Cannonball! Swim call Arabian Sea

United States Navy ^ | 5 October 2008 | Lance Corporal Jacob W. Chase

[A.A. Cunningham]

081005-M-0572C-046 ARABIAN SEA (Oct. 5, 2008) A Marine from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit jumps about 30 feet from the starboard aircraft elevator of the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) during a swim call in the Arabian Sea. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU) and ships of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group are conducting maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Chase/Released)

[5thGenTexan]

Nice! I didn’t know our aircraft carriers still had planks! (notice the yellow ramp)

:-)

[skeeter]

A buddy who served aboard the Nimitz used to talk about swim call in 20,000 feet of water in the middle of the Pacific.

I always wondered why the navy would allow a carrier to come to a dead stop in the middle of the ocean.

[JRios1968]

Yargh!

[trappedinnj]

I’ve done this!!!...off a LPH (USS New Orleans) when off the coast of Acapulco...Id say around 1985-ish. Ship has been since de-commisioned.

[brownsfan]

I was on a tin can over in the Persian Gulf. We were grumbling about swim call. The CO had the water chummed a little and then used a rifle to shoot a shark.

We gave up the idea of swim call.

[trappedinnj]

That reminds me...they also had 3 motor-whale boats with 3 shooters each surrounding us. Water was reeeeaaallly warm.

[wally-balls]

I remember swim call on the USS Nicholas(FFG-47)before our first visit to Gitmo as a newly commissioned ship. Bit disconcerting to have the shark spotters motoring around you but lots of fun and great way to relax before “ref-tra”

[1rudeboy]

I will wager that this Marine, big boy that he is, was never bullied in school. Nonetheless, he is about to find out how a wedgie feels.

[brownsfan]

If I had to make that jump for swim call, I’d pass, sharks or no sharks.

[Knitebane]

Nice! I didn’t know our aircraft carriers still had planks! (notice the yellow ramp)

We used to call the bomb skids "thieves' quarters."

[1rudeboy]

Protip: keep feet together.