On an aircraft carrier, if a crew member makes one small misstep, the results could be deadly.
The huge warships have planes taking off and landing regularly and with up to thousands of personnel on board and plenty of moving parts in the launching and landing processes, a clear system must be in place to minimize the possibility of dangerous mistakes.
The US Navy has a system of color-coordinating the roles of different crew members by their helmets, jackets and vests so there is no question who is supposed to be doing what.
The US Navy has a system of color-coordinating the roles of different crew members who assist in the taking off and landing of planes on the decks of aircraft carriers. Because it can be dangerous dealing with so many moving parts in the process, the Navy has categorized jobs into seven different colors: purple, blue, green, yellow, red, brown and white
Crew members can be differentiated by the colors of their jackets, vests and helmets, which help everyone to know who is doing what. Pictured are several crew members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2005 saluting then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz (center in white)
‘Preparations for a launch very much resemble a well-choreographed ballet,’ the Navy’s website says.
‘Those involved in the evolution have specific, clearly-defined roles and are easily recognizable by the color of their jerseys.’
For example, the crew members who fuel the aircraft wear purple and are nicknamed ‘Grapes’. There are seven colors to categorize jobs on the deck of carriers: purple, brown, yellow, blue, green, red and white.
Though some colors symbolize several jobs, the categories help operations to run smoothly in the high-pressure environment of an active aircraft carrier.
Crew members who wear purple on the deck of the carriers fuel and de-fuel planes, which can be dangerous because of the hot engines and explosives on the planes and on deck. These personnel are nicknamed ‘Grapes’
The crew wearing yellow are aircraft handling officers, Catapult and Arresting Gear Officers and plane directors. They are the men and women who deal with and direct the planes, especially for taxiing
Crewmen launch a US Navy Super Hornet off the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier on July 14, 2017 in Townsville, Australia. USS Ronald Reagan is a 1,092- foot aircraft carrier which carries a crew of 4,539 around 60 aircraft. Exercise Talisman Sabre is the largest combined military exercise undertaken in Australia. The biennial exercise is the principal Australian and US military training activity
The crew who wear blue are directed by those who wear yellow to handle the planes and operate aircraft elevators and tractors. They also serve as messengers between crewmen
The crew members who wear brown are unit, or ‘air wing’ plane captains and air wing line leading petty officers. The captains oversee their individual planes including maintenance, launch and recovery while the petty officers are more involved in the hands-on leadership of the unit, according to website Foxtrot Alpha.
Aircraft handling officers, Catapult and Arresting Gear Officers and plane directors – who are all involved in dealing with the planes on deck – wear yellow.
Those who wear blue are directed by those who wear yellow to handle the planes and operate aircraft elevators and tractors and to pass along messages to other crew.
Personnel wearing green do some of the hardest and most dangerous jobs on deck including those who maintain catapult and arresting gear on the ship and hook runners, who ensure wires on the ship end up where they need to be.
Others who wear green include: photographer’s mates and helicopter signal enlisted personnel.
The crew who wear red include those who handle the planes’ weapons by moving, mounting and arming the aircraft, according to Foxtrot Alpha, which can sometimes mean moving 500-pound missiles on their shoulders to get it to the right plane.
Quality and safety observers, inspectors and medical crew members wear white, as well as the officers who handle mail, cargo and passengers, and the Landing Signal Officers who help approaching aircraft to land on deck.
Aircraft carriers are the largest warships on the seas and are frequently the flagships for fleets.
There are 41 active aircraft carriers total in the world with 11 of those being operated by the US Navy. The remainder of the carriers are run by 12 other navies around the world.
According to Foxtrot Alpha, the US Navy’s color system is similar to systems on other carriers operated by other navies.
Unit, or ‘air wing’ plane captains and air wing line leading petty officers wear brown. The captains are in charge of their individual planes, including maintenance, launch and recovery while petty officers are more involved with the hands-on leadership of the unit
Some of the most difficult and dangerous jobs on deck are taken on by the crewmen wearing green. Those jobs include the crew who maintain catapult and arresting gear on the ship and hook runners, who ensure wires on the ship end up where they need to be
US Navy Sailors assigned to the catapult crew aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) are pictured preparing the launch area for the next launch from the flight deck
A green shirt ‘Hook Runner’ crew member on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier looks on before the launch of Super Hornet aircraft on July 14, 2017 in Townsville, Australia
The crew who wear red include those who handle the planes’ weapons by moving, mounting and arming the aircraft. The Ordnance crew aboard the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier are pictured loading missile onto an F/A-18 fighter jet for a strike mission into Afghanistan from somewhere in the Arabian Sea
Aviation ordnancemen inspect ordnance, or artillery, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) in 2016. The Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the US 5th Fleet area of operations
Ordnance crewman aboard USS Enterprise moving missiles, one inscribed WTC in honor of victims of the World Trade Center terror attacks of September 11, 2001, before loading them onto fighter jets for use in Afghanistan
Flight deck personnel give final clearance to launch an E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the ‘Greyhawks’ of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Zero (VAW-120), during flight operations aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in 2004
Quality and safety observers, inspectors and medical crew members wear white, as well as the officers who handle mail, cargo and passengers, and the Landing Signal Officers who help approaching aircraft to land on deck. Pictured in 2012 is then-Secretary of Defense Leon E Panetta (left), escorted by Commander of Strike Group Twelve Rear Admiral Walter E Carter, Jr (right), walks on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in January 2012