U.S. Sailors tow an F/A-18C Hornet aircraft assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as the ship conducts flight operations Oct. 19, 2014, in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility during Operation Inherent Resolve. President Barack Obama authorized humanitarian aid deliveries to Iraq as well as targeted airstrikes to protect U.S. personnel from extremists known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. U.S. Central Command directed the operations.