Damage Control Division News

The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…

Thirty-five Sailors from Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) (LHD 8) graduated the Damage Control Familiarization Safety, Environmental and Occupational Health Programs (DC CREWFAM) at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB) West Administrative Annex, April 11. DC CREWFAM is designed to provide Makin Island crew members with basic damage control (DC) processes, familiarization with the DC systems aboard the ship, and to review fundamentals covered in the personnel qualification standards (PQS) for those aboard. Machinery Repairman 1st Class (SW/AW) Calandra Crawford, who is also a DC academy instructor, attended the course and feels very strongly about damage control and its purpose on .

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 departed San Diego Nov. 27 to complete Tailored Ship's Training Assessment (TSTA), an intense training period designed to prepare the ship and embarked air wing for prompt and sustained combat operations at sea. TSTA and the upcoming Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) are conducted by Afloat Training Group Pacific, and are designed to test a ship's ability to conduct multiple simultaneous combat missions and survive complex casualty situations under stressful conditions. Rear Adm. Phil Wisecup, commander of the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, stressed to the officers and crew of Ronald Reagan and CVW 14 that the preparation for future strike group missions starts during TSTA/FEP.

USS KEARSARGE, At Sea (NNS) -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) completed a successful three-day sea trials March 14, following major repairs to No. 2 low pressure turbine and an extensive maintenance availability period. In preparation for the sea trials event, the Kearsarge crew, Commander Naval Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center technicians, and various contractors, spent thousands of man-hours completing equipment repairs and maintenance. They also ensured the ship’s engineering, combat systems, aviation and damage control equipment were in excellent material and operational condition. During the sea trials…