By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kristan Robertson, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) are conducting general quarters (GQ) drills this November after a three-year pause while the ship was undergoing it's extensive mid-life overhaul at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va.
For Sailors who have served aboard Vinson during its tenure in the shipyard, the implementation of GQ drills signals an imminent return of the aircraft carrier to operational status.
"As a new Sailor on board the ship, I am impressed and assured with the ship's commitment to readiness, and I am confident our crew will learn and do what we need to during this training to protect the ship in the event of an emergency," said Electronic Technician Seaman Michael Rodman, CS-6 division.
Leading the efforts is the ship's Damage Control Assistant, Cmdr. Chris Majors. Now is the time for Vinson's crew to bring themselves to an at-sea state of readiness. GQ drills enhance the ship's ability to be effective as a war-fighting platform.
"GQ can be called away anytime we encounter potential threats to the ship at sea, whether it's an air, surface or subsurface contact coming toward the ship in an aggressive manner, or there's a fire that can't be handled by the ship's flying squad alone," said Majors. "It's about obtaining maximum readiness to protect our ship."
Carl Vinson is taking a 'crawl, walk and run' approach with bringing back proficiency in damage control drills. Initial goals for weekly GQ sessions center around ensuring members of ship's company are in the right place at the right time. This means Sailors report to their repair lockers in four minutes or less, material condition Zebra is properly set throughout the ship in 12 minutes or less, and watertight hatches are secured to maintain maximum battle integrity.
Proficiency with GQ drills only comes from practice and enthusiasm.
"It is especially important for every crew member to take time during GQ to learn their role and become proficient with it," said Majors. "If you look at USS Cole, USS Stark and USS Samuel B. Roberts, it wasn't just the damage controlmen handling the emergency, it was the entire crew who reacted to save the ship. Damage control, by way of GQ drills, is everyone's responsibility," said Majors.
USS Carl Vinson is currently undergoing its scheduled refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. The RCOH is an extensive yard period that all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers go through near the mid-point of their 50-year life cycle.
During RCOH Carl Vinson's nuclear fuel will be replenished and the ship's services and infrastructure will be upgraded to make her the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet and prepare for another 25 years or more of service.