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    USNS Walter S. Diehl Conducts Training, Drills to Sharpen Readiness After Yard Period

    USNS Walter S. Diehl Conducts Training, Drills to Sharpen Readiness After Yard Period

    Photo By Grady Fontana | 160808-N-IX266-010 SINGAPORE—Civilian mariners Curtis Watson, able bodied seaman...... read more read more

    SINGAPORE

    08.09.2016

    Story by Grady Fontana 

    Military Sealift Command Far East

    SINGAPORE—Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) recently conducted shipboard training in Sembawang Shipyard, here, Aug. 8, after their Regular Overhaul (ROH) period.

    A ROH is a demanding period for any ship and especially for the mariners who crew it, because this is the opportunity to perform required maintenance, repair, refurbishment, inspections, etc. In addition, many of the crew rotates to other ships that need their skills or rotate ashore for earned leave or required training, so that upon completion of the ROH some of the crew on board will be new faces to those who remained.

    The shipboard training on the Diehl was the standard package and focused on team responses in firefighting, equipment casualties, damage control, medical casualty response, and chemical, biological, and radiological defense (CBR-D). Drills in main space and zone fires, collision and flooding, CBR-D, abandon ship were also conducted and focused on team responses.

    MSC’s Afloat Training Team (ATT) was tasked with the support mission to provide quality shipboard training to assist a ship’s master in attaining mission readiness. A four-person section from ATT’s west coast team from San Diego came aboard the Diehl to conduct the rigorous training package, which builds the crew’s readiness, and foster the camaraderie that takes form when teams train together—all critical in ensuring the ship and crew are ready for tasking.

    “There are four things that can initiate an ATT (training event),” said Anton Clemens, team leader, ATT-West. “If the ship has been in the yard and they have more than 50 percent turnover, then you have an ATT. Training is also conducted on a two year cycle, so ATT training is usually scheduled on ships every 18 months; additionally, ATT training can occur if the captain requests one, or if the command directs one.”

    A standard package for ATT includes fire drills for each zone, abandon ship drill, a man overboard drill, CBR-D training, aviation flight deck safety awareness and damage control round-robin training—those are the big drill packages.

    “We do have additional tailored team training (TTT) items we’re conducting for the ship,” said Clemens. “We’re doing SRT (ship reaction team) training, fall protection classes, manlift licensing, confined space extraction and drill, and CBR-D training and certification, along with the ATT.”

    One of the training events, referred to as the “round robin”, involved four stations spread throughout the main deck, which rotated teams through the stations while the ATT members demonstrated and discussed various pieces of damage-control equipment and procedures.

    “The round robin covers basic items, but a lot of it are things they may not have conducted in a couple of years or they haven’t practiced, trained or drilled with so it’s advantageous training,” said Clemens. “For experienced crew members, it’s a refresher or review; for new crew members, some of this stuff is the first exposure they’ve had with some of this equipment. They’ve had basic safety training and things along that line, but they may not have operated this equipment.”

    One station featured the Portable Exothermic Cutting Unit, where crew cut pieces of steel in varying sizes of shapes. In another station, an ATT instructor demonstrated different types of medical litters and the applications, such as the medevac-in-water litter and the extrication chair.

    The other stations in the round robin were a dewatering station on the flight deck, which involved moving water and operating various pumps to mitigate flooding; and a shoring station, demonstrating mechanical shoring and wood-type shoring and the different applications of shoring for structural purposes, or for containing patches in place during flooding, pipe hatch review, and various methods of dealing with ruptured tanks.

    “The training team has done an outstanding job,” said Capt. William Hartman, master, USNS Walter S. Diehl. “Training before getting underway is critical for the safety of operations. We want them aboard. They do a good job and increase our operational readiness with regard to damage control and shipboard safety. The training they provide is critical to shipboard safety.”

    The ATT-W is comprised of 11 team members, servicing MSC ships in the U.S. Navy 3rd, 5th and 7th fleets.

    MSC operates approximately 115 non-combatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.09.2016
    Date Posted: 08.09.2016 04:42
    Story ID: 206479
    Location: SG

    Web Views: 327
    Downloads: 2

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