Eightballers operate from Kuwait.

For most of the crew members aboard Carl Vinson (CVN 70), each day is defined by a routine. However, for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9's Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS) 8, the Eightballers, the average workday is not routine. And for their sailors, aircrewmen, maintainers, and pilots, even their workplace is not routine. HS-8 has expanded their role in the global war on terror by patrolling the skies above southeastern Iraq and the northern Arabian Gulf.

While half of the squadron remains aboard Carl Vinson to serve as plane guard and provide security, the other half is forward-deployed as a detachment to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The detachment's primary mission is to patrol southeastern Iraq--primarily Khawr Abd Allah and Khawr As Sabiyah, the waterways that separate Iraq from Iran and Iraq from Kuwait--and to fly maritime security operation patrols in the northern Arabian Gulf to protect vital infrastructure. "We are helping to bring stability to the region," said Executive Officer Cdr. Joey Tynch. "We're identifying smugglers and high interest contacts, and have the opportunity to work with coalition forces to protect main supply routes."

Qualified crew members rotate between the shore-based detachment and the sea-based squadron in order to divide the time they spend forward-deployed. Pilots and aircrewmen are split into two teams, Blue and Gold, with a two-week rotation ashore. The remaining sailors, mainly aircraft maintainers who care for the HH-60H Seahawks and their equipment, are on a four-to-six-week rotation. Select individuals have different rotation times due to their fields of expertise.

Having traded the sea for desert, the detachment and its mission present several challenges for the crew. The environment alone was a large hurdle for the aircraft maintainers, who are trained to work aboard ships and not in the desert. Sand and dust storms are normal occurrences in Kuwait and are most common between March and August. In these conditions, "everyone needs to look a little closer to their work," said ATC (AW) Mike Shelton, the maintenance chief on station at the Kuwait detachment. "Corrosion's worse out here, so we need to wash our aircraft every three or four days. We need to be more nit-picky."

Aside from constantly ensuring the squadron's aircraft are properly cared for, the maintainers also had to step out of their primary rate and become building structure electricians when the detachment first arrived at Arifjan. The "hangar" that the crew works out of is simply a large, three-room shack that was without electricity until HS-8 arrived. "When the first team got here back in March, there was pretty much nothing here," said Shelton. "The first team put in air conditioning, had power applied, and everything that's on the outside of the [hangar], they did that all themselves."

According to Shelton, these improvements to the quality of life for those working at the detachment could not have been done without teamwork--a concept that has a bigger meaning for the temporarily shore-based maintainers. There is only a minimal crew on station in Kuwait, so the HS-8 detachment may only have two people for a job normally performed by four or possibly more. Plane captain AT3 Brian Olson explained, "Everyone helps by chipping in and doing other jobs they're not normally trained for, whether it's ordnance, gear, or line work."

One sailor who made an effort to help the detachment's aircraft maintainers complete their mission was PR3 (AW) Justin Hand, one of the squadron's six aircrew survival equipmentmen. While still carrying out his own duties of maintaining the aviators' survival gear, he has helped with countless wash downs, line work, gear, and many other jobs in the maintainers' area of expertise. One of the challenges of the det, Hand described, is that "it's a lot more operational out here and I have to be quick on my feet and in my thinking. If something is broken or isn't working right, it needs to be fixed right then. It's not like on the ship where we can just grab a spare."

On the ship, the majority of the squadron's efforts are to serve as a plane guard and to provide security by identifying surface contacts and providing intelligence on contacts of interest. They also keep other surface ships, such as dhows, away from Vinson's path. In the desert, they must be equally focused on the mission that is given to them. According to AWCS (AW/SW/NAC) Chris Webster, "we fly low and fast, and we are focused on what's going on and ready to react to any threat and fight for the protection of the aircraft and its crew at a moment's notice."

The job HS-8 is doing in the desert, like so many others aboard their sea-based command, is not an easy one. The flight crews' hours never remain the same. Sometimes they take off from Patton Air Field, a large strip of asphalt shared with Army Blackhawk helicopters, as early as 0500 or as late as 1200. They then patrol the skies of Iraq anywhere from two to six hours before returning to the hangar. While in the air, the hazards for the aircraft, two pilots, and two aircrewmen are numerous. "We fly close to the ground, about 50 feet or so," said AW1 (AW/NAC) Sean Coburn. "We have to keep our eyes open for birds, trees, and wires, and our reaction time needs to be quicker. We work together as a team up there with two sets of eyes up front and two in the back. We fly aggressively and stay as on top of things as possible."

Accommodations for the detachment are a far cry from shipboard life, with 15-person tents and cots for berthing. A large chow hall feeds members of all four services, both enlisted and officers, who are stationed at Camp Arifjan, and three post exchanges provide just about any personal items that the Eightballers may need. Most nights the squadron members find themselves in their cots early, knowing that the next day is going to bring long, hard hours and several obstacles to overcome in order to do their mission and support the Iraqi and multinational forces on the ground.

"Our mission is an important one and out here we're able to see the results of our work first hand," said Webster. "Flying over Iraq and seeing our troops on the ground wave back at us, grateful that the U.S. Navy is out here doing our job helping to keep them safe, is very gratifying. Also, seeing Iraqi children and families waving back at us, grateful that we're here for them, makes a world of difference for us as well."

What is also in the minds of many of the helicopter squadron members are the families waiting for them back in the States. "We're indebted for the support we receive from our families," said Webster. "It's their sacrifice too that enables us to be here and do what we do."

Story by JO3 (SW) William Lopez

JO3 Lopez is assigned to the Carl Vinson Public Affairs Office and PHAN Valdez is assigned to the Vinson Photo Lab.