The Art of Damage Control

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Wesley Richardson | GULF OF OMAN (Nov. 5, 2021) Damage Controlman 2nd Class Artin Abramian trains Sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Nov. 5. Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Wesley Richardson)  

GULF OF OMAN

11.06.2021

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Wesley Richardson 

USS Essex (LHD 2)

One of the most dangerous circumstances for a ship out to sea is fire. Hundreds of miles from land, there is no fire department to call when a casualty arises. That is why it is each Sailors’ duty to understand the importance of damage control aboard naval ships.

“We do have accidents,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Artin Abramian, a member of the rapid-response at-sea fire team aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), “and if the ship ever sustains any type of casualty, that could be the number one loss of people. Our job as damage controlmen is to bring everyone home safe.”

Without the luxury of outside response teams, ship personnel must be able to rely on each other for the worst-case scenario. It becomes each Sailor’s responsibility to learn how to handle incidents and combat them. The damage controlmen are not only the first responders, but also the trainers for these scenarios.

“We train the whole ship,” explained Abramian. “If something happens to us, who else is going to save the ship? You are. The only way to save the ship, and everyone’s lives, is every Sailor having the ability and knowledge to do their job as damage controlmen and use what they learned to stop the casualty.”

Abramian believes Sailors can grow as a damage controlman by observing lessons learned from casualties on previous ships like the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). On July 12, 2020, a fire set the Bonhomme Richard ablaze for over four days and left the ship damaged beyond repair.

“We want every junior Sailor to understand the importance of damage control,” said Abramian. “We are training for the worst-case scenario, and it’s important that everyone participates and learns from their mistakes during drills. That way when the worst happens, we don’t make those same mistakes.”

Every Sailor is a firefighter. They must look out for their brothers and sisters and rely on their training to combat casualties that arise. For this reason, Abramian is excited about seeing Sailors aboard grow in damage control knowledge.

Past incidents, such as the Bonhomme Richard, serve as a constant reminder of catastrophe and reinforce the standards for Sailors to be “always ready” and to never give up the ship.

“We want every junior Sailor to understand the importance of damage control, and not repeat history,” said Abramian. “Sailors showing up to test every week is heartening for me. Not only are they qualifying, they’re actually taking it seriously to learn about what they will qualify inqualifying in.”

Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

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• Date Taken: 11.06.2021
• Date Posted: 11.06.2021 00:11
• Story ID: 408811
• Location: GULF OF OMAN