For the first time in five years, the Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) (CVN 69) is underway, with
the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7. Team "769" is gearing up for
Surge Ready status.
Ike set sail February 14, starting her underway Tailored
Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) -- a series of training
evolutions that will conclude with a Final Evaluation Period
(FEP).
TSTA is an assessment period when Afloat Training Group (ATG)
evaluates shipboard training teams and their ability to conduct
training scenarios involving flight operations for the air wing and
shipboard drills.
"TSTA signifies the air wing’s return to the ship, and
[its] integration to training aboard Ike," said Ike Training
Officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Martin.
The first phase (of TSTA) assesses navigation, seamanship,
engineering, damage control (Chemical, Biological, and
Radiological), and other training evolutions.
The next phase emphasizes flight deck operations, combat
systems, engineering and damage control tactical and casualty
control scenario execution, while maximizing the use of air wing
support. By the end of this phase, each of the ship’s
training teams should be capable of planning, conducting,
evaluating and critiquing within its functional area.
"This is the first step toward integration between Ike and the
air wing," said Carrier Air Wing 7 Paddles Officer, Lt. Mark
Crowe.
The last phase before the FEP has three main purposes: train the
crew on complex unit-phase exercises, prepare for FEP, and continue
air wing integration with increased complexity of integration
drills.
The final phase is FEP, representing the culmination of the
unit-level phase of training. FEP also evaluates the ship’s
"within the lifelines" ability to conduct combat missions, support
functions, and survive complex casualty control situations. ATG
will evaluate all FEP events and assign grades to specific
exercises.
Ships completing FEP
demonstrate the minimum required skills to proceed to the
integrated phase between the air wing and Air Department of the
Fleet Readiness Training Plan (FRTP).
Ike’s Air Department plays a major role during the TSTA
phases. Not only do they prepare for integration with the air wing,
but they are also responsible for training the air wing on
emergency procedures, such as barricades and aircraft fires. Team
769 has to rig the barricades in less than four minutes.
The fire drills consist of commencing a rescue, shutting down
the plane, simulating an aircraft fire with a dud aircraft, making
sure the fire is out by checking for hot spots, and jettisoning the
aircraft if the fire is uncontrollable. If the fire is out, they
also have to make the aircraft mobile and recover the aircraft.
"TSTA/FEP consists of numerous shipboard exercises that are
assessed by ATG, with training ongoing until performance in a
particular area is deemed satisfactory," said Martin. "This
TSTA/FEP underway period will be very demanding on IKE’s crew
and air wing, but culminates with one heck-of-a-reward: IKE and
CVW-7 will be Emergency Surge Ready!"
(Aero-News salutes Photographer's Mate Airman Apprentice
Scott Wojciechowski, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public
Affairs)