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USS Mustin Prepares for ULTRA-C

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080305-11
Release Date: 3/5/2008 2:15:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Derek J. Hurder, Fleet Public Affairs Center Det. Japan

USS MUSTIN, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors aboard USS Mustin (DDG 89) prepared for an upcoming Unit Level Training Assessment-Certification (ULTRA-C) March 4, by spending three hours fighting simulated fires, flooding and personnel casualties during an integrated training team (ITT) scenario.

The scenario, which included simulated missile strikes, injuries and flooding spaces was the latest in a series of drills designed to test the crew's knowledge of damage control methods.

"ULTRA-C is part of our ship's training cycle," said Lt. j.g. Aubrey Young, damage control assistant.
"Afloat Training Group [ATG] boards the ship and assesses the ship's training teams, programs, administration, drills and evolutions, to make sure the ship is running properly and everything is in accordance with Navy technical manuals."

Young said ATG assessors will examine various aspects of the ship's ability.

"They're going to look at all our programs and how the Damage Control Training Team runs their drills and how we run our administration as a whole," said Young.

ULTRA-C will end with a final ITT scenario similar to the ones the crew has practiced over the past few weeks.

"They are looking to stress all the watchstanders to their limits and see if the ship as a whole can take on a whole mass conflagration situation," Young said.
"They want to see, if everything under the sun were to go wrong, would we be able to handle the situation."

The ship, which is currently on a scheduled underway, spent three weeks at sea preparing for the assessment, Young said.

"We're running constant drills and making sure our administration is set from top to bottom."

Personnel Specialist Seaman Recruit Cody Bender, who transferred to Mustin Feb. 7 with no formal damage control training, said the frequent drills have helped him learn quickly.

"The first few times, it was kind of tough to figure it out and get it all down, but three weeks later, I have it pretty much down pat," Bender said.

Young said he's seen many improvements since the training schedule began.

"I've seen improvements from everyone, including myself, the training teams, the watchstanders and the responders," Young said. "The biggest improvement I've seen is in the teamwork between repair lockers. Now that we've done it a few times, we're seeing that teamwork is what gets us through an extended drill like this."

For more news from USS Mustin, visit www.navy.mil/local/ddg89/.