No. 08 - Grapes, or Purple Shirts Known as "grapes," the men and women wearing purple shirts are the carrier's fuel technicians.
This tough job requires them to maneuver through a swarming 4 1/2-acre flight deck to deliver the 200,000-plus gallons of jp5 jet fuel the carrier needs each day to keep aircraft, forklifts and dollies loaded and ready for action.
But during the heat of combat, the grapes don't have the luxury of pulling an aircraft aside for refueling. In an operation called "hot pumping," the fuel technicians navigate the unforgiving flight deck in close contact with live ordnance, as well as launching and landing aircraft, to deliver the lifeblood of the air wing.
PUZZLES: Put together these carrier jobs. QUIZ: Prove your carrier IQ with this Aircraft Carrier Quiz. More Top Tens
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