Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) are conducting general quarters (GQ) drills this November after a three-year pause while the ship was undergoing its extensive mid-life overhaul at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va.
For Sailors who have served aboard Vinson during its tenure in the shipyard, the implementation of GQ drills signals an imminent return of the aircraft carrier to operational status.
Leading the efforts is the ship's Damage Control Assistant, Cmdr. Chris Majors. Now is the time for Vinson's crew to bring themselves to an at-sea state of readiness. GQ drills enhance the ship's ability to be effective as a war-fighting platform.
Carl Vinson is taking a 'crawl, walk and run' approach with bringing back proficiency in damage control drills. Initial goals for weekly GQ sessions center around ensuring members of ship's company are in the right place at the right time. This means Sailors report to their repair lockers in four minutes or less, material condition Zebra is properly set throughout the ship in 12 minutes or less, and watertight hatches are secured to maintain maximum battle integrity.
USS Carl Vinson is currently undergoing its scheduled refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. The RCOH is an extensive yard period that all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers go through near the mid-point of their 50-year life cycle.
During RCOH Carl Vinson's nuclear fuel will be replenished and the ship's services and infrastructure will be upgraded to make her the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet and prepare for another 25 years or more of service.
(Source: Navy News Service)