Craft Pieces For Sale

Question for our Navy vets?

EX Sailors:
How many and what types of ships make up a carrier battle group? I know theres roughly 5,000 sailors on a air craft carrier alone. Why do some ships cruise on their own, like the USS Cole?

A standard CVBG is defined as:

One CV/CVN

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cvn-70_050315-n-3241h-001.jpg

One Carrier Air Wing

http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news_images/0512/051202d_hi.jpg

50 Strike/Fighter A/C (Peacetime Norm)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/fa-18e_040625-n-9769p-513.jpg

four E-2C AEW

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/e-2c_trap.jpg

four E-A6B SEAD/EW

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/ea-6b_1.jpg

eight S-3B

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/s-3b-hookdown.jpg

two Es-3A

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/images/es3_1.jpg

six SH-60

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/SH-60F_ConnieDI2.jpg

Six Surface Combatants comprising at least:

three Aegis CG/DDG

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cg-ddg.jpg

four VLS-Tomahawk ships

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cg-56_mk-41_vls_030303-n-3235p-507.jpg

ten Lamps

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/sh-60b-monterey.jpg

Two SSN (1 VLS)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ssn-770-p01.jpg

One Multi-purpose AOE

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/aoe-7-rainier-2.jpg

As to Independent Steaming: Most Navy ships do not belong to a battlegroup. Also not every situation calls for a Carrier to be moved nearby. Moving a Carrier is sending an awfully huge message to whatever nation we are sending it to.

While I mention in my sources that I was a Carrier sailor, Most of my Navy Life was spent Aboard USS Halsey (CG-23)

http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg23_3.jpg

We never operated as part of a CVBG except one time we were temporarily attatched to the Eisenhauer Group in the Persian Gulf where we performed Plane Guard Duty for a few days.

Plane Guard: A ship stationed about 1 mile behind the carrier during landing operations in case a plane has to ditch in the water.

Here is a Pic I call Carrier Porn as it is garaunteed to give any flat-top sailor a hard on LOL:

http://www.grahamowen.com/images9/Fast%20Carrier.jpg

And some Plane Porn as well:

http://homepage.mac.com/lexl/iblog/C744401703/E1209349946/Media/01.FA-18.jpg

http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~tguo/Images/f18p2.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/fa-18f_050727-n-3488c-051.jpg

And some Ship Porn:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/images/ciws_cv-67_060404-n-8485t-012.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/971021-N-4015M-003.JPG

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/960903-n-00000-001.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/9908tomahawk2.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/harpoon-DNSC8307006_JPG.jpg

http://www.naval.com/heavy-seas/3/burin.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/13427697-S.jpg

http://www.uss-corry-dd817.org/images/Refuleing%208.jpg

http://www.pacom.mil/imagery/archive/0202photos/020209missleex-h.jpg

oh and as a final ending. You mentioned USS Cole.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cole-overhead.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001018-n-7613b-007.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001213-n-1012k-003.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001213-n-6097c-004.jpg

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001031-m-5978m-007.jpg

A Final note on Ship Ettiquette:
You said "the USS Cole"
It is just USS Cole

you do not say "The" in front of the Name. Cole is the ships name, not its title. Its like calling me "The Scott" or my friend "The Sam"
USS is United States Ship, and is like saying Mr or Mrs in front of the Name.

UPDATE: Brian L...
Thanks Guns... Nice to see someone who remembers the "Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast" AKA USS LaSalle

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