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PCU Bush Officers Drive the (Simulated) Ship

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070726-04
Release Date: 7/26/2007 11:35:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Narina Reynoso, PCU George H.W. Bush Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) officers brushed up on their ship driving skills at the Marine Safety International (MSI) Navy Bridge Resource Management (BRM) course here July 16-18.

The 11 officers were the first group from Bush to attend the training.

“This training is different in that we are gathering all the people together from the same ship here in Norfolk as a crew [instead of going individually],” said PCU Bush’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Kevin O’Flaherty.

MSI has been providing ship-handling training for the Navy since 1974. The three-day BRM course aims to increase teamwork and situational awareness of bridge personnel.

At the MSI Ship Handling Complex, Naval Station Norfolk, Bush officers were able to focus on skills such as communication, situational awareness and decision making.

“The constant communication was critical to the team understanding how each member processes information, makes decisions and [eliminates mistakes]. Every member of the team is critical,” said Bush’s training officer, Lt. Cmdr. Thaveephone Douangaphaivong.

Each morning began with classroom lessons followed by simulated exercises in the afternoon which consisted of the Full Mission Bridge simulator and Bridge Wing simulator training.

“In the classroom portion we discuss the error chain elements and [other] things that contribute to collisions, and in the afternoon at the simulators, we get hands-on training [about] what we talked about [in the classroom],” said MSI facilitator Bruce Sonn.

The Full Mission Bridge simulator is a 360-degree theater that is designed for practicing team building. The Bridge Wing simulator tests individual skills, according to Sonn.

“The Bridge Wing simulator is more like individual training. We drove the ship alongside an oiler for an underway replenishment, we practiced pulling in and out of port, and we did a precision anchorage, just to name a few scenarios,” said Lt. j.g. Hiram Andreu.

Though this is the first training that Bush officers have done as a group while assigned to the Bush, many of the officers were already familiar with the BRM training.

“It’s the same kind of training that the XO and the Navigator have probably gotten [while at MSI’s Newport, R.I., training facility]. Individually many of us have done this [training] before,” said O’Flaherty.

Bush’s assistant navigator, Lt. David Neal, found the training especially important.

“It was a great intro on how the bridge works on a CVN. This training will really help us figure out how our bridge teams are going to work together effectively,” said Neal.

More officers and enlisted personnel, such as helmsmen and quartermasters, will be receiving the training to build their knowledge in the future, according to O’Flaherty.

“I hope that they [learn] increased individual skills in ship handling, increased confidence, and increased ability to prevent collisions and groundings,” said Sonn.

Bush is currently under construction at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard.