Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Croft | 220207-N-NU634-081 NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 7, 2022) Quartermaster Seaman Recruit Fletcher...... read more read more
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Sailors from the aircraft carrier, Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) took the ship underway “virtually” in the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainer (NSST) at Naval Station Norfolk, Feb. 7.
In preparation for the ship’s future commissioning, Norfolk NSST trainers and the John F. Kennedy navigation department put the first bridge-team in a simulator to practice hands-on navigation and shiphandling scenarios.
“This is the best training tool the Navy offers combining virtual reality with actual scenarios you will face out to sea,” said Quartermaster 2nd Class Courtney Hursey navigation department leading petty officer. “For new Sailors the simulator gives you the initial exposure of being on the bridge, and provides a refresher for Sailors who haven’t been out to sea in a while.”
The Sailors rotated through several different work stations while completing a simulated transit through the Chesapeake Bay including sailing past the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel to Naval Station Norfolk.
“In the simulator you can get a feel for every position, including the conning officer and junior officer of the watch, which is great for the navigation [team] to gain knowledge and exposure to each station and how it all works together,” said Hursey.
Ensuring Sailors are up to speed with the fundamentals of navigation and shiphandling while operating in a team environment is the first step in this training process.
“This was a great experience,” said Quartermaster Seaman Recruit Fletcher Silva navigation department Sailor. “Everyone was super helpful, there was no pressure and if you had any questions they were eager to answer them and help us grow as a team.”
John F. Kennedy’s Assistant Navigator, Lt. John Waters, helped facilitate the training by guiding Sailors through the roles of each watch station.
“It’s really about foundation building and going over fundamentals for watchstanders who either haven’t done this before or need a refresher,” said Waters. “I think getting people used to the simulator events and getting in a rhythm is what’s going to set us up for success when we set up our first bridge watch teams. These skills atrophy if we don’t practice, and the sim is a great proficiency refresher.”
John F. Kennedy plans to hold training at the NSST simulators on a regular basis to give Sailors the opportunity to practice navigation skills.
“We aren’t just building a ship, we are building a combat ready crew,” said Captain Joseph Furco, executive officer of John F. Kennedy. “Investing in a training battle rhythm now ensures that once the Kennedy is delivered it will be manned by confident and qualified Sailors.”
John F. Kennedy, the second aircraft carrier in the Ford-class, is under construction at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipyard in Newport News, Virginia.
For more news on John F. Kennedy, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN79 or follow along on social media at https://www.facebook.com/CVN79JFK on Facebook and @uss_john_f_kennedy_cvn_79 on Instagram.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2022 09:20 |
| Story ID: | 415503 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 538 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JFK Begins Navigation and Shiphandling Training, by PO1 Tyrell Morris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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