George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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Over the side While the larger job of repainting the damaged exterior of the ship would be later completed in Jebel Alt, much of the preparatory' work was accomplished by the crew. They spent long hours over the side in the searing heat repairing and repainting the damage. From the repair lockers nearest the scene to the crewmembers who provided water to help their shipmates fend off dehydration, lighting the Jire was an all hands effort. Later, the crew was commended with more than 360 awards and was praised for their teamwork during a ceremony on the flight deck. UrKlervvay 113

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wasn't a time when I was unsure of what we were doing, he said. Thai's because we communicated with the repair locker leaders and with DC central. I’m glad that we practice these exact things during general quarters drills — it came in handy. CAPT Sprigg acknowledged the accomplishments of the many Sailors who trained for years to spend 75 minutes fighting the fight of their lives. “This crew performed better than any I’ve seen, CAPT Sprigg said. “They listened to their chain of command and did what was needed to be done. I'm proud of the entire crew. They really came through in a bad situation. Few George Washington or Carrier Air Wing Seven Sailors will soon forget the night of July 11. The actions of the crew will be talked about for years. Words like heroism, courage and teamwork will be used to explain how they did it. But no matter what words are used, they will fall short of describing the actions of a crew who became one. A crew who instinctively responded without question and who can now say they saved their ship. Flight deck and hangar bay crews both contributed to first containing the Jire from above and below, and then extinguishing it with a combination of teamwork and dogged persistence. 112 Underway

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An aircraft carrier at sea has been compared to a floating city. The carrier must support all the services of a typical American town. To help GW Sailors keep in touch with loved ones at home, the Postal Clerks manned a small post office that carried out a big job. These Sailors, along with some of their shipmates, formed a “Bravo Working Parties,” which carried, sorted, stacked and bundled thousands of pounds of incoming and outgoing mail each day. Of the many records broken on this maiden deployment, one stands out Largest Mail Call — 13,000 lbs. That's a lot of letters! Mail Call 09 114 Underway