The Verse - Volume 30
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Purple Particulars

Who are the purple guys on an aircraft carrier?  They are crew members responsible for aviation fuels, nicknamed "the grapes."  The Navy uses a "rainbow wardrobe" to color-code all of the duties of the deck crew of a carrier. 

Much goes into flight operations aboard today's modern Navy aircraft carrier. Preparations for a launch very much resemble a well-choreographed ballet. Those involved in the evolution have specific, clearly-defined roles, and are easily recognizable by the color of their jerseys.

	Purple Aviation Fuels [nickname: "Grapes"]
	Blue Plane Handlers Aircraft elevator Operators Tractor Drivers Messengers and Phone Talkers
	Green Catapult and arresting gear crews Air wing maintenance personnel Cargo-handling personnel Ground Support Equipment (GSE) troubleshooters Hook runners Photographer's Mates Helicopter landing signal enlisted personnel (LSE)
	Yellow Aircraft handling officers Catapult and Arresting Gear Officers Plane directors
	Red Ordnancemen Crash and Salvage Crews Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
	Brown Air wing plane captains Air wing line leading petty officers
	White Air wing quality control personnel Squadron plane inspectors Landing Signal Officer (LSO) Air Transfer Officers (ATO) Liquid Oxygen (LOX) crews Safety Observers Medical personnel