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USS Enterprise Completes UNREP in Preparation for Deployment

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS111213-09
12/13/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Randy J. Savarese, USS Enterprise Public Affairs

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) completed an underway replenishment (UNREP) with Military Sealift Command's (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) and dry cargo and ammunition ship, USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 7.

Fuel and supplies were brought aboard during a dual replenishment using sea and air assets. The evolution was part of the overall training ramp-up preparing Enterprise for the ship's upcoming deployment.

Navy ships require UNREPS in order to operate at sea for extended periods of time, and practice is important to the ship's success, especially considering the number of new Sailors joining the Enterprise team.

"It's good training...especially with all these new guys we have out here," said Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Shaka K. Farrier, a safety observer.

Training during these types of exercises gives the Sailors the opportunity to learn the processes and work out any issues before it's time for the real event.

"Things don't always go the way they are planned, but that's how these evolutions go sometimes," said Farrier. "It's better to have it happen now than out on deployment."

Experiencing an UNREP first-hand provides new Sailors with experience that cannot be read or taught.

"A person can explain an UNREP to anyone, but unless it's actually experienced, they're not going to understand what's going on," said Farrier.

Another aspect of the process involves the unloading and storing of materials. Everything from food to stationary must be moved and placed so every department can pick up their supplies.

While a refueling can be completed in a few hours, the supply process is just getting started once the supplies are taken on board.

"It's not an evolution that takes a few hours. It's an all day event," said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Ruben Espinoza Jr., assistant leading petty officer of Supply department.

Generally, the amount of supplies taken aboard depends on what is needed at the time or what is available to receive. This replenishment was smaller than usual.

"This one went easy, there were only about 50 pallets and normally we do anywhere from 200 to 300 pallets," said Espinoza.

Espinoza agreed the training aspect is what really counts during these work-ups.

"We had about four or five people who we never worked with before and they went up and did fairly well," said Espinoza. "That's why we do this, to find out what might go wrong and fix it."