Flight deck crew does a FOD walk in 120+ degree heat (and high humidity) on board the USS Reagan (CVN 76), underway in the Arabian Gulf. I will do my best to never complain about the heat again after watching these kids drag chains, move aircraft, do maintenance and refuel planes with tutrtlenecks, long sleeves and float coats on, the sun beating down and the heat of jet engines to top it all off.

The crew of a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) get a treat - a case of root beer - from the Al Basrah Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. The RHIB was from one of the many small boys surrounding the terminal.

Release the RHIB from the ramp on the back of the Coastal Patrol Typhoon in the North Arabian Gulf.

FOD - Foreign Object Damage. This Sailor holds up a tiny piece of something that he found on the deck of the USS Reagan. Videographer Colin Kelly just got back from Afghanistan where he flew in an Afghan National Army Air Corps MI-17 helo after hearing about the maintainer replacing the fuel filter and dropping all kinds of FOD under the bird.

Fitness equipment is spread out all over the USS Reagan (CVN 76), some inside, some outside, allowing Sailors to work out close to home or close to work, or as far away from it all as they can get.

While the rest of the ship was celebrating its deployment half-way mark, Command Master Chief Dave Colton signals an Indian Naval ship from the bridge wing of the cruiser Anzio (CG 68) in the Gulf of Aden. Colton began his Navy career as a signalman, but hasn't used his 'flashing lights' skills in a while - the Navy preferrs more modern means of communication like chat. When an Indian Naval ship signaled the Anzio, CMC Colton was happy to engage in conversation.

Quartermaster 2nd Class Joshua Livangood uses a Stadimeter to measure an elevation/range from the bridge of the cruiser Anzio (CG 68) at sea in the Somali Basin on Friday, August 21, 2009. The stadimeter cme out of a wooden box (see below) that looked and smelled old. I was surprised to see something so "classic" being used, but found out they also use a digital at close range. This just looked so NAVY.

Serial #008. Carbonara Labs in NY. Pretty Cool.

Some of these guys were in their racks, a couple were in their whites, but just a few minutes after getting the call that they needed to be suited up and ready for a possible crash on the flight deck, they were on the scene and ready to react. The helo landed safely, there was no crash, and two of them had to put their dress shoes back on.