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The rotors of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter cut through the thick, salty air as it makes its approach toward USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). As its wheels hit the flight deck, Sailors from air department with blue life preservers secure it with chocks and chains. Passengers onboard the helicopter see another group of Sailors standing by with “ATO” scribed in black on their white life preservers.
“We move passengers to and from the aircraft and we also move cargo for the other departments on the ship,” said Logistics Specialist 1st Class Shayna Myers, assigned to Ford’s air terminal office (ATO). “If someone has never been on an aircraft carrier it could be a very daunting experience crossing the flight deck or even exiting the helicopter. We make sure they get to where they need to be safely.”
The ATO, an integral part of operations department, works with air department and squadrons to ensure Ford has what it needs to sustain an underway. Their mission is to safely transport passengers mail and cargo arriving via aircraft across the flight deck with timely precision.
“We contribute to the ship’s mission by facilitating the arrival or departure of personnel, either ship’s force or other entities,” said Lt. Cmdr. Richard Hall, Ford’s air terminal officer. “They could be executing temporarily assigned duty, permanent change of station orders or they could be assisting with testing or repairs.”
Safety of personnel transiting with the ATO across the flight deck is paramount. The flight deck of an aircraft carrier has often been referred to as organized chaos. For some Sailors, it’s their office every day of the week. For others, it can be a dangerous place to navigate if you don’t know what you’re doing.
“The most important thing about working on the flight deck is learning to recognize and execute safety on the flight deck,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Dane Harris, assigned to Ford’s ATO. “Learning the hand signals used on the flight deck is key to completing our task and ensuring we do it safely.”
For the Sailors assigned to ATO, it’s an operational change from their normal assignment in supply department.
“Watching the helicopters spin up and the jets taking off is definitely a nice change from being down a few levels and processing supply receipts,” said Myers.
Working on the flight deck can be the setting for some of the most memorable experiences.
“The most unique experience I’ve had in ATO was during [Ford’s] commissioning,” said Harris. “We were able to be on the flight deck when the President arrived and helped people get to where they needed to be. The Ospreys, they were a sight you had to see.”
Ford’s ATO serves a big role when it comes to getting people on and off the ship while at sea. They execute the transport of passengers and receipt of mission-essential components without compromising safety.
“If unsuccessful in our mission, the impact can be serious for the ship,” said Hall. “A failure would affect the ship’s mission readiness and could possibly delay our completion of ship-wide qualifications.”
Ford’s ATO stands ready with every Sailor and department to contribute to Ford’s mission.
Gerald R. Ford is a first-in-class aircraft carrier and the first new aircraft carrier designed in more than 40 years. Ford is currently underway conducting testing in the Atlantic Ocean.
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78 or www.facebook.com/USSGeraldRFord
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2020 14:05 |
| Story ID: | 360376 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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