Aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), only three out of over 300 sailors have earned the title of Master Helmsman.
Master Helmsmen are a select few Sailors who are trusted by the commanding officer to pilot the ship during dangerous evolutions, such as replenishment-at-seas , vertical replenishments, and sea-and-anchor operations.
“It is a very big responsibility,” said Seaman Godson Ejimofor, one of the Master Helmsmen aboard USS Pearl Harbor, “Having to drive this really big ship; I wasn’t very excited about it at first, but I really felt honored by it.”
While learning to become a Master Helmsman, a Sailor must learn and perform different operations.
“To become a Master Helmsman, there are a lot of prerequisites,” said Ejimofor. “You have to qualify underway, qualify as a regular helmsman, the lee helmsman, and aft steering helmsman. After completing those qualifications, you can then stand at the helm under-instruction) on the bridge and eventually get qualified.”
“In order to get fully qualified, a master helmsman has to drive the ship during an underway replenishment-at-sea, sea-and-anchor, and a lot of other evolutions at least once. The master helmsman must also complete each operation during the night time as well,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Nicolas Crawford, another Master Helmsmen aboard USS Pearl Harbor. “When all of those requirements are completed, then the Sailor will complete an oral board with the Captain who will test knowledge.”
It took Ejimofor and Crawford around six to seven months to earn their title as a Master Helmsman and finally wear the yellow ball cap.
“I was a little nervous when I did my first evolution by myself,” said Crawford. “Now it’s just like second nature to me, I’m pretty good at it and I pride myself in that and in teaching my junior Sailors.”
“Honestly, it means a lot to me,” said Ejimafor. “It means that I can use this opportunity to leave a legacy aboard the ship. It’s something that I really relish a lot and when I leave, I can say ‘I was the Master Helmsman, I was one of the few.’”
USS Pearl Harbor and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.
| Date Taken: | 10.09.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2021 02:09 |
| Story ID: | 408735 |
| Location: | ARABIAN GULF |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Master Helmsmen of the USS Pearl Harbor, by PO2 Sang Kim, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
