By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) James Mitchell, USS Nimitz Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) sent its Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Department Head underway aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) May 18 to begin preparing for Nimitz' INSURV later this year.
Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Milligan, Nimitz' INSURV department head, departed with Reagan to gain first-hand knowledge as they conduct their scheduled INSURV.
"The best thing he will bring back is the knowledge and lessons learned from their INSURV," said Chief Warrant Officer John Penick, Nimitz' INSURV command trainer. "We will benefit first-hand by looking at how they are inspecting [Reagan]."
Learning from another ship's INSURV is a key training tool for succeeding in the upcoming INSURV.
"INSURV is a tremendously large and important inspection of the ship's overall material condition readiness," said Senior Chief Gunner's Mate (SW/AW) Greg Smiler, Nimitz INSURV Department's leading chief petty officer. "We're starting out early because we plan on doing above average."
Nimitz has established an INSURV Department to conduct training periods to teach personnel how to "recognize space discrepancies and know what to look for," said Smiler.
Additionally, the INSURV department is reviewing lesson's learned from previous INSURV'S and putting together a do's and don'ts training program, said Penick.
Milligan's observations on board Reagan, combined with INSURV Department's training program, will help Nimitz establish "a focused mission to get everything done right the first time with no re-work," said Penick.
Nimitz' INSURV is scheduled for October.
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.