Thank You

[battlegroup]

I'm a Navy Lieutenant and Helicopter Pilot (SH-60B Seahawk, Navy's version of the Blackhawk)Some of you who play in the scenario games at Wayne's World might have seen me. I'm the guy with the Aviation NVG's (I play with Team Shootist out of Panama City Fl.). My Ship sortied on Sept 21st. and we've been underway since. The only thing I miss more than Paintball is my family. (No contest) I just wanted to say THANK YOU to Tom, the Moderators, and everyone who posts here for helping me stay up to date with the sport. There's not much to do out here but eat, sleep, fly, and surf the web. I don't get to post much because I share one satellite connection with 400+ people. you can only imagine how slow the connection is!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING PASS THE TIME.

Battlegroup.

Here's a Pick of my ship (from the Helicopter) on our way to kick some butt!

[AGD]

Hey Battlegroup, we are dying to hear what's going on out there!! Give us a description even if it's boring. What do you see when you fly? What is the ship like? What is landing on the ship like?

Curious minds want to know!!

AGD

[Bartleby]

yes, yes, input, need input!!

p.s. i think you should change your name to "classified info"

[cphilip]

Just don't post your longitude and latitude!

Glad we are of some help. Stay safe. Sure they wouldn't let you guys play a round of Speedball on deck? That could be fun and a good release. I guess I should write my congressman about that.

Hey guys! See? We are helping the war effort too! Can't beat that huh?

[battlegroup]

What's Up!

First, sorry about the PIC. It was too big.
Second, no specifics. I know you guys understand.

As for what's going on out here. You probably get more info from CNN than we get out here. As for me I fly 6 hours a day. Right now i'm on the night schedule, flying with Radar, NVG's, Infra red, and armed to the teeth. Afganistan is land locked so we are not necessarily worried about a conventional naval threat so I spend all my time looking for small craft in the op-area. I determine what kinds of ships are out there and where, and let my ship know. I haven't had to drop ordnance....yet. I watch the Jets take off every night (from my helo) and listen to the strikes on the radio. If we went by what the jet pilots say we would have hit everything in Afganistan....twice. They think they hit every target with every bomb. I wish it were true. My helo doesn't have the range to conduct strikes so I escort the ships.
As for landing on the ship. That's probably the most dangerous thing we do. Daytime...piece of cake. Nighttime on NVG's (read as: no depth perception) another story. We have a probe on the bottom of the helo that has to go into a 4ft. by 4ft. trap that has two jaws that close on the probe and hold us to the deck. I have 15ft. of clearance from the rotor blades to the hangar face. (Encase you haven't guessed I'm not on a carrier)add into that the fact that the deck pitches and rolls, and the turbulence of 20mph winds swirling around the hangar face, and if you've ever used NVG's on a moonless night you know they don't help much, it gets tricky. But, If the seas are calm it's easier than what the jet guys have to deal with on the carrier. I can hover if I get disoriented, and I have a second pilot with me. They're screwed if they get disoriented and they're going 400kts.
Other than that it's just another day in the Navy. I'd just like to see land now and then. Get a beer, Pizza, and a good nights sleep. I could play paintball on the ship but I'm the only one who brought a marker and cleanup would be hell. Believe it or not the ship is cleaner than my house (except the engine rooms)
Well It's workout time. Play safe.

BG

[Bartleby]

that's amazing. never thought someone in the navy would take the time to post here, especially at a time like this.

just because you're the only one to have brought a marker, doesn't mean you can't play. just means that they would have to throw the paintballs. i think it's fair.

[AGD]

That is so cool!! Keep us informed even if its the same. AO has eyes and ears everywhere!!

Thanks Battlegroup!

AGD

ps NVG means Night Vision Goggles?

[Army]

HOOAH Battlegroup!

You take'em by sea, and I'll direct from the land!! Give us two weeks and this little exersize will be over baby!!

Keep the barnacles on the bottom, squid. Take care.

Army

[udtseal]

Hoo Yah! Battlegroup. Stay safe bro!

[battlegroup]

Update

(NVG's = Night Vision Goggles)

Not much to say today. Spent another 6 hours looking for small craft. Didn't find any, but we did find another contact that received a lot of attention. I won't go into specifics now because I don't know the final outcome and classification of the info. It was still being investigated when I landed and went to sleep. Other than that not much going on. I have the day off and start back up tomorrow. Our schedule is pretty much the same everyday. We fly two blocks of time with three crews. two crews fly each day and one rests. One of the other Aircraft Commander's was off the schedule for a while so The other two of us picked up his flights. That's how I got stuck with the all the night hops. Day hops require a lot less vigilance than the nigt flights. The Haze around here is incredible. At night there is no visible horizon because of the haze. NVG's help because you can see the stars through the haze and pick up some assemblance of a horizon. Without NVGs at night only the brightest stars shine through the haze and you only see darkness all around. It almost feels like you're in space. Not that I've ever been there but what I guess it would feel like. Did I mention that it's hot? It feels like 95. 95 ft. from the sun that is! I'm told however that the fly population has died down significantly since it has cooled down (120 in the summer is common). I can't imagine them being worse than they are. Actually, it isn't all that bad over here. I complain a lot, but in the Navy we have a saying. A *****y sailor is a happy sailor. Not that I think any of us are glad to be here. But all things considered we're doing fine. Now, if I could only shoot something!

Well I have to go to a brief.

PLAY SAFE

BG

[ralicea]

battlegroup...keep it up and keep writing back! We are all with YOU!!

Say hello to all of your fellow sailors. I will play this weekend with you in mind ;D