Sailors man the .50 cal while getting underway for deployment aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).
Summary
CORONADO, Calif. (Aug. 22, 2014) Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Ashley Jebens, from Devine, Texas, and Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Travis Felver, from Topeka, Kan., man an M2HB .50-caliber machine gun on the fantail of aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson departed her homeport for a scheduled 2014 Western Pacific Deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Giovanni Squadrito) File# 140822-N-DI878-154
Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.