Liberty Long Time Coming For Wasp
Navy Newsstand
Story Number: NNS040713-22
Release Date: 7/14/2004 2:46:00 AM
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Mark C. Schultz, USS Wasp Public Affairs
JEBEL ALI, United Arab Emirates (NNS) -- After 60 days at sea, the crew of amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) moored in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, June 21 for some much needed rest, relaxation and repairs.
This is the second time Wasp has pulled into Jebel Ali since it left on deployment with Expeditionary Strike Group 2 in February.
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) offered several tours and tickets to local attractions. Sailors could go four wheeling, off-roading, camel-riding, paintballing, spend the day at the water park or tour the local city of Dubai. Interested Sailors paid reduced prices, because MWR and the United Services Organization helped subsidize the cost.
"There are not many liberty ports Wasp can stop at in 5th Fleet," said Wasp Commanding Officer Capt. James Wise II. "Most of the crew enjoyed Jebel Ali because of its close proximity to the city and beaches. We were also able to get some repairs done to the ship while we were here."
Wasp was in need of maintenance that was completed in port. While most of the crew was on liberty, civilian contractors and duty personnel worked on the flight deck, refrigerators, evaporators and several other projects.
"We were able to schedule a Voyage Repair Upkeep for the ship," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Danni Rogers, Wasp's repair officer. "Some of these repairs were critical and wouldn't have been able to be completed if we weren't in port."
The two most critical repairs were made to the flight deck and refrigerator units.
"We knew the flight deck was in bad shape," said Cmdr. James Hunter, Wasp's air boss. "The deck was discolored, and bits of non-skid were beginning to flake off in the AV-8A Harrier launch path. The problem wasn't that bad, but by the time the Marine ACE [Air Combat Element] returned, the flaking non-skid would have caused significant problems for aircraft."
Non-skid is a thick paint with grit, giving the deck a profile to create traction. If the non-skid is worn down or not laid properly, it can begin to flake or peel off, becoming foreign object debris (FOD). When aircraft are launched, FOD can be sucked into jet engines and cause serious damage.
"SRU [Ship Repair Unit] Bahrain arranged for a local company in Jebel Ali to make the repairs," said Rogers. "The company is very experienced. They do work on all the ships that stop on deployment."
Contractors worked in shifts during the day and throughout the night.
"The contractors pulled up the deck during the day and at night, under the right temperatures, they would lay non-skid," said Wise. "They were out there in 100 plus degree weather during the day. They obviously took pride in what they did, making sure each step was completed properly."
As workers pulled up and replaced almost 14,000 square feet of flight deck, other workers were below decks fixing refrigeration units.
"The reefers have been a problem for the past three weeks, not cooling as they should be," said Wise. "The problem started small and continued to grow. Fortunately, the problem didn't affect the food at all."
"We had a technical representative from Naples, Italy, come aboard to look at the reefer units," said Rogers. "They were able to troubleshoot and correct the problem."
Other repairs included replacing 260 square feet of deck in the "Stinger Zone," one of Wasp's recreation rooms; chemical cleaning for both evaporators; and maintenance on the main engine condenser.
"Everything went very smoothly," said Rogers. "These guys worked hard and put in long hours to get the job done. I am very happy with the end result of this voyage repair."
As contractors finished up, the crew prepared to get back to work.
"This was a well deserved port visit," said Wise. "Everyone needed a chance to shop, eat and relax. The repairs to the ship were definitely a bonus."
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