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Stennis Bomb Builders Certified to Support Maritime Security Efforts

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081028-11
Release Date: 10/28/2008 6:34:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Elliott J. Fabrizio

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At sea (NNS) -- Weapons department bomb assembly division (G-3) aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) earned their Mine Readiness Certification Oct. 22.

Naval Air Forces Weapons Safety and Training Team inspected Stennis to ensure their proficiency and accuracy assembling Quickstrike MK-62 mines while at sea.

"During the turn-around training cycle, one of the integral components of COMPTUEX is our ability to build aircraft-laid mines," said Stennis Bomb Assembly Officer Lt. Jason Parmley. "It prepares us and the air wing to deny any potential foe the ability to use a strategic waterway or a harbor."

G-3's aviation ordnancemen practice mine building on a regular basis; however, five minemen from Mobile Mine Assembly Unit 1's (MOMAU1) Carrier Contingency Team provided G-3 with training to further prepare them for inspection.

"They do it everyday, while we do it only as required," said Parmley. "They came out and showed us some nuances and some of the ways they have learned over the years to expedite building these mines."

"The Stennis Sailors in G-3 have excellent knowledge on how to build a mine, so we just taught them little tricks we've learned, because we do it all the time," said Carrier Contingency Team Leader Chief Mineman (SW) David Epton.

With the help of MOMAU1, Stennis passed the inspection with speed and accuracy that ranked at the top of the fleet, said Parmley.

"We've had numerous accolades, including being the fastest and the best in the fleet, and we hold our guys accountable to it," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (SW) Justin Duran.

After their gear is set up and inspected, G-3's aviation ordnancemen can assemble one Quickstrike mine every five minutes, said Parmley. This enables the ship to store its mines as kits and still be capable of quickly providing the air wing with mines as needed in an operational situation.

"If we had all these items already built up aboard the ship, they would occupy an inordinate amount of space," said Parmley. "It makes a lot more sense to have these components broken down, and then we can store them and maximize the space we have on the ship."

With their certification, Stennis is ready to build and use mines to safeguard waterways and to limit the mobility of enemy ships.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn74/.