A Marine pilot climbs into an F/A-18C Hornet aboard the USS George Washington.
A Marine pilot climbs into an F/A-18C Hornet being readied for flight aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73 as the ship steams in the Persian Gulf on Feb. 19, 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 pilot and his aircraft are attached to Marine Fighter-Attack Squadron 251 of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.