USS Constellation Celebrates Christmas

USS CONSTELLATION, THE PERSIAN GULF - DECEMBER 24: U.S. Navy sailor Rick Pellicciotti from Follansbee, West Virginia, dressed as Santa Claus gives a knitted cap gift to Adam Borden from Kansas City, Missouri, on the deck of the USS Constellation December 24 , 2002 in the Persian Gulf. The crew of the aircraft carrier celebrated Christmas one day early because they have a full day of work on Christmas day. The war planes from the aircraft carrier have the mission to patrol the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. The no-fly zones in southern and northern Iraq were established after the 1991 Persian Gulf war to prevent Iraq from carrying out airstrikes against Shiites in southern Iraq and Kurdish forces in the north of the country. The zones have been patrolled by the United States Air Force and Navy and by the British. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)