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GW Receives 250 Pallets of Ammo

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060311-12
Release Date: 3/11/2006 11:40:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jennifer Crowell, USS George Washington Public Affairs

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) took another step forward in combat readiness March 6 as the ship conducted an at-sea ammunition onload in more than a year. The onload is part of the ship’s preparations for the upcoming operations later this year.

Sailors in GW’s weapons and deck departments moved more than 250 pallets from USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) to the flight deck and hangar deck during simultaneous connected replenishment (CONREP) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP), taking a little more than three hours to complete the transfer.

“We’re getting back to combat readiness since coming out of the yards,” said Lt. Cmdr. Richard Sherman, GW’s ordnance handling officer. “This onload prepares us to do whatever the president wants us to do.”

The lift consisted of all types of bombs, missiles and small arms ammunition. Because of the nature of the onload, safety was a high priority during the evolution.

“We’re making sure Sailors aren’t driving the forklifts too fast,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW/SW) Marc Barney of Weapons Department’s G-5 division. “They are supposed to go as fast as walking speed, so there are safety walkers assigned to each forklift.”

Another safety issue is the amount of traffic in the hangar bays during evolutions such as this. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler) 1st Class (AW) Jack Willoughby, Air Department’s V-3 division’s leading petty officer, encouraged Sailors to avoid the hangar deck during the onload.

“There are a lot of forklifts moving around the hangar bays, as well as a lot of weapons being moved,” he said. “If Sailors avoided the area, the drivers wouldn’t have to worry about any obstacles.”

Barney agreed, adding, “If one person gets injured, the safety effort was all for naught.”

Once the weapons arrived in the hangar bays, Sailors went straight to work loading the lower stage elevators, sending the ordnance to the magazines. Successfully completing the move required a lot of communication at both ends.

“Ordnance Control maintains communications between the magazines and the elevators,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Stephen Tucker of Weapons Department G-5 division. “If something goes down the elevators, they call us.”

“Aviation Ordnancemen look forward to doing evolutions such as this,” Sherman said. “This is what we do. We can’t do our jobs without onloads.”