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Essex Offloads Ordnance for SRA

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090820-12
Release Date: 8/20/2009 3:59:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew A. Ebarb, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- Forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) conducted an ammunition offload Aug. 15-18.

The offload was a preparation for the ship's upcoming selected restricted availability (SRA). Sailors worked together to download the ship's weapons systems and clear the magazines of more than 1,400 pallets of ammunition.

"We've been pre-staging and emptying out the armory into the hangar bay so the workers from NMCEAD (Navy Munitions Command East Asia Division) can get it off the ship," said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (AW/SW) Terry Cox, quality assurance safety observer. "We have a lot of ordnance to move out, and we've had an array of people come together to make this happen."

Ordnance had to be offloaded because it presents a hazard during SRA when the crew will be performing a high amount of chipping, grinding and hotwork.

"This was my first ordnance offload, and it's been a great learning experience," said Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Edward Oyola. "It's been challenging because we all rely upon and have to work around one another. We've really have to coordinate carefully, but we're getting the job done."

The evolution required four months of preparation and more than 80 man hours from each of the 71 personnel involved.

"We've got the best ordnance team in the fleet working on this," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW/SW) Christopher King, retail ordnance logistics system administrator. "They're rolling right out of a successful COSAR (Coordinated Ordnance Safety Report) and right into the offload. They're getting it done efficiently, and they're making it look easy."

Essex is commanded by Capt. Troy Hart and is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. amphibious ready group and serves as the flagship for Commander Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. CTF 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.