EVERETT, Wash. (NNS) -- USS Ingraham (FFG 61) and her crew completed sea trials Sept. 11 as part of the last stage of the ship's three-month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) period.
Ingraham went to sea to assess the ship's material readiness and to check equipment serviced during SRA. The purpose of sea trials is to ensure that ships have the capacity to rejoin the fleet as a fully operational unit.
"Sea trials are an opportunity to take the ship out for some fresh air and get a feel for her again," said Chief Warrant Officer Michael Sparling, Ingraham's SRA coordinator. "It gives the crew the chance to get reacquainted with the ship and check out equipment and systems which haven't been used since the last underway."
Among the major equipment tested during sea trials were the gas turbine engines and the ship's service diesel generators, which went through various repairs and tunings during the previous months.
"Our mission is to complete SRA and sea trials as expeditiously and as safe as possible", said Chief Petty Officer Michael Moran.
The ship's crew also performed other important evolutions, such as testing the anchor and the small boat davit, that helped Ingraham Sailors regain proficiency lost during the extended time in port.
"Sailors want to be at sea. No one truly enjoys the yard period," said Lt. Brian Hamel, Ingraham's chief engineer. "We look forward to getting back to business."
Cmdr. Matthew Ovios, commanding officer of Ingraham, was pleased with the overall results from the SRA period.
"An industrial maintenance period is crucial to keeping our ships ready for tasking, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Todd Shipyard, and their sub-contractors did a good job of refurbishing and repairing a number of vital systems and ensuring that all jobs were completed on schedule. But I am extremely happy to be underway again, and I think the crew feels the same way."
