New Damage Control 'Wet' Trainer Floods Students
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS091101-02
Release Date: 11/1/2009 6:40:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Mark Logico, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Center of Naval Engineering (CNE) Learning Site, Pearl Harbor opened a new $2.5 million surface damage control trainer (SDCT) in Pearl Harbor Oct. 23.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Walls, the officer-in-charge, and Senior Chief Damage Controlman (SW/AW) Michael Ashton have been leading the charge to build the new SDCT.
They built the trainer to simulate the conditions aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) when the ship struck a mine in the Persian Gulf April 14, 1988.
"It really is a state of the art facility," said Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific Commanding Officer, Capt. Michael Ryan. "You'll find that we are going to make a giant step forward in making sure our Sailors are prepared to combat casualties at sea."
Walls said the new wet trainer is the culmination of more than 10 years worth of conception, planning and construction.
"Construction is very similar to the wet trainer at CNE Norfolk and builds on the best of CNE San Diego and CNE Great Lakes wet trainers for hands-on damage control training," said CNE Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Roger McCormack.
The SDCT is a two-level facility that features compartments with battle damages, such as ruptured bulkheads, broken pipes and a flooded hatch. Alongside the wet trainer is a two-story water tank holding 20,000 gallons of treated water that can be used to flood compartments on both levels.
Students wade through a flooded compartment while they perform shoring and plugging to repair damages, making the scenarios even more intense.
"The trainer has eight separate damages," said Walls. "We could inflict one through eight. Most of our scenarios, we are going to implement all eight because that's going to truly test the students."
Despite the battle damages, the look and feel of the facility is similar to any modern U.S. Navy ship, complete with battle lanterns, a repair locker room and non-skid flooring. Sound effects through the 1MC and general alarm were also added for more realism.
"When students come in, they should get the sense that they're actually on a frigate operating in the Persian Gulf at any time, day or night," said Walls. "That realism adds to the training environment."
During the final design phase and construction of the trainer, Ashton made several modifications that would make the trainer look and feel like a real ship.
"The bulkhead wasn't painted the correct color," said Walls. "The ladder wasn't quite the right degree of incline. For realism, Senior Chief Ashton had a major part that he was able to catch [the inconsistencies] before it went to final print. It just enhanced the trainer even more."
James Webb, the project engineer from TJ Inc., which won the bid to build the trainer, worked with Ashton during construction. Ashton was very specific in what he wanted in the trainer, said Webb. Ashton said this trainer would some day save lives.
The SDCT was also built to reduce operation costs and environmental impact. The trainer recycles its own water, which means the water used in each scenario is not dumped into the public sewage. The water is fed back into the tank and is treated for the next exercise.
"At some point the $2.5 million will actually come back to us in cost savings," said Walls. "The trainer was approved for environmental purposes, cost savings and lower maintenance, so there are less manning requirements."
CNE Learning Site Pearl Harbor plans to train an average of 300 students per week, for 42 weeks a year. The new wet trainer will be used to train not only Sailors stationed in Pearl Harbor but also the U.S. Coast Guard and Junior Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps. The trainer will also be used during the chief induction season as a team-building exercise.
"As scenarios or casualties go, there's nothing more frightening to a Sailor at sea than a fire or flooding casualty," said Ryan. "To be able to go into one of these trainers and practice combating that here on land in the safe confines of the trainer and be able to develop the skills necessary to save the ship, I can't tell you how important that is."
Walls and his staff look forward to training more Sailors in the fleet using the collective experiences from the crew aboard Samuel B. Roberts.
"[USS Samuel B. Roberts] is a great story of a crew that took in the training that they have learned," said Walls. "[The Roberts crew was] known as a very battle-efficient crew, and that training paid off later when the actual mine hit."
In an article published in Surface Warfare Magazine in 1988, "This is No Drill! Saving the Sammy B.," by Lt. j.g. Kenneth A. Heine, the crew recounted the incident in the Persian Gulf.
"None of us could believe what we were seeing," said Electronic Warfare Technician 2nd Class Fernando Cruz, who was topside on board Samuel B. Roberts April 14, 1988. "There was flaming lagging and debris raining down on the deck and smoke everywhere. I thought the helo might have blown up."
The Oliver Hazard Perry class-frigate had in fact found itself in the middle of an Iranian minefield in the Persian Gulf. Samuel B. Roberts Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Paul X. Rinn, announced to the crew that the ship had entered mine-infested waters after lookouts spotted three mines during escort operations.
In an attempt to avoid the mines, the ship backed up in its own wake. The ship eventually struck a mine and the resulting explosion violently lifted Samuel B. Roberts' stern 10 feet into the air.
"We took cover immediately under the antenna," said Cruz. "As soon as the debris had all come down, I shouted, 'Let's go!' then hit the deck and started hauling hoses down to the stack area where the flames were."
The mine blew a gaping 22-foot hole in the hull beneath the main engine room, disabling both gas turbine engines, knocking the reduction gear off of its mount and rupturing two 10,000-gallon fuel oil tanks.
"It all happened too quickly," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW) Dick Fridley, repair 2 scene leader. "There was no time to think. Everyone just reacted from their training. Over the last two years, we spent a lot of time training on damage control, and I think it just became automatic."
The Samuel B. Robert's crew took effective action and shoring, plugging, firefighting and dewatering teams were all working simultaneously to keep the ship afloat. The crew rigged eductors to keep the water level down. As a result, the water level never got any higher than the lower level deck plates.
Five hours after the mine hit, the situation was under control.
"It is a story of a ship that refused to die," said Rinn, as the ship was being towed to port. "The crew was well-trained, well-disciplined, demonstrated tremendous pride, spirit and courage throughout the entire ordeal. It is a tribute to good training and good damage control."
Before the incident, the crew underwent training prepared by the Fleet Training Group at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The crew went through a series of scenarios which were very similar to what they faced in the Persian Gulf. The crew completed the training and prophetically received one of the highest scores.
"My role enabled me to get involved in all the action from firefighting to shoring, plugging, dewatering, starting diesels, and switching generators," said Fridley. "Every guy I saw, from the newest to the older guys never even stopped to think. They just reacted, and they reacted right. A good crew with a lot of training-- that's what saved the ship."
More than 20 years later, the actions of the crew still inspire many generations of Sailors during damage control training. Walls and Ashton both agree the new wet trainer will continue the lessons that Samuel B. Roberts hope to teach for the next generation of Sailors.
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