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USS Theodore Roosevelt Completes Anchor Drop

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS121004-06
10/4/2012

By Mass Communication Specialist 3nd Class Katie Lash, USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va (NNS) -- Engineering and Deck departments aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) participated in the ship's second anchoring evolution Oct. 3 as part of TR's push to become operational and return to the fleet.

Operational readiness has always been of high importance to TR's crew, and as the ship works through its last year of refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), training becomes even more important and more frequent.

Part of this training consists of making sure equipment runs properly. Although maintenance and training is routinely conducted on the anchor, break system and wildcat, which hoists the anchor chain, dropping the anchor is not something that is done every day. This opportunity gave new and seasoned Sailors on the ship the chance to receive crucial training and experience.

"We need to get everyone in the department trained," said Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Tanesha Washington. "This exercise is good hands-on training for new people who haven't been out to sea."

Sailors who participated in July's anchor exercise were also on hand to continue their anchoring training and qualifications.

"I really like the whole system and how it works," said Machinist's Mate Fireman Julia Gardner. "I want to learn about it more in-depth and finish my anchor windlass quals."

The training included dropping and lifting the anchor twice, as well as working on crucial communication skills that must occur between the different levels while it is being lowered and raised.

Engineman 3rd Class John Beach and Engineman 3rd Class Michael Fisher, the only two junior enlisted Sailors qualified on the ship to operate the wildcat and brakes, helped in lowering and raising the anchor, as well as trained new Sailors hoping to become qualified.

"We do a lot of training and maintenance to keep the wildcat operational," said Beach. "There is a lot of risk involved in raising and lowering the anchor. A lot of things could go wrong. Someone may lose control of the break or anchor, but we do maintenance, training and casualty control to prevent things like that."