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Training Taken Very Seriously on Tortuga

Story Number: NNS030225-14
Release Date: 2/25/2003 10:27:00 AM

By Ensign Justin Cole, USS Trotuga Public Affairs

ABOARD USS TORTUGA, At Sea (NNS) -- Perfect practice prevents poor performance. You play like you practice. That's the mantra aboard dock-landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) as she continues to drill and train in the Central Command area of responsibility.

Training has and always will be a part of the Navy life, but sometimes, the stakes are elevated and everyone takes their training a little more seriously. This is one of those times aboard Tortuga.

"We train for everything on a ship. You never know what kind of challenge may be thrown your way when you are out at sea, so you always have to be ready for anything," said Tortuga Main Propulsion Assistant Ensign Dana Gibson. "Just in the engineering plant, we have to train for casualty control procedures and damage control techniques. And that is the same no matter what part of the world we are in."

In addition to training for safety, drills have become part of the daily routine. Weapons firing exercises with simulated targets in the water have become extremely common. So have general quarters, man overboards drills and flight quarters.

Helicopters landing on Navy ships is nothing new; however, it requires constant practice under many different circumstances to assure proficiency.

"Standing at flight quarters for hours on end is not my idea of fun," admits Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Rory Heaghney. "We know how important it is, though, so it doesn't bother us too much. You never know when a pilot is going to have to do an emergency landing at night on very short notice. So the training definitely has a purpose - especially since we don't really know what is going to happen next out here. You have to be prepared for everything."

Another unique aspect of training taking on a tremendous level of importance in the region is chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) drills. Just as in the days of the Cold War, the threat of a CBR attack has caused the Navy to re-emphasize their CBR training program in recent years.

Besides being vaccinated for anthrax and smallpox, crew members also participate in frequent CBR simulated attacks.

"You never know. Especially in this region of the world, it really hits home that this is a possibility of something that we could face. It's nothing new. We have been preparing for CBR attacks in the Navy for years, but, since the fall of the Soviet Union, it has taken on a little less importance," said Damage Control Assistant Troy Pearson.

The crew admits that they already feel pretty well-trained, especially after being deployed for more than five months. But you won't see anyone complain about being too prepared.

"I'd rather be too prepared than not prepared enough," says Heaghney. When dealing with stakes as high as these, that might be the right attitude to have.