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Nimitz Performs Largest Ordnance Offload Since OIF

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031028-06

Release Date: 10/28/2003 12:34:00 PM

By Journalist Seaman (SW) Kristine DeHoux, USS Nimitz Public Affairs

ABOARD USS NIMITZ, At sea (NNS) -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) performed the largest ordnance offload with USNS Kilauea (T-AE 26), Oct. 23, 2003, since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The two-day evolution required a great deal of coordination between the two ships and its personnel to get the task accomplished safely.

"We had more ordnance combined than Lincoln and Connie both," said Nimitz Ordnance Handling Officer Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Poore, referring to the ordnance offloads of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and USS Constellation (CV 64). "Our weapons magazines were full when we left for deployment. They filled us to the gills in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

According to Poore, Nimitz was packed full of ordnance because three carriers were scheduled to leave the Arabian Gulf region around the time Nimitz entered the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. "They filled us with the expectation of us getting involved," he explained.

Nimitz dropped 125,000 pounds of ordnance during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and when time came to offload the remainder there was a lot of ordnance still left in the ship's magazines.

Planning for the evolution started 45 days prior when Poore began communicating with Kilauea's cargo master to coordinate the offload. "The coordination comes from working with Kilauea to find out what kind of ordnance she can take and how to break it up and prioritize what and how it's sent," said Poore.

It took 12 hours of vertical replenishment and five hours of connected replenishment each day to offload the nearly 4,264,688 pounds of ordnance from Nimitz to Kilauea.

The evolution required all the divisions in weapons department to come together as one team. "They're working around the clock with a limited amount of sleep," said Poore. "Usually we work about a 12-hour shift, but this required our people to work an average of 20-hour days. I'm really proud of oru guys for doing this well."

According to Poore, the Sailors who run the weapons elevators in particular did an outstanding job. "Most people don't understand how important our 10 weapons elevators are," he said. "They can only lift about 10,500 pounds each time, so it takes a lot of work getting all that ordnance up from below decks."

But G-3 division's Leading Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (AW) Timothy Zamora, said his Sailors couldn't take all the credit. "We can't move the ordnance up unless they're clearing the flight deck and the boatswain's mates keep sending it over, so it really requires a lot of coordination among the departments. No one stands out; it's one big team effort."

In addition to deck and air departments, the ship's damage control and security divisions also put a lot of work into the evolution.

"I don't think the Sailors mind the hard work though," said Zamora, "because doing the offload means we're headed home."

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and Carrier Air Wing 11 are currently returning from an extended 8-month western Pacific Deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terrorism.