USS Nimitz Completes Sea Trials

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Patton, USS Nimitz (CVN 68)

SAN DIEGO – (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) successfully completed sea trials July 2.

Nimitz departed Naval Base Coronado June 29 for the first time in three months to test and evaluate Nimitz' main engines along with other equipment after conducting a 30-day Carrier Incremental Availability.

"These guys have done a tremendous job," said Capt. Paul Monger, Nimitz' commanding officer. "It's very impressive to see a group have a long layoff yet still be able to get right back in that operational mindset."

One example was Engineering department's push to ensure their equipment was fully operational. The department ran tests on aircraft elevators, doors and catapults.

"It went smooth," said Senior Chief Machinist's Mate (SW/AW) John Welch, leading chief petty officer of Engineering A-Division. "The 30 percent turnover in personnel didn't affect anything."

Some evolutions, like the high-speed power turns, involved many different departments and impacted them differently.

"For us, the main concern was shaking off the dust after a three month layoff making sure we had the same skill sets in place," said Master Chief Quartermaster (SW/AW) Robert Barber, leading chief petty officer of Navigation. "It had been 11 months since we last pulled out of San Diego, so the expectation was that we'd be rusty. But everything went smoothly."

Nimitz also successfully tested its aqueous film forming form (AFFF) system on the flight deck and the hangar bay. The objective was to ensure all the AFFF sprinklers were working and covering their assigned areas.

Nimitz is the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 11. Nimitz returned home to San Diego March 26 after completing a successful eight-month Western Pacific deployment.