Truman Sailors Engage In Demanding TSTA Drills

For my Florida friends the Truman is heading to you.

Here are some frequencies that have been heard recently. No guarantees that they will show up for this underway period but it is a start.

225.7250 226.2000 226.8250 232.6500 234.5000 234.9500 238.7000 252.3500 257.3750 259.4000 259.6000 261.4250 263.5250 267.5750 270.1250 272.0000 273.3500 278.1500 283.1500 283.6500 288.7250 289.6500 292.9000 294.9000 299.1750 322.7000 326.7500 327.8500 335.8750 337.3000 342.0250 354.5500 355.4500 367.2500 374.3000 384.1000

242.1250 VFA-11 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Riper c/s
245.3250 VFA-32 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Gypsy c/s
252.5250 VFA-37 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Ragin c/s
255.2250 VFA-37 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Ragin c/s
259.1750 VFA-105 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Canyon c/s
271.9000 Positive Identification and Radar Advisory Zone (PIRAZ)
275.5000 VFA-37 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Ragin c/s
277.8000 Fleet Common-Tactical/Warning
284.1500 Have Quick Time of Day (TOD)
343.5750 VFA-37 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3
361.0750 VFA-105 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3 Canyon c/s
367.6250 VAW-126 Sqdn A-A/CVW-3



Sailors perform fire drills on the flight deck onboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is performing carrier qualifications preparing for its upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ricardo J. Reyes/Released)

By Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Troutman, Truman Public Affairs

USS Harry S. Truman (at sea) (NNS) -- The crew of USS Harry S. Truman has a new series of challenges to embrace during the ship's current underway period. The Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) is a mandatory evolution designed to focus on developing the ship's self-training capability through its integrated training teams.

Truman will spend three weeks at sea engaging in the TSTA evolution as it prepares for its upcoming 2009 deployment.

"Overall, TSTA is a measure of how well the crew integrates and fights the ship together," said Lt. Cmdr. Cheryl D'Andrea, Truman's Training Officer.

During the course of Truman's current underway, the ship's crew will conduct 14 General Quarters drills, said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Lyle, Truman's damage control assistant. An estimated 900 Sailors will man the ship's repair lockers, and the drills will be integrated with every training team having a role.

"General Quarters will be the big evolution that affects everybody," Lyle said. "It's an all-hands evolution, from the damage control petty officers signing yoke every day to the tactical actions officer countering inbound missiles."

Each department on board Truman will have their own training agendas out of the Carrier Training and Readiness Manual (CNAFINST 3500.20A).

Upon completing TSTA, the ship will be certified to move on to the next phase of training to ensure deployment readiness.

The Afloat Training Group (ATG), a team of 17 personnel, is aboard Truman this underway period to evaluate the training teams and, in turn, help them learn how to better train their repair locker personnel.

"ATG is here to train the trainers during a training evolution," D'Andrea said. "They're on board to help us, to train and to provide constructive criticism. They're also looking for our documentation to ensure we're documenting our training performance properly."

With a significant amount of Truman's Sailors new to both the ship and its at-sea training evolutions, D'Andrea stressed the importance of the ship's crew working as one team and maintaining a positive focus throughout the duration of the TSTA evolution.

"Basically, we're trying to get everyone into the mindset that we are in foreign waters, mimicking a real-life scenario where we are fighting the ship," she said. "If we don't have proper damage control, the ship won't stay afloat for any length of time, but when you have personnel who are motivated and participating, that's half the battle right there."

Master Chief Fire Controlman (SW/AW) Joseph O'Brien, Training Department's leading chief petty officer, said he's confident the ship's crew will know exactly what to do should an actual casualty situation arise.

"In the event a real-life scenario occurs, you'll see the training come together," O'Brien said. "We're being trained this way so in the reality of a casualty, we'll know exactly what we need to do. If we train like we fight, when an actual situation comes up, it will be like second nature to us."

O'Brien said that despite the long hours being put in at sea, there's a purpose to the arduous training environments Truman's Sailors will endure in the weeks ahead.

"The end result is, with this training, we will be better able to self-sustain any damage we incur during deployment, ensuring everybody comes back home safe," said O'Brien.

Coming home safely is, of course, the most important part of any underway period, and by putting forth all their effort in the upcoming TSTA evolutions, Truman Sailors can ensure their safety for future underways, as well.

Ronald Reagan and CVW 14 Underway for TSTA/FEP

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 departed San Diego Nov. 27 to complete Tailored Ship's Training Assessment (TSTA), an intense training period designed to prepare the ship and embarked air wing for prompt and sustained combat operations at sea.

TSTA and the upcoming Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) are conducted by Afloat Training Group Pacific, and are designed to test a ship's ability to conduct multiple simultaneous combat missions and survive complex casualty situations under stressful conditions.

Rear Adm. Phil Wisecup, commander of the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, stressed to the officers and crew of Ronald Reagan and CVW 14 that the preparation for future strike group missions starts during TSTA/FEP.

"I don't know what we'll be called upon to do, but I can tell you that we'll face it together," added Wisecup. "We will be ready when the bell rings!"

A major part of TSTA and FEP will be testing the ship's damage control organization through a variety of events and general quarter drills scheduled during the underway period.

"Damage control readiness is an 'all hands' responsibility and is instilled in Ronald Reagan Sailors from the day they walk on board, said Senior Chief Damage Controlman (SW/AW) Brian Wilcox, Ronald Reagan's damage control division leading chief petty officer.

Scores achieved by the officers and crew during the FEP stage will apply to the annual "Battle E" award, given to the aircraft carrier deemed most ready for combat operations in the Pacific Fleet.

The Ronald Reagan Strike Group is scheduled to conduct the Composite Training Unit Exercise and a Joint Task Force Exercise early next year in preparation for a regularly scheduled deployment.

Lincoln Leaves San Diego, Begins TSTA

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James R. Evans, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducts a fueling at sea (FAS) with Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187). Lincoln is underway conducting Carrier Qualifications as part of a scheduled work-up off the coast of Southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James R. Evans

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) wrapped up two weeks of training and certification with a scheduled port visit to Naval Air Station North Island July 22-24.

Lincoln’s crew enjoyed two full days of liberty in the San Diego area while the ship took on personnel and equipment from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 in preparation for the next phase of operations.

Prior to the visit, Lincoln spent its first two weeks underway since completing sea trials and a nine-month Dry-dock Planned Incremental Availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash.

During the time underway, Lincoln completed carrier qualifications for the ship’s flight deck, including certification of its Precision Approach Landing System and Carrier Air Traffic Control, and performed carrier qualifications for four west coast Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS), according to Lincoln’s operations officer, Cmdr. Paul Mackley.

“We spent the first two weeks out to sea getting our basic qualifications so that we could move on to the next phase of training,” Mackley said. “We met all of our objectives and got good reviews from COMNAVAIR (Commander, Naval Air Forces) and AIRPAC (Air Forces Pacific). In all, we did 275 arrested landings for our own (flight deck) certification and another 652 for FRS carrier qualification.”

Lincoln also hosted a ship’s Materials Maintenance Management assessment assist team from Air Forces Pacific, performed two fueling at sea evolutions with USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), and conducted a number of shipwide training evolutions including man overboard drills and live-fire exercises.

Lincoln departed NAS North Island July 24 to begin a Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA). TSTA is designed to prepare the ship and crew for full integration into Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9.

“The primary objective of TSTA is to ensure that we can perform all of our self-sustained combat missions within the ship,” Mackley said. “It’s also our first chance to integrate with our air wing. Once we complete TSTA, we basically graduate and join the strike group.”

For Lincoln's crew, TSTA will mean a busy few weeks as the ship’s operational tempo ramps up to ensure that they are ready for the challenges of the next deployment.

“There will be flight operations pretty much every day, a lot of general quarters drills to ensure that the crew is ready and able to fight the ship in any situation, and a few underway replenishments,” Mackley said. “The other major component is our air defense [qualifications], including Close-In Weapons System shoots and a NATO Sea Sparrow shoot.”

The three-phase TSTA will lead up to a Final Evaluation Problem, in which the entire ship’s performance over a two-day event will be graded by Afloat Training Group and Air Forces Pacific before the ship can be certified by CSG 9.