Hue City's Engineering Department Stays Ready

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (NNS) -- A warship at sea must have a crew of well-trained Sailors that are prepared for anything, especially when it comes to responding to an engineering casualty.

Two months into a deployment is a time when a crew can grow complacent as the ship does not have any upcoming certifications. But aboard USS Hue City (CG 66), the Engineering Training Team (ETT) has been preventing that on a weekly basis.

The ETT trains the crew regularly on immediate and controlling actions for fires, a loss of pitch control on the ship's propellers, a loss of lube oil pressure and fuel leaks. This team of senior leaders from the ship's Engineering department is the main reason Hue City's deployment has been a successful one thus far.

"We go over important procedures that must be executed correctly in the event of a casualty," said Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) 1st Class Jorge Siguenza, an evaluator for Hue City's ETT. "Procedures such as a gas turbine module post shut-down fire, where the propulsion auxiliary control console (PACC) operator will secure fuel from the main engine and motor using bleed air from the online gas turbine generator and stop the engine while the fuel is still burning in the combustion section."

The ETT facilitates engineering drills, which are conducted twice a week, to rehearse the pre-planned responses of watch standers to ensure they are proficient at the time of an actual casualty.

"It is important to practice for actual casualties because it helps build a mindset that becomes second nature to the Sailors," said Ens. Anastasia Abid, USS Hue City's Main Propulsion Officer. "It helps us stay on top of our game and our response time is much quicker because of the constant practice."

ETT meets before the drills to plan which casualties the crew needs to work on. All drills are run on off line equipment so as to not affect the operational readiness of the ship.

Training is part of any ship's pre-deployment routine, but once on deployment, the senior leaders in ETT become the trainers. The ETT and the Sailors of USS Hue City work tirelessly toward being able to respond quickly and accurately to any engineering casualty, directly affecting mission readiness.

"What we do aboard Hue City is what I hope all ships are doing," said Damage Controlman 1st Class Larry Ellington, USS Hue City's assistant damage control training team coordinator. "It is having a well-trained Engineering Training Team that is experienced and knowledgeable and Sailors that are fluent in their procedures and ready at a moment's notice."

For more news from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn69/.