Navy Christmas '99: The USS Bataan Ready Group
The Shoot: Part Three

November 30, 1999
Aboard the USS Shreveport

The USS Shreveport is the third amphibious ship in the ARG (Amphibious Ready Group).  Looking very similar to the Whidbey Island, they also carry Marines, equipment, and smaller transport boats.

The well deck of the Shreveport houses an LCU (Landing Craft Utility), the same one we watched during ops in Haifa.  Unique to the LCU is that it's crew is totally independent.  They have their own berthing, galley, and lounge.  They even have cable TV.

The LCU is our first stop as we jump off the helo on the deck of the Shreveport.  Because of strange flight schedules (we are in the middle of 2 time zones), we have very little time on board.  The race against the clock is on.

A feature story on life on the LCU was the main objective.  We climb into every space on the vessel, including the engine room (or closet!).  The quarters are cramped to say the least, but every space is used very effectively.  They are definitely not build for someone with my 6' 6" height.  Moving around the spaces, I am a human pinball, bouncing of all sides.  I hope I recieved the bonus at 1 million points!

With the LCU project complete, and me able to stand up straight again, it's time to do greetings.  A staple of Navy Christmas, commercial spaces are filled with group greetings.  Every section of the ship gets to do their own version of "From the Deck Department, Happy Holidays Hampton Roads!"   It adds a lot of warmth to the show, but it takes a lot of coordinating.

Running to the helo from our greetings, we're up in the air again.  The air crew, who we have gotten to know after a number of flights, sets me up for aerials.  We begin a formation off the ships port side and shoot harrier's flying off the flight deck.

December 1, 1999
Back on the USS Bataan, Somewhere in the Med

I've started to feel jaded.  We do Navy stories so often that I think I've seen everything cool the Navy will let me shoot.   Today I they proved wrong.

During flight ops, I am determined to get a good shot of a harrier taking off.  Normally on ships, they do "runway" take-offs similar to jets on a aircraft carrier.  The problem is, working off a much shorter deck, the thrust can literally blow you off the flight deck.

I move towards the bow of the ship, figuring the longer I'm in front of the plane, the less blast I'll have to deal with.  The safety officer on deck keeps gesturing for me to move closer and closer to the edge.   I have my tripod set up with one leg inches from the drop off of the deck, and the other leg on the foul line (the out of bounds line over which no one crosses).  I am the closest I've ever been to a harrier during take off.  As the plane flew by, not more than 10 feet away, the safety officer's warning of "if it looks like he's headed toward you, jump into the net," keeps going through my brain.  The edge of the deck had a net to catch you, and prevent you from falling 70 feet to the water below.  How will I jump?  Can I grab the camera?  Will I survive the fall?  Never mind, the jet's taking off!

The noise and force of the engine is intense.   The only thing you can really do is lock down the camera, hug the tripod, and hope for the best.  The quick gust of wind at up to 130mph has in the past blown my helmet off my head.

The shot was great.  I somehow followed the bird off the deck and into the sky.  Now I just have to wait for them to come back and land.

Watching an AV-8 Harrier land is almost more fun than seeing it take off.  They come up to the ship and settle onto the ship vertically.  The jets just drop out of the sky.  It's an amazing sight.

After the landing, I am able to see a rare treat.  The AV-8's taxied down the flight deck and take off vertically.  Just as easy as they landed, they pop up and fly away.  Only has a real bird been able to fly so quickly.  Again, amazing!

While my blood is still racing from the flight deck, I am rushed to the SACC (Supporting Arms Coordination Center).  This is the offensive war room.  If we invaded a region, all of the attack approvals would come out of this room.  Obviously this is a top secret room, with many locks on the door, but they let us bring in a camera.  The room has been "sanitized."   All top secret, confidential information was put away.  A few computer terminals are actually covered up.  I've never heard of a normal PC keyboard being "top secret," but the "tab" key must have some really cool function.

The Marines and Navy personnel go through a drill, bombing the heck out of Camp Pendleton, North Carolina. (I hope everyone there is ok!).  Supposed soldiers on the ground call in targets, and the officers in charge decide whether to approve or deny the attacks.  The action is intense.

With all of the technology they work with including radar scopes, digital communications, projected maps of the battle field, and computers, the central command and control is performed on a paper map, with tacks and yarn.  Targets and assets are marked with thumb tacks, and flight paths are represented by yarn.  It's funny to think of billion dollar military equipment being coordinated by cheap "arts and craft" supplies.

December 2, 1999
USS Bataan

"Inbound Missile, Port Side, Brace for Impact" screams over the 1MC as sirens blare.  Normally this would be a little disconcerting, but instead the noise only interupts my writing.

General Quarters are called today around 8am.   This one happens to be a drill, but everyone still had to "man their battle stations," don their helmets and look ready for action.

For about 2 hours the ship is on standby.   None of the normal activity is done, and we have to sit in the TV studio and wait.   This is a chance for me to update the web site, and for Joe to log tape.

When GQ ends, we go back to work.   Today's project is "The 12 Days of Christmas."  Twelve different departments get together and sing one of the days.

12 Heavenly Voices (the ship choir)
11 Gunner's Gunning (Missle Team)
10 Bos'n Piping (ship's maintainance)
9  Doc's Diagnosing (ship's hospital)
8 Baker's Baking (cooks)
7 Grunt's a-lifting (Marines)
6 Burner's Burning (Engineers)
5 Tons of Mail (postal service)
4 Radar Scopes (Navigators)
3 Landing Crafts (LCAC's)
2 Rescue Helo's (Navy H 46's)
1 "Med Cruise on an LHD" (Ship's Captain)

Each group made their day funnier and more interesting.  I had a hard time shooting without laughing.  Pieces like this are what make Navy Christmas special.

• Check out the Next Part of our Journey!
• Go back to the Beginning!
• Read about other travels!