Nimitz Completes Underway, Certified 'Outstanding'
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS061103-18
Release Date: 11/3/2006 2:38:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dustin Q. Diaz, USS Nimitz Public Affairs
USS NIMITZ, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) passed another milestone on the way to deployment when the crew successfully completed Tailored Ship’s Training Availability Nov. 2, after more than 30 days at sea.
According to Chief Warrant Officer Darrin Poole, Integrated Training Team (ITT) coordinator for Nimitz, the crew was more than prepared to demonstrate their level of skill and knowledge during more than 50 general quarters (GQ) and standalone drills evaluated by Afloat Training Group (ATG) Pacific since the ship returned from last year’s deployment.
“We’ve been sending folks to schools all through Planned Incremental Availability, and teaching them new positions within their repair lockers,” Poole said.
The graded evolution concluded with the ship’s most in-depth GQ drill this year, the Final Evaluation Problem, where the Nimitz crew simulated rescuing the ship after it was caught in the middle of a conflict between warring nations.
“The ship achieved all its objectives in a timely manner, and all of our training teams and watchstanders have been rated at T-3 by ATG, which is the highest proficiency level possible,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tara McArthur-Milton, ship’s training officer. “We already had a compressed schedule, and we’ve been flying many sorties this underway while completing our training cycle. So to have ATG rate us at outstanding is really something special.”
McArthur-Milton added the successful completion of TSTA achieves some of the departmental objectives needed to keep Nimitz eligible for another Battle Efficiency award. Nimitz won the Battle Efficiency Award in 2005.
The next major step for Nimitz is the Composite Training Unit Exercise, designed to integrate the ship with the rest of its strike group in preparation for next year’s deployment, Poole stated.
Nimitz is homeported in San Diego and is the flagship for Commander, Carrier Strike Group 11.
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