NAVY PERSONNEL SWEEP DECK FOR DANGEROUS OBJECTS ON USS INDEPENDENCE, 1998-02-07 (photo)

United States Navy flight deck personnel gather and sweep the flight deck for small objects which could pose serious problems for the F-14 Tomcat, F-A18 Hornet and SB-3 Viking jets flying from the aircraft carrier USS Independence February 7. The sweep of the flight deck, called a 'FOD Walkdown' for Foreign Object Damage, is carried out at least twice daily in order to collect small articles of debris. The Independence joins the aircraft carriers USS George Washington and the USS Nimitz in the Northern Gulf as they enforce Operation Southern Watch. IRAQ