Sailors in Air Department's V-2 division aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are the driving force behind the launch and recovery of the ship's aircraft. The job is dangerous, the hours are long, and the work can be physically and mentally draining.

Faced with the challenges of their job, V-2, the primary mission division, rose to the occasion and proved they are ready to take on their mission-critical role, completing 1,032 traps during this underway.

"This underway has been pretty busy," said Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) John Rogers, aircraft launch and recovery (ALRE) maintenance senior enlisted chief petty officer. "It's the first time this V-2 has done over 1,000 traps."

In total during the nine months since rejoining the fleet from Refueling and Complex Overhaul, Lincoln has had 1,754 traps under its belt. During this underway, the Sailors of V-2 have completed more than half that amount in just a week and a half.

"These Sailors have worked so hard, and they're still smiling," said Lt. j.g. Daniel Longwell, the ALRE maintenance officer. "We have Sailors that are used to working in the yards and Sailors who haven't ever done this before, but they're doing great."

Despite being relatively green, the Sailors in the V-2 division overcame three shuttle inspections, eight pulled sockets, two down arresting gear wires, at least six pipe replacements on two catapults, and a slew of other routine inspections on top of their daily preventative maintenance.

"We easily put in 1,100 to 1,200 man hours just on maintenance alone," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Don Hunsaker, arresting gear leading petty officer.

V-2 Division's workdays start long before flight operations begin, but they don't end after the last aircraft have been recovered. They work for hours after flight operations, ensuring the systems will continue to safely launch and recover the aircraft.

"These Sailors are inhuman with the amount of work they do and how upbeat and positive they are," said Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Matthew Brown, arresting gear chief petty officer. "They're the hardest working people I've ever met in my life, and that's the truth. They have an internal drive that keeps them going, it's nothing like I've ever seen before. It's extremely impressive."

V-2's resilience and dedication help to carry Lincoln back to operational status and pave a path for future Sailors to follow.

The Sailors of V-2 strive to set the standard for mission-ready work ethic. Whether they're performing maintenance or launching aircraft, these Sailors have proven that they have earned the title of primary mission division.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit www.navy.mil/.