ATLANTIC OCEAN, June 10, 2008 – At sea, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), nicknamed IKE, showed off fantastic coordination and operational flexibility as the three ships completed a massive ammunition off-load operation encompassing two other carriers, accompanied by a dry cargo ship.
This was from August 22 to 30, when the ship downloaded its 3 million pounds of ammunition onboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and the USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12).
A total of 1,764 vertical replenishment and connected replenishment transfers took place in the Atlantic Ocean. Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons 9 “Tridents,” HSC-11 “Dragon-Slayers,” and HSC-7 “Dusty Dogs” found key roles using the MH-60S Seahawk helicopters to transfer the mortar between the ships.
Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Alexis Armstrong, a leading chief petty officer of the G-5 division, likened the off-load to a major sporting event: “Off-loads and on-loads are like the Super Bowl for us.”
The careful preparation of IKE’s weapons department then saw 3 million pounds of ammunition stage on the flight deck and into the hangar bay.
Safety was paramount throughout the evolution.
Master Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jerome Ruffins, the department’s leading chief petty officer in the weapons department, emphasized that every division completed a safety brief before each ordnance evolution.
“We are moving a lot of heavy equipment and explosives, so safety is paramount,” Ruffins said. “So safety is paramount.” Officers, chief petty officers, and first-class petty officers patrolled the flight deck, hangar bay, and magazines constantly to ensure harsh safety standards.
Cmdr. Kent Davis, the officer in charge of weapons on the Eisenhower, praised team cooperation and dedication from the sailors involved. “It was a huge effort for the whole team to come together and make it happen,” he said, acknowledging that the undertaking was complex and grand.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, having just completed a long deployment in the Middle East, needed the operation to cycle the carriers through before their next deployments.
The USS Harry S. Truman was finishing up pre-deployment training, while the USS Gerald R. Ford was receiving scheduled maintenance after an extended Mediterranean deployment.
The good execution of this operation reveals that the United States Navy follows the safety and preparedness aspects of operations to ensure that the fleet becomes capable enough to take on any future assignments.