Beginning in the 1980s, female helicopter pilots got the opportunity to land on aircraft carriers, one of the most challenging maneuvers that a pilot could ever tackle. This MH-53 can operate from carriers and other warships. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the MH-53 was used primarily for Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM), with a secondary mission of shipboard delivery. Mine hunting and mine clearing operations were very successful during OIF.