Courtesy Photo | Ensign Luke Reuschel, assigned to amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), conns...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO (April 17, 2024)- Amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), participated in the testing of Mariner Skills Training Center, Pacific’s (MSTCPAC) new Bridge Team Trainers and Integrated Navigation Team Trainers.
The maintenance phase in a ship’s life cycle comes with many challenges, proficiency of underway watch standing being one of them. The new Navigation, Seamanship, and Ship-handling Trainers (NSST) are equipped with bridge wings to incorporate Bearing Takers and Lookouts, a Quartermaster of the Watch (QMOW) and Boatswain Mate of the Watch (BMOW) stations, as well as a Combat Information Center (CIC) to integrate a Combat Information Center Watch Officer (CICWO).
“The setup of the new simulators incorporates a full bridge team. This allows us to practice our bridge resource management and learn how to work effectively as a bridge team,” said Ensign Cierra Hertelendy.
On US Navy Vessels, the bridge team, comprised of an Officer of the Deck (OOD), Navigator, Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD), Conning officer, Helmsman, Lee Helmsman, QMOW, BMOW, Lookouts, and Bearing Takers, correlate with the CIC watch team comprised of the CICWO, Shipping and Piloting Officers, and Radar Operators to safely and tactically navigate the ship.
“The bridge watchstanders can navigate visually and by radar, while the CIC watchstanders only have radar. The primary mission of CIC is to fight the ship, and the secondary mission is to assist the bridge in navigation,” said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Massey. “Having CIC in the NSSTs is very beneficial because we can practice correlating contacts and perfect the watchstander relationship between the bridge and CIC.”
The new simulators are also equipped with advanced technology to perform special evolutions such as flight operations, well deck operations and small boat operations.
“LHDs perform flight operations and well deck operations routinely while underway, so having simulators to practice in ensures our knowledge and skills are up to par,” said Lt. j.g Joseph Gallardo.
Underway watch standing comes with many formalities, especially regarding communication. The Conning Officer gives orders to the Helmsman and Lee Helmsman in the form of standard commands, controlling stations communicate with one another using specific verbiage and repeat backs to ensure proper acknowledgment, watch standers announce to the bridge that they are relocating to a bridge wing and QMOW’s log everything that takes place in a deck log for legal purposes.
“The simulators are very realistic,” said Hertelendy. “Announcing to the bridge team that I was relocating to a bridge wing and the increased chatter on the bridge made it feel like we were underway and not in a simulator.”
Essex is conducting a maintenance period in San Diego to upgrade many key systems aboard.
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| Date Taken: | 04.25.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2024 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 469520 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 229 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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