Photo By Chief Petty Officer Janweb Lagazo | ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 02, 2016) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Rebekah Brady, left,...... read more read more
By Seaman Janweb B. Lagazo, USS Mason (DDG 87) Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 2, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), assigned to the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG), carried out a large-scale general quarters (GQ) and mass casualty drill during the strike group’s composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).
Lt. j.g. Shelbie Koch, Mason’s damage control assistant, said the purpose of the drill was to refresh the proficiency of Mason Sailors, old and new, and to gauge their knowledge of the ship and its equipment.
“The GQ we conducted was one of our largest-scale casualties to date,” Koch said. “While complicated and a little chaotic, there were a lot of Sailors absent for other evolutions. This was a good chance to show the crew that when things go wrong, we will never be perfectly manned, have the perfect casualty or perfect communication.”
The general quarters drill was called away first, and the crew set out to secure the ship against possible internal and external threats. As Sailors were donning their equipment and securing the ship, the ship’s announcement system passed the call for a medical emergency drill, informing the crew of several simulated personnel injuries and a simulated fatality on the forecastle.
“It’s one of those things we don’t constantly practice,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Percival Valenzuela. “It’s realistic to be exposed to multiple scenarios.”
Each member of the crew is assigned a specific location to assemble in the event of emergencies, and Sailors receive training to combat casualties and other incidents in their respective areas. Koch said the mass casualty drill placed personnel outside their comfort zones.
“At first, the drill was a mess, but, after a few minutes, we got in a better groove,” Koch said. “The lockers began running themselves, and the flow of communication improved. We learned how to prioritize our casualties. Those things are sometimes taken for granted with less complex drills, but they are critical for overall ship survivability.”
Koch said that although the Sailors’ response was amazing, there is always room for improvement.
“Damage control is not pretty; it will be even uglier in real-world situations,” Koch said. “I like the chaos at the beginning of the drills and seeing how the organization starts to set in as time goes on, in the drill itself and in the ship overall. Setting ‘zebra,’ the most basic aspect of controlling casualties, is still something we're working to improve, but I predict more drills in the future to help us get to where we need to be.”
Ike CSG includes Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 staff, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61) and the ships assigned to DESRON 26: USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).
Join the conversation with Mason on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MASONDDG87/. Find more information about Mason at www.navy.mil/local/ddg87.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2016 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 194979 |
| Location: | ATLANTIC OCEAN |
| Hometown: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 209 |
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