Aviation Boatswain's Mate Airman Ronald Marinello, of Philadelphia, Pa., directs an F-14B Tomcat.

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Aviation Boatswain's Mate Airman Ronald Marinello, of Philadelphia, Pa., directs an F-14B Tomcat.

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Summary

Arabian Gulf (May. 15, 2004) Aviation Boatswain's Mate Airman Ronald Marinello, of Philadelphia, Pa., directs an F-14B Tomcat assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Fighter Squadron One One (VF-11) onto one of the four steam-powered catapults aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73). The Norfolk, Va.-based aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) are on a scheduled deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Michael D. Blackwell II. File# 040515-N-1045B-015

Carriers

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.