carrier USS John C. Stennis in the northern Arabian Sea. The Stennis is replacing the USS Carl Vinson, which is heading home. (Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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 EDS. NOTE:THIS PHOTO MAY HAB=VE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--U.S. sailor, DC1 Ted Hedges from Lebanon, Ind., gets a vaccination in the hospital of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001. Since the beginning of last week, ship's medics have been vaccinating five hours each day to prevent a flu outbreak which could affect the ships operation. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMMUNICATIONS--US Sailors sit atop an F/18c Hornet to catch a better view of the Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleaders performing Wednesday Dec. 19, 2001 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea. Cheerleaders, actors and Olympic champions have been visiting the ship to keep up sailors' morale and to show their appreciation for the job that the sailors are doing during Operation Enduring Freedom.(AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMUNICATIONS-- Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers speaks to sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Myers was aboard the Roosevelt to help boost the 5,500-strong crew's morale. He addressed hundreds of sailors standing on a wooden platform in the carrier's hangar, flanked by fighter jets and with an enormous U.S. flag on the wall behind him. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 EDS NOTE: THIS PICTURE MAY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AS IT WAS SENT VIA NAVY COMUNICATIONS-- Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers eats lunch with sailors including AT Grazyna Maklary, third right, and Petty Officer 2nd Daniel Shuksta, right, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 in the Arabian Sea. Myers was aboard the Roosevelt to help boost the 5,500-strong crew's morale. (AP Photo/Ed Wray, Pool) |
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 In this handout picture from the US Navy made available Friday, Dec. 21, 2001, A.J. (left) and Jaxson, mascots for the Jacksonville Jaguars, entertain the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt at sea, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001 . The aircraft carrier is operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Brad Garner) |
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 In this handout picture from the US Navy made available Friday, Dec. 21, 2001, the cheerleaders, "The Roar," of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team took time to entertain the crew aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt at sea Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001. The aircraft carrier is operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Eric A. Clement) |
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