Flight deck crewmen are surrounded by catapult steam as they ready an F/A-18C Hornet for launch from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the ship steams in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 28, 1998. The Washington battle group is operating in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch which is the U.S. and coalition enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Southern Iraq. The Hornet is from Fighter Attack Squadron 86, Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Fla.