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Stennis' Arresting Gear Division Vital to Mission Success

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070702-03
Release Date: 7/2/2007 2:50:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class C. Gethings, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors in USS John C. Stennis’ (CVN 74) arresting gear division are some of the many shipboard personnel responsible for the safe recovery of aircraft on board the ship during its 2007 deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation (AOO).

Operating and maintaining five systems designed to trap and safely stop aircraft landing on board, V-2 division Sailors play a vital role in ensuring that flight deck operations on board Stennis remain safe day in and day out.

Stennis’ five landing systems include four arresting-gear wires and an emergency-landing barricade, each powered by its own hydraulic engine system designed to bring a landing aircraft to a stop in 340 feet or less. Components of the hydraulic engines reach pressures up to 10,000 pounds per square inch, manage more than 100 feet of steel cable and require numerous maintenance checks.

“There’s a lot of maintenance involved in all of this equipment,” said Chief Warrant Officer James Kay, aircraft launch and recovery equipment officer. “It’s heavy-duty machinery that obviously involves life and death. The pilots and the flight deck crews rely on that equipment to work the first time, every time. We don’t have any room for failure here.”

Keeping this equipment operating and properly maintained is the job of about 40 arresting gear personnel from V-2 who work around the clock. It takes 21 Sailors to man and operate the arresting gear during landing operations. A team works the night shift performing preventive and corrective maintenance on all of the equipment to ensure it stays in peak condition.

“The equipment is important, but what makes or breaks the safety of its operation is the Sailors; the mechanics don’t do it alone,” Kay said. “We all take pride in this, and that’s what keeps everyone going.”

Since arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO Feb. 19, Stennis and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 have provided support for coalition forces operating on the ground in both Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. By ensuring the carrier-based aircraft are able to conduct missions in support of coalition forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, V-2 division’s role on Stennis is critical to achieving mission success. Without their hard work, Stennis would not be able to carry out its assigned mission.

A lot of effort goes into the training of arresting-gear personnel, Kay added. The more senior personnel in the shop place a heavy importance on showing Sailors the ropes and getting them qualified. Every job done in arresting gear requires extensive training and the completion of a personnel qualification standard. However, training and qualifications aren't the only things Sailors need in order to continue performing at their peak.

“The toughest part of my job is making sure everyone’s morale is up,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Equipment 1st Class (AW/SW) Larry Thomas, arresting gear leading petty officer. “Once people lose morale, they aren’t as focused, and they don’t have their mind on their responsibilities and what they need to be doing, and that’s when things can start going wrong.”

Thomas said the division does everything it can to give his guys the time off they need and allows them to take advantage of no-fly days for rest and relaxation whenever possible. Most of the Sailors’ morale comes from knowing why they’re here and how they support the Navy’s mission in the area.

“We get recognition for what we do here, and we’re respected for it,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Equipment 3rd Class Robert Reed. “A lot of people depend on the work we do.”

Reed is responsible for performing maintenance on the arresting gear, and said even though it’s a tough job and he’s often working long hours, he takes pride in what he does. He knows how his role fits into Stennis’ mission and why it’s so important.

Behind every aircraft trap on board Stennis, there’s a team of hardworking arresting-gear aviation boatswain’s mates. Whether they’re operating machinery in the engine rooms, on the flight deck during landing operations or performing maintenance at night, every V-2 arresting-gear Sailor does his part to ensure all pilots and aircraft return to the ship safely.