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USS Theodore Roosevelt Hosts Training for TAD Sailors
Story Number: NNS090111-04
Release Date: 1/11/2009 5:01:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joseph Morgon, USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Gulf of Oman (NNS) -- Sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (TR) (CVN 71) are serving in the Air department as temporarily assigned duty (TAD) personnel. The number is expected to reach more than 50 by the end of TR's current deployment.
The TAD Sailors come from three Virginia-based carriers not currently deployed: USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77).
The Sailors are serving aboard TR to learn the necessary qualifications to take back to their individual ships.
"The sole purpose of this is to qualify these Sailors," said Master Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AW/SW) Louis Barba, Air department's leading chief petty officer.
"They are here to qualify on their personal qualification standards so that when their ship comes out of the yards, they will already have qualified personnel.
"Once they are done here, they will be fully qualified and be able to go back to their ships and train others," Barba added.
The carriers sending Sailors to TR are not the only ones who benefit.
"On my ship we will have to go out to sea soon," said Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Kenneth Leming, a Sailor from Enterprise who is working as a catapult electrician for air department's V-2 division. "If I wasn't already qualified, then the ship would hurt from me not being ready. In addition, the TR is helping me because I'm here and doing my job."
The additional manpower affords the air department leaders some freedom when moving personnel.
"With more personnel, we can move people around more often to help prevent our guys from getting worn out as quickly as they would if we didn't have the TAD Sailors," said Barba.
By working in the constantly active environment found on a deployed carrier, TAD Sailors attain a wealth of information and experiences.
"It's not boring and it's not routine at all," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Lisa Gurnick, a Sailor from Carl Vinson, serving as an aircraft handling assistant for Air department's V-1 division.
"Things run very smoothly on this ship and I've learned a lot about leadership from that," Gurnick continued. "I want to be able to bring back that attitude to my own ship and hopefully run things even better.
"I've learned a lot from the mistakes I've made. Because I've seen how things can go wrong, I'll be able to take that back to my ship and not let it happen. I'll be able to stop new Sailors from making the same mistakes I made."
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 2nd Class Ray Delacruz, from Enterprise, transfers fuel for Air department's V-4 division. "I really like the fact that the people I work with really pull together as a team whenever we have a big job. "Everyone knows [his or her] role and performs them flawlessly."
"I really like the people who I have met here," Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Brandon Dunn, a Sailor from Enterprise who operates and maintains launching catapults for Air department's V-2 division. "I will probably be friends with them for the rest of my life. This has been a good experience and is one I will remember for a lifetime."
At the end of deployment, when TR enters the shipyard for a planned extended overhaul, her own Sailors might have the same opportunity to go TAD as well.
"All of the new TR Sailors will be going out to sea when we are in the docks," said Barba. "It will work the same way it is working for the Sailors aboard our ship now; it's a rotating program."
Theodore Roosevelt and elements of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group are on a scheduled deployment to the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. They are in the Gulf of Oman providing support to ground forces in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
For more news from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn71.
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