Subscribe
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Everett Allen
WATERS NEAR GUAM – Aviation boatswain’s mate handlers aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) work to safely and efficiently move aircraft around the ship.
It takes a joint effort from hangar bay and flight deck ABHs to successfully transport aircraft from the hangar bay to the flight deck.
“The primary job of an ABH in the hangar bay is handling aircraft,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Sherwin Buquid, from Pili Camarines Sur, Philippines. “That entails carefully moving the planes in, out and around in the hangar bay.”
According to Buquid, all hangar bay ABHs start out wearing blue jerseys, holding the ‘chock and chain’ position of securing aircraft to the deck.
“After that position, they become conflagration qualified,” said Buquid. “This means the Sailor is the fire, gear integrity and personnel safety watch in that particular bay.”
The next step for an ABH is to become tractor driver, elevator operator (EO), and “hot suitman” qualified, which is similar to the crash and salvage crew on the flight deck.
“We’re hot suitman qualified in case there’s an aircraft fire,” said Buquid. “The first objective of a hot suitman is to save lives. After a fire has been put out on an aircraft, a hot suitman will go back to extinguish any residual fire that would be inside the aircraft.”
Upon completion of these hangar bay ABH positions and qualifications, the next position is aircraft director.
“After the hot suitman, you’re pretty much waiting in line to become an aircraft director, or ‘Yellow Shirt’,” said Buquid. “After that, you become a hangar bay Petty Officer (PO). My official title is ‘Bay 3 PO.’”
The next, and last, position that hangar bay ABHs can attain is "deck PO."
“The deck PO is in charge of the whole hangar bay,” said Buquid. “That’s the next position I’m going for.”
Buquid, along with the other hangar bay ABHs, complete the first and last steps in the aircraft launching and recovery process. The middle part, where the aircraft takes flight, is the job of the flight deck ABHs.
“As an aircraft director on the flight deck, our job is to commence the flight plan with the launch and recovery of aircraft,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Nicholas Wareham, from Grand Junction, Colo. “We’re also like police officers of the flight deck because we enforce safety and proper wear of protective equipment. We ensure people are paying attention to the foul and shot lines to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can.”
Both flight deck and hangar bay ABHs are required to complete some of the same qualifications, such as chock and chain, EO and tractor driver, but there’s one group ABHs who’s specific job is crash and salvage, and they wear red jerseys instead of blue or yellow.
According to Wareham, the crash and salvage crew on the flight deck is similar to the hot suitmen in the hangar bay. The main difference, however, is the crash and salvage crew stands watches on the flight deck, dressed in a hot suit in case of an aircraft emergency during flight operations.
“I find being an ABH on the flight deck exciting,” said Wareham. “Being able to get out there and do something that I enjoy makes me really happy.”
For Buquid, he too enjoys his job and plans to continue advancing in his rate.
“In January, I’m taking the test for limited duty officer [LDO] purposes,” said Buquid. “If I pass the test and I get picked up LDO, I’d consider myself a pretty lucky guy. If that doesn’t happen, however, then in 2016, I’m taking the test again when I’m eligible for chief.”
George Washington and its embarked carrier air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5), provide a combat-ready force that protects the interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2014 06:19 |
| Story ID: | 144452 |
| Location: | WATERS NEAR GUAM , AT SEA |
| Hometown: | GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ABHs: Above and below the flight deck, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
