F-14 NAVY TOMCAT IS CATAPULTED FROM THE DECK OF THE CARL VINSON, 2001-10-27 (photo)

A US Navy F-14 Tomcat jet fighter is catapulted from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson bound for a bombing strike against Taliban forces in Afghanistan October 27, 2001. The crew members, all wearing different colored shirts and carrying out different functions kneel to avoid the sound, thurst and fire of the twin jet engines. The 'shooter', far left wears yellow and signals for the aircraft to be shot. The green shirts are in charge of the catapult and manually hook the plane to the 'shuttle.' The red shirt is in charge of the bombs and missiles which are armed just prior to the launch. REUTERS/Jim Hollander JWH