Nose art and kill markings portrayed on military aircraft are something that has been around since the first missions were flown during World War I. They serve as a way for the pilots and crews of each plane to express unit pride while building an almost superstitious rapport between man and machine.
Today, the tradition continues as the Marines of Marine Attack Squadron-311 painted bombs on the AV-8B Harriers that flew missions in Afghanistan while attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).
According to Capt. Matt Parker, VMA-311 pilot who flew missions over Kandahar, the bombs were painted by the Marines working in airframes during the deployment to signify each mission a plane flew. The bombs were painted upon the plane's return to the ship. "Every time we dropped a bomb, they (the ground crew) painted a bomb, and when we hit our targets, they painted explosions," said Parker.
While operating off of the USS Peleliu, anchored in the North Arabian Sea, the pilots flew numerous missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Parker flew 13 missions and dropped two bombs, both were explosions. He said he was a little surprised to see painted bombs on the planes he flew. "They just showed up on the jets one day. But, everybody loved it so they continued to do it," Parker stated.
Out of the six planes that deployed with the 15th MEU (SOC), all have at least one painted bomb, but jet number 55 holds the record with six painted under the cockpit on the left side. Because the pilots weren't assigned to one specific jet, this signifies that jet 55 flew the most missions. "It's motivating," said Staff Sgt. Jason Vanderberg, a VMA-311 ordnance Marine who went on the deployment. "It's just like a tick-mark to show how many missions we (VMA-311) flew." In total there were roughley 26 bombs painted.
It wasn't planned to paint the bombs, said Lance Cpl. Joseph Connor, VMA-311 ordnance Marine, "everyone pretty much just knew it was going to happen." He added it was done during the Gulf War, Vietnam and will most likely be done in the future. But, more than just acting as a track record, the paintings symbolize unit camaraderie and a break from the monotony of the mission.
According to an article published on www.library.arizona.edu, nose art "serves as a ritual to guard against bad luck and to strike terror in the heart of the enemy." But, for the Marines of VMA-311 who deployed with the 15th MEU (SOC), the art serves a bigger purpose. It acts as the words written on the pages of a history book to tell the story of how they participated in the war against terror.