Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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4, ,,, ,4 HI 2 r IMITZINI E vs. Refresher Training... We win! NIMITZ accomplished during its 1990 Refresher Training CREFTRAJ what no other aircraft carrier has managed to do. No aircraft carrier has ever come out of the first week of REFTRA with a passing score before us, said LCDR Thomas Tanner, who was then NIMITZ' Damage Control Assistant. All phases of REFTRA went well, we passed every drill the first time. Enthusiasm played an important role in the good score. We took a number of calculated risks, said Tanner. We had an entirely new DCTT CDamage Control Training Teamj, some of Whom were not even general damage control qualified when they were selected, said Tanner. I consider enthusiasm and willingness to learn a more important factor in selecting DCTT members than actual experience. We can always teach them dam- age control, but we can't give them enthusiasm. Some of the DCTT got their training by going to 30 I REFTRA San Diego to train with FTG CFleet Training GroupD, said Tanner. The high grade that DCTT received was based on the crew's level of training when we entered REFTRA. NIMIT Z' crew was about two weeks ahead of any other ship at this point -- in other words we were at the level of train- ing that most ships are at when they leave REFTRA. The most significant milestone in any REFTRA is where FTG tums drills over to DCTT, said Tanner. Our goal was to have that happen by the first day of the second week. We just clobbered our goals when we got it by Wednesday of the first week. It is also significant that we passed our CBR CChemical, Biological, Radio- logical warfarej drill the first time, said Tanner. The final battle prob- lem, the conflagration drill, was conducted several days ahead of schedule. lt was intended to be a very hard problem, said Tanner. However, we had the drill finished in one hour 24 minutes instead of the more than two hours expected. CONFLAG drills are the most important CX e 1, C i S es ABovE: Flightdeck workers help the Medical Department practice Continued on Page 32 stretcher handlrng techniques during a mass-casualty drill.

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,, YV- REFTRA 'Oar REF TRA is probably the first time ever that F TG admitted we really didn 't need I them... -- LCDR Thomas Tanner, DCA Continued from Page 30 that we have, said Tanner. Taking a look at the news reports over the past years tells me that people in the Navy have about a one in 20 chance of being involved in a real conflagration at some time in their career. The key to the suc- cess of our CONFLAG drill is that we stuck to our game plan, said Tanner. In a CONFLAG drill, as well as the real thing, it is important to establish communications, set boundaries to contain the fire, and then fight it. We did all of these with great enthus1 asm The NIMITZININE team had to learn a new way of fighting hangar bay fires during REFTRA The old doctrine was to go directly 32 into the hangar bay and extinguish the fire, said Tanner. However, it has been determined that the ventilation in the hangar bay is not enough to remove the toxic fumes produced when modern aircraft burn. We now need to use GBA's to fight hangar fires. Our REFTRA is probably the first time ever that FTG admitted we really didn't need them, said Tan- ner. There are very few ships that go through REFTRA in less than the allotted time. And consider- mg the size of our ship and the fact we only had six weeks between DSILA and REFTRA that quite an accomplishment RIGHT Pre arm a amst P S 8 simulated chemical attack pilots and flight deck crewmembers prepare to conduct flight operations in Chemical Protective Overgarments CCPO sultesj