By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman
Karolina A. Martinez, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) --
Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN
72) participated in a Damage Control (DC) Olympics while the ship was underway,
May 25.
The DC Olympics is a practical training
competition pitting the ship's 10 repair lockers against each other in a host
of contests to test their DC knowledge and their physical skills.
"The DC Olympics gives Sailors the
opportunity to handle damage control situations under pressure and to actually
hold a 150 psi hose in their hand and see how tired they can get quickly,"
said Cmdr. Kenneth Belkofer, Lincoln's damage control assistant. "It also
puts them under a stressful situation where they have to put on a firefighting
ensemble and experience how long it can take to put that gear on."
Belkofer said the event allowed Sailors
to demonstrate their knowledge of general damage control equipment and several
fire extinguishing systems, from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) to other
fixed firefighting systems. The Olympics also provided Sailors with
opportunities to work in teams.
The competition consisted of multiple
relay races, such as advanced protective chemical gear dress out, fire fighting
ensemble dress out, hose handling on the flight deck and AFFF stations.
The Reactor division team representing
Repair Locker 5 won the overall shipboard competition. For their efforts, the
victorious locker received a plaque along with head of the line passes for chow,
the ship's store and the liberty brow for the ship's next port visit.
"It's fun and it's good training
for the overall crew," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Anthony Castille.
"It helps us have more fun doing the training evolutions rather than just
looking at it as work. It helps keep people more active, and it will get other
people to try different things rather than being restricted to one task."
Aviation Maintenance Administrationman
3rd Class Bryant Guest said the event reinforced mission readiness,
preparation, fun and a feeling of purpose in the participants.
"I had a great time," said
Guest. "We train to make sure, should an actual casualty occur, that our
shipmates are prepared, that they know what to do and that they are going to
have each other's backs."
Lincoln is currently deployed with
Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, which also includes embarked Carrier Air Wing
(CVW) 2, the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71), and Destroyer
Squadron 9, comprised of guided-missile destroyers USS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS
Sterett (DDG 104). CSG 9 is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of
responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security
cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
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