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Day One | DayTwo
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Four | Credits
Day Three- February 15, 2009
“Fairly
heavy rolls”
At 0630, Capt. O’Flaherty
makes an announcement on the ship’s PA: “We will
get to the steering checks plus or minus five minutes of 0645
this morning. Smoking sponsons, if you can get out safely,
are now open until 0645. At 0645, expect to take some fairly
heavy rolls between that time and 0730 this morning.”
This is the test I had heard the most about. Since we are
not allowed outside “the skin of the ship,” I
head to the hangar deck to see what the fuss is all about.
A lot of people have assembled there, and when the “fairly
heavy rolls” start, you can see people leaning into
the turns and laughing. On the last day of sea trials, almost
everyone I talk to tells me this was their favorite part of
the trip. – Jim Roberts
Rock
and Roll
6:15 a.m. Chief’s Mess, and the captain has just announced
the imminent start of the high-speed turns. So the clean plate,
tray and utensils I just picked up are returned to their places,
and I gaze back fondly at the waffles as we start for the
ladders to take us up 12 decks to the 09 level on the island.
Upon opening the door to the weather deck, we are greeted
by 50 mph winds with gusts to 60. It’s a strong taste
of what one can experience on a fast ship in bad weather,
and this ship is fast. One of my cameras starts acting up,
and the back-up camera is starting to follow suit, so
Gaylon and I decide to drop down one deck to avoid
the possible interference from the radars above our heads.
On the O8 level, we find suitable places to frame the stern
of the ship with radar domes and yardarms while we brace for
the coming excitement. The fun is not long in coming as the
ship heels quickly over in a turn causing one corner of the
flight deck to drop well below the horizon. A minute or two
in that position and then the deck is quickly moving in the
opposite direction. As the starboard deck edge approaches,
the ocean spray from waves hitting the side of the ship is
blown up and over into mare’s tails of water. The wake
shows telltale S’s behind the ship as short-lived evidence
of our quick maneuvers. I leave the O8 level hoping I’d
managed to keep the horizon somewhat level in the photos while
bracing against the severe lean angle that far above the water.
– Chris Oxley
The
anchor windlass
“The sound of an anchor being dropped
freefall has been compared to that of an F-18 coming off the
flight deck!”
Day 2 of testing -- we’re up at the most forward portion
of the ship -- frame 1 -- also called the Foc’sle --
where we are observing a test and demo of the anchor windlass,
the machinery and process to release, drop and also raise
the massive anchor and chain, in a control test and then at
free fall, with Navy crew of seven performing specific tasks
and training to perfect their anchor-handling process.
This job takes some skill and requires training -- the team
is handling 60,000 pounds of anchor and chain. We learned
that the chain is recycled from USS America (retired
aircraft carrier) and the anchors are from USS Independence.
Standing by to observe the test is Mr. Howard Chamblee,
shipbuilder and general foreman in the Machinery Installation
Dept. (X43), who works on all deck machinery. The machinery
involved was built by a supplier; Howard and his crew were
responsible for installing it and making sure it all works
together. Howard has worked at the shipyard for 25 years.
“We install all of the machinery -- everything that
moves on here, we installed it,” he says. “We
are here to be sure that everything does what it’s supposed
to -- to make sure the brake doesn’t overheat, that
everything does what it’s supposed to and it all works
the way it should.
“I have been in the shipyard for 25 years,” he
continues. :I started out as an hourly worker, as a helper,
and worked my way up. I learned all of what I know on the
job. This is my sixth (sea) trial – I was on Lincoln,
Roosevelt, Washington, Stennis
and all the rest of them that came behind that. I do all deck
machinery -- weapons elevator, aircraft elevator, all these
shops, I work with all of that.”
When asked what it means to be here, participating in the
sea trial for the last of the Nimitz-class carriers,
he says, “Just knowin’ that you worked on it,
that we built it, and just being able to see it all work,
being able to see it all finished -- that’s a blessing
to me. When you see the finished product -- that makes me
very proud.”
I wondered aloud, now that this trial is soon to complete,
what is next in store for Howard?
“As soon as this is finished, I’m supposed to
be going right to work for 78 -- doing the planning -- getting
ready for and starting construction on that ship.”
When asked if he’s looking forward to going out on
sea trials for the future USS Gerald R. Ford, Howard
says, “Yes, I should be here for all that -- I don’t
plan on retiring anytime soon!” - Margaret
Mitchell-Jones
AFFF
testing
Brad Shook watches the AFFF
testing from the O7 deck on the island. The AFFF system is
used to put out airplane fires on the flight deck and in the
hangar bay. A volunteer firefighter in Gloucester, Brad started
working at the shipyard four and a half years ago. “This
is all I know,” he says. “I put in the fire main,
AFFF – every fire system on this boat, I’ve worked.
… It’s pretty neat doing fire systems on an aircraft
carrier and doing fire systems back home.” A pipefitter
is walking the deck, inspecting the AFFF heads. I ask Brad
why he isn’t down there. “They got it,”
he says. “It’s too cold and windy out there for
me.” A couple seconds later, he adds, “I’d
go out there, but the rain suits aren’t big enough for
me.” – Jim Roberts
In
case of emergency
TAO (Tactical Action Officer) Jeff Moen
sits in the Combat Direction Center (CDC) and monitors what
looks like at least 10 screens ensuring the Bush isn’t
in any danger. “The CDC is the heart of the ship’s
self defense systems,” he says. “We identify our
friends and foe in this room. We have planes to attack, but
if needed, the ship is equipped with missile systems and manned
machine guns.” – Lauren Green
“Ready
to go on day one”
In the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC),
Terry Mamril is inspecting integrated communications
terminals for SupShip. He’s done installations before,
but it’s his first sea trials and his first time inspecting.
“It’s a great experience to actually see the ship
in action,” he says. “I’ve always been aboard
ships pierside at Newport News or Norfolk.” While we’re
in the CATCC, CDR “Mighty” Quinn, the Air Ops
Officer, asks if we’ll send him some photos of the ship
in action, since he’s leaving in a week for a tour at
NAS Lemoor in California. The sea trials included helicopter
landings and take-offs and some PALS flight operations, but
no catapult launches or arresting gear landings. That will
come during flight deck certification. “I’m bummed
that I didn’t get to do what I came here to do,”
CDR Quinn says. “But I’m happy that I’ve
gotten our crew trained and ready to go on day one, so I consider
that a major accomplishment.” – Jim
Roberts
From
warship to worship
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At 1630, Chaplain Wiggins leads
a Protestant worship service – complete with the ship’s
choir, a keyboard player and a drummer – in the anchor
windlass area in the bow of the ship. It has been moved several
times because of the test schedule, but even on short notice,
a congregation of about 50 crew members and shipyard workers
shows up. LCDR Matthew Rivers, Deputy Command
Chaplain, welcomes everyone, joking that the service will
be followed by a potluck supper in the O2 mess – “all-you-can-eat
and sponsored by Sysco foods.” On a more serious note,
he adds, “What a great thing it is to know that our
government makes such a priority to make worship available
to all of us, no matter where we find ourselves.” He
also acknowledges the presence of the Shipbuilding employees.
“I’d like to thank our guests here,” he
says. “You know you all made this worship service possible,
helping us get this great ship built, and thank you for the
quality space that you’ve given us.” – Jim
Roberts
“The
Trial Center is where it all happens”
We’re down three ladders from the hangar
deck, on the third level of the ship, tucked away in the five
small rooms that comprise the Trial Center. These rooms are
crammed with computer screens and clipboards and telephones
manned by shipbuilders, Navy technicians and observers and
government reviewers – all checking maps and reviewing
programs and phones ringing and data getting traded on the
over 300 demos and system tests taking place round the clock
during the four days of underway sea trials. To the casual
observer, the trial center resembles a political campaign
center or air traffic control tower or a TV studio behind
the scenes during the evening news with all of the activity
going on.
We’re talking with Topside Trial Coordinator Paul
Hecker and Trial Coordinator Matt Vincent
(who puts all of the plans together). Trial Director Jim
O’Brien, who oversees all of the testing, standing
nearby.
“Overall, from the test and Trial Center, we have run
about 250 demos, 75 system tests conducted by Navy and industry,
side by side,” Paul says. “We’ve got representatives
from the ship’s company, NAVSEA 08, Industry coordinators
and contractor support. ... There are three trial centers,
between 50 and 75 people for each location – one for
propulsion, one for topside equipment (stores elevator, steering,
galley equipment, medical and dental equipment, sanitation
(MSDS) – all equipment that isn’t propulsion or
communications) – and one for electronics testing (radars,
combat systems, and communications).”
Paul is coordinating the topside equipment testing –
things that are essential to the life and work of the crew,
like the galley equipment, the stores conveyors, weapons elevators,
the anchor winches, the medical and dental spaces, the marine
sanitation system, rigid hull inflatable boat deployment –
so many systems. The topside equipment group had successfully
completed 22 of 23 tests and 161 of 175 demos of equipment
and systems planned for their area when we spoke with him
on the third day of the trials.
The Trial Center was set up a couple of days before we got
underway, with computers and data acquisition systems and
communications channels set up ahead of time, so that when
the tests and demos were ready to run, there would be real-time
data collection and issues or challenges could be communicated
immediately and test data could be closed out and certified
on the spot. “The leadership running the trials goes
from trial to trial, so their experience and ability to manage
the demos and tests, and guide the ship’s company as
they familiarize with the systems is a key performance parameter
to a successful trial,” Paul says. “A few people
in here haven’t slept much for the past few days, but
all are focused on meeting any challenges and concluding the
trials successfully.” – Margaret Mitchell-Jones
A
room full of important people
The ship’s Trial Center, which once was a small space
packed with about 30 to 35 engineers, admirals and Newport
News senior management, is now a place were you can only find
about 10 people. Those left have coffee in their hands and
smiles on their faces as sea trials are a success and we’re
about to return home the next day. While in the Trial Center,
I stumble into Rolf Bartschi, chief nuclear
engineer and vice president, Waterfront Nuclear Engineering
and Test, who was a permanent fixture in the center throughout
trials. “Builder’s Trials were a great success,”
he says. “Testing was performed and proved all equipment
and systems are up to par. This weekend was truly an example
of the superior teamwork between shipbuilders, crew, SupShip
and NAVSEA.” – Lauren Green
“This
is hard. It is just hard.”
We are standing on a darkened bridge with the
Officer of the Deck and various crewmembers who are all engaged,
looking at displays and reviewing charts. We are talking with
Bridge Watch Mike Wallace of the Test Engineering
Dept. (E25), who is coordinating communication between the
Trial Center and the bridge – serving as a liaison and
making sure communication for test execution is coordinated
with the crew and bridge. The busy Trial Center calls up to
the bridge, Mike talks to the officer of the deck to get the
ship in the right position and speed and ready to conduct
the test.
Trial Director Jim O’Brien is in the
Trial Center directing the test events, while Mike sets everything
up for Jim with the ship’s leadership. “The most
important thing is planning ahead when we have to adapt to
change,” O’Brien says. “A good representation
of how we have to adapt is how much the plan we came into
the sea trial with has changed while we are underway. It is
always the case where we have to re-sequence the trial, work
with speeds, weather and other traffic in the area and so
on – we constantly have to change things. If we see
we have a delay, we try to get other things done to recover
lost time with planned test – can be behind 12 to 18
hours at any time during a plan, but we were re-sequence things
and finish on time.”
“Success requires teamwork,” O’Brien continues.
“If we get underway late, or get behind, the team and
their experience and their ability to adapt and recover schedule,
make it possible to succeed. Experience and the ability to
adapt – that is the key to a successful trial.”
It is a big team effort – between the ship, the trial
team and the government. The shipbuilders are responsible
for the trials and performance of the equipment, but the government
oversees the trial and are the authority to validate and approve
the tests and results.
“The same team that conducts carrier trials also conducts
the submarine sea trials,” Mike says. “Jim runs
both carrier and submarine trials – we borrow lessons
learned across each platform, each trial. The thing that is
most similar is the ability to shuffle things within the trials
– to look ahead and be able to shuffle things and put
the pieces all together that makes the most sense and still
meet our schedule. Which we did.”
Jim sums up by saying, “The thing I’ve
learned is to get the right team in place, get the technical
experts to the right places so that they can execute the trial
based on their experience and they bring with them the ability
to adapt. I pretty much stay in the same place and collect
the data from the experts running the test. Data acquisition
displays also help, it’s a process improvement to collect
data real time- to control everything from the trial center.
Acquire the data from the computer and the program files the
data into the test data analysis and processes the results
– we take instrumentation and get it evaluated in real
time to complete the testing.” – Margaret
Mitchell-Jones
The
Late Night Show
 View
Video
It’s our last night at sea, and things are winding
down; shipbuilders are preparing to depart the next morning,
and the ship’s crew is becoming scarce. It’s about
9 p.m. as the team heads down to the main galley for karaoke.
Shipbuilders and crew, from enlisted to officers, are gathered
around, all laughing, clapping and cheering on one another.
It’s a great time for all. Other entertainment offerings
included Bingo and the popular video game Rock Band. But shipbuilder
Tex Massengale of the Aircraft Carrier Engineering
Machinery Dept. (E64) steals the show, as he performs a country/western
song that had the audience laughing, singing along, clapping
and asking for more. Once he was finished and several more
participants had their turns, the crowd was yelling, “Put
the shipbuilder up there again.” It was a perfect way
to close out sea trials even though we still had another day
ahead as we headed home. – Lauren Green
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