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McCampbell Enhances Operational Capabilities

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090604-10
Release Date: 6/4/2009 4:11:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Byron C. Linder, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

USS MCCAMPBELL, At Sea (NNS) -- Combat information center (CIC) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) enhanced their combat operational skills during a visit from four Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) instructors May 26-31.

CSCS's course of instruction centered on a training scenario challenging the ship's watchstanders to provide air defense in an amphibious assault mission. CSCS instructors began the course of instruction in the classroom, reviewing the applicable reference material and ensuring McCampbell Sailors understood both the material and its proper application.

Upon completion of the classroom instruction, McCampbell's "Blue" and "Gold" CIC watch teams completed several training scenarios testing the watchstander's knowledge of proper tactical guidance.

Although CSCS's training scenarios are not standard McCampbell operational tasking, Lt. j.g. Richard Powell, surface warfare coordinator watchstander, explained the importance of training outside expected tasking.

"We normally aren't part of an expeditionary strike group; we're normally part of a carrier strike group," Powell said. "But this has been really helpful. In the forward-deployed naval forces, you have to be especially prepared and ready to go for anything."

CSCS instructor Jeff Patil praised the McCampbell CIC watch team's enthusiasm.

"The crew has been very excited and very into it. The operational tempo is so high here, but the same amount of training is happening," Patil said. "I want the CIC watch team to be as good as it can be and be as familiar and knowledgeable in tactical guidance as possible."

Powell said his comfort level has increased since completing the training.

"I've been doing this for about a month and as much as you can read and learn from a book, taking what you learn on paper and applying it provides a much different perspective," Powell said. "Here we can put it together and help us think about different ways to do training in the future."

McCampbell, commanded by Cmdr. Charles Johnson, is one of seven Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 and is permanently forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

For more news from Commander, Naval Forces Japan, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnfj/.