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Truman Flight Deck Ready in Record Time

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050904-01
Release Date: 9/4/2005 5:51:00 PM

From USS Harry S. Truman Public Affairs

ABOARD USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Sailors and civilian contractors gave their all beginning Sept. 1 to make sure the ship was ready to sail on short notice to assist relief efforts off the U.S. Gulf Coast.

With a 24-hour notice to get underway, a job that would have taken a week to finish had to be completed in a day and a half.

Civilian contractors had been working on the 4.5-acre flight deck for three weeks, replacing the deck's non-skid coating, which acts as a slip-resistant surface for aircraft and support equipment tires.

In light of Truman's likely role in supporting hurricane relief efforts, Truman’s Air Boss Cmdr. Doug Carsten, tasked Air Department Sailors and contractors with finishing the flight deck in record time.

“When we were told we were getting underway in 24 hours, no one expected the flight deck would be ready to go,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) (AW/SW) Jeff Brownlee, Truman’s flight deck chief. “We said we’d put our best foot forward and try.”

Of the 150,000-square-foot flight deck, 14,000 square feet of it still needed non-skid applied, and half of that still needed primer laid down first. After completing the monumental task of applying non-skid, the flight deck's markings then needed to be painted. In addition, an approximate 100-by-300-square-foot tent, which took five days to assemble, needed to be broken down and taken off the flight deck. This was a huge task that required reinforcements.

More than 60 Air Department Sailors, as well as 10 Sailors from Weapons Department and Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, went to work alongside the contractors to finish the job.

“It was pretty amazing to see the coordination from everybody to go out of their way to get everything done,” said Brownlee.

The contractors went to work laying down the primer and then rolling out the non-skid. The flight deck heated up to 120 degrees, which helped the primer to set faster. The contractors stayed up all night finishing the project.

Many of the Sailors also worked all day and half the night on a task that seemed unlikely to be completed.

“It looked like way too much work,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Shawn Conway. “When they told us we were getting underway, I went and looked at the flight deck and how much work needed to be done. I didn’t think it could be done; I’ve never worked this hard in my Navy career.”

At 1 p.m. the day the ship was supposed to get underway, all the work was done and the contractors’ equipment was off the flight deck. After Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet inspectors certified the flight deck was ready for flight operations, the ship had a green light to get underway.

“I know they’ve gotten other carriers prepared to get underway in that short of a time, but I’ve never seen it with this much work to be done,” said Brownlee.

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is currently on station off the U.S. Gulf Coast to help the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.