Story by Ensign Kellie Bubala, USS Somerset (LPD 25) Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (Feb. 14, 2018) - Officers from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) recently trained in Bridge Resource Management (BRM) at the Naval Seamanship and Shiphandling Training Program in San Diego.
Thirteen officers participated in the BRM course during the ship’s scheduled Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) maintenance availability. During the week-long course, officers received three days of classroom instruction focusing on how best to use the tools available to a bridge watch stander, as well as reviewing case studies of mishaps at sea.
“Since the ship hasn’t been underway since September, spending time in the simulator is crucial to keeping our ship driving abilities fresh and sharp,” said Ens. Taysean Kidd, one of Somerset’s Officers of the Deck, responsible for the safe navigation and handling of the ship during at-sea periods.
The week at BRM allowed Somerset’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Bill Sherrod, to speak with his bridge watch standers and explain his ship driving philosophy as well as review his standing orders to ensure cohesiveness and understanding.
Following classroom instruction, Somerset officers spent two days in an LPD-17 class ship simulator. The simulator gives a 360 degree first-person view from the bridge of an amphibious transport dock ship, which allows ship drivers to experience the movements and reactions of the ship as it transits through the water.
In the simulator, the officers put the skills and tools learned to the test during simulated high-risk evolutions, such as underway replenishments, casualty response, harbor transits, anchoring, and man-overboard recoveries.
“The opportunity to train at the simulator was great for Somerset’s underway watch teams to refresh on how we operate together and will play a critical role in Somerset’s success during future at-sea periods,” said Lt. Kyle Persyn, Somerset’s Navigator.
Somerset is currently docked at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego undergoing a regularly scheduled maintenance availability prior to its training and workup phase.
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