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GW Fuels Up for 'Partnership of the Americas'

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060410-01
Release Date: 4/10/2006 9:32:00 AM

By Photographer’s Mate Airman Kenneth R. Hendrix, USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) completed an underway replenishment at sea (RAS) with USNS Kanawa (T-AO 196) off the Florida coastline April 7, to take on fuel as the ship heads south for “Partnership of the Americas.”

The RAS process takes place in the hanger bay, flight deck and replenishment stations, transporting fuel from one vessel to another vessel. Seven decks below the hanger bay, GW Air Department’s fuels division (V-4) plays a huge role in making the sure the RAS can happen.

“You have to prepare yourself before the RAS even comes,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Airman Billy Molina of V-4, “because you have to make sure that you have enough room to take on the amount the fuel coming on board.”

For this RAS, 22 tanks were opened and available for the amount of fuel to be transported during the fuel replenishment transfer.

“We brought on 400,000 gallons,” said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Anthony Impeartrice of GW’s deck department. “Everything went by pretty quick, bringing on about 1,000 gallons a minute once we got pumping.”

Sailors on GW’s flight deck stand watch to ensure every single gallon is properly transported from ship to ship with no mishaps.

“We are standing on station looking over the water,” said Airman Aristen Wiggins of V-4. “We stand on the catwalk, communicating with our control talker to make sure that there is no fuel spilled.”

As the fuel is pumped from Kanawa, one of the two fuel control rooms must get information from the two fueling stations to ensure the RAS is coordinated properly.

“Each station reports what they are doing, the pounds per square inch and differential in pressure,” said Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Dakeem Coleman of V-4. “I’m logging that information to make sure no station is actually getting separated from the hoses bringing on the fuel.”

The other fuel control room on the seventh deck of GW is the focal point where the fuel will be distributed throughout the ship, so the fuel can be processed and cleaned by V-4 below-deck personnel.

“I give all commands and signals, and no fuel moves around the ship without me having knowledge about it,” said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels) 1st Class (AW/SW) Travis A. Rivers of V-4. “Once the fuel goes through the downcomer to the seventh deck and transferred to one of the two JP5 pump rooms, we have to strip the fuel to remove some sediments and water through a rigorous process to purify the fuel.”

The quality assurance of this particular RAS put GW at a 96 percent top-off level in JP5 fuel to fully run the embarked aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17. The JP5 aboard GW can also be transferred to ships operating with the GW Carrier Strike Group during operations in the Caribbean Sea.

“Partnership of the Americas” is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored maritime training and readiness deployment of U.S. Naval forces with countries from the Caribbean and Latin America, in support of objectives for enhanced maritime security.

GW left Norfolk Naval Station April 4 for “Partnership of the Americas” and is scheduled to return to her homeport later this spring.