USS George Washington Conducts Small Boat Training

By Mass Communication Seaman Cheng S. Yang, USS George Washington Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) Sailors conducted rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) training operations to help cement valuable navigation and search and rescue procedures, April 8.

While the training was a refresher course for George Washington's more experienced Sailors, the aim was to train those who are new to the ship's Deck Department.

The aircraft carrier pulled out of port March 21, with more than 100 new crew members and picked up more during a port visit to Sasebo, Japan, April 5.

"This is my first time on the RHIB while being out to sea," said Engineman Fireman Starr Tolbert from Spartanburg, S.C. "It's different out here, there are new rules, there is more focus and every little thing that we don't pay attention to can turn out to be dangerous."

Only a team of five Sailors are allowed to board at one time and each person had their own part to play. Positions in the RHIB include boat officer, coxswain, boat engineer, boat rescue swimmer and forward/aft line handler.

"We cycle the Sailors through the various positions, because it's highly important to be fully trained on all of the stations," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW/AW) Gerald Goodman of Goodyear, Ariz., one of the ship's training supervisors. "Rotating a Sailor from one position to another allows them to get the proper experience, so when they embark on a RHIB, they can do any of the necessary jobs if the situation calls for it."

From more than 35 feet above the waves, Sailors lower the RHIB into the ocean down below. It takes more than a dozen well-trained Sailors to safely do this, but with a man overboard or a downed pilot's life on the line, they also have to be fast. Their goal is to be underway in the RHIB within seven minutes.

"We have some Sailors that take part in RHIB operations routinely, as well as fresh new faces that have never done this before," said Goodman. "This is another reason why we have this training, so that the RHIB veterans can help train the less experienced Sailors. Then when they get that experience, they can go out by themselves and know exactly what they're doing."

George Washington's RHIBs are not just for emergencies. RHIBS are used for a number of other missions including the transportation of passengers and mail between ships.

"Regardless of the how the boats are being used, this was great training for our Sailors, and I'm confident they can handle any situation thrown at them," said Lt. Alex Torres, USS George Washington first lieutenant.

George Washington has been underway since March 21, departing her forward-deployed homeport of Yokosuka, Japan, in response to the complex nature of the disaster that struck Japan, March 11.

George Washington is the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, ensuring security and stability across the western Pacific Ocean.