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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class
Beverly J Lesonik
AT SEA – The U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) requires motivated leaders who display quality, job performance in order to facilitate proper maintenance, safety checks and in-depth training for all Sailors aboard their ship.
Damage control (DC) is one of the top priorities aboard an aircraft carrier of more than 5,000 Sailors, whose lives depend on functioning DC equipment. Damage Controlman 3rd Class Joseph Zontini, 20, from Massapequa, N.Y., spearheads the importance of ensuring the safety of all George Washington Sailors.
“If you look at the history of fires aboard George Washington, you can track all of the possible issues that could have been prevented,” said Zontini. “It is my personal goal to learn from the ship’s history and allow it to motivate me to perform my entire job with a sense of vigor, knowing it could save lives.”
DC is responsible for maintaining the ship’s material integrity in case of damage from casualty or attack, and operate and maintain vital firefighting and DC systems throughout the ship.
“Damage controlmen make up the core of the fire department on the ship,” said Zontini. “The At-Sea Fire Party, made up of mostly damage controlmen and hull technicians, are on call 24/7 to preserve the ship’s safety.”
DC department is made up of three different work centers: the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) shop, systems shop and locker shop.
SCBA shop is in charge of the breathable air and maintaining the function of more than 5,000 SCBA’s aboard the ship. The systems shop works on all of the aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) stations, halon stations and CO2 bottles. The locker shop is in charge of keeping inventory of all 10 of the ship’s repair lockers as well as its maintenance and management.
“Other than maintenance, we are in charge of training all Sailors to know the basics of everything that we know,” said Zontini. “In the middle of the ocean, we are the only people who will come to our own rescue if a fire breaks out and all of us need to know what to do in an emergency.”
Damage controlmen lead general quarters twice a week, where Sailors participate in a ship-wide drill to practice emergency procedures.
“Training is my favorite part of my job,” said Zontini. “Sailors need to know the reasons why we do the things we do.”
As a Basic Engineering Common Corps trainer (BECC), Zontini also has the opportunity to work with a lot of senior enlisted Sailors.
“I work with a lot of senior chief and chief petty officers who come from previous commands and have different experiences,” said Zontini. “They tell me stories of fires they have seen on other ships and incidents that they have helped correct. I use those real-life experiences in my training in order to express the significance of what we train our Sailors to do.”
Zontini went through 35 days of BECC and another five days of concentrated damage control classes before coming aboard.
“I was mentored right away when I arrived on board,” said Zontini. “Sailors picked me up fresh out of high school and took me under their wing to teach me everything I needed to know to carry my own weight.”
Zontini, a Massapequa High School graduate, knew he wanted to join the military his freshman year. His grandma was a Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) member and his grandfather was a boatswain’s mate.
“I wasn’t sure which branch I wanted to join at first, but once I knew my heritage, I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps,” said Zontini. “Even my uncle and best friends parents were in the Navy. They all really helped me go through the process and provided me with all of the information and support I needed.”
In any rate, Sailors thrive off of support from friends and family back home to encourage them to continue to work hard and remain positive.
“My mother is a big motivation for me,” said Zontini. “Even though we don’t get a chance to talk as often as I want, she is a strong role model and helps me to look on the bright side of everything. No matter what type of situation I am in on George Washington, I know I am going to work my best to work with excellence.”
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2014 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 132353 |
| Location: | WATERS NEAR OKINAWA, USAFRICOM, AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 66 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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