The Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducted their Aviation Maintenance Inspection (AMI) from March 6 - March 9, earning nearly a perfect score on completion.

Executed before a ship's deployment, an AMI includes a review of 41 programs, as well as five drills and a series of practical examinations for the Sailors within AIMD.

The inspection was led by representatives of Commander, Naval Air Forces' (COMNAVAIRFOR) Aviation Maintenance Management team. The team spent four days examining the procedures and programs used to conduct aviation maintenance on board Nimitz, granting AIMD an overall score of 99.8%.

"Everyone had a role to play," said Senior Chief Aviation Maintenance Administrationman Carlos Cabana, a native of San Dimas, Calif., and the AIMD quality assurance supervisor. "From the division officers, chiefs and quality assurance representatives beating the drum, to the first and second classes leading the charge, to the third classes and airmen performing good maintenance practices and procedures."

The grading scale for AMI starts with "On-track" or "Satisfactory" at the top. Evaluations that require a bit of work are classified as "Needs Attention" and failing programs are listed as "Off-track". The AMI pre-inspection in October saw the ship with several off-track programs, a problem that was remedied by March.

All 41 Nimitz programs received "on track" recommendations, with 5 drills and 20 material condition inspections receiving "satisfactory" marks. Forty-nine out of fifty tested practicals were graded "Satisfactory".

Nimitz placed 10th out of the 50 observed aviation communities within the Navy.

No Sailor in the department was exempt from the review, with one of the primary focuses being the knowledge level of junior Sailors. The practical tests involved everything from checking out a required tool from storage to medical treatment of a Sailor suffering from electrical shock.

"This inspection was a great opportunity for getting Sailors from the mindset of working on the ship in the yards, to working on aviation maintenance while underway," said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 1st Class Lorne Wright, a native of Hudson, Wis., and a quality assurance representative within AIMD. "It allowed us to see what we were deficient in and where we needed to put that extra focus to prepare for deployment. It helped those junior Sailors learn and put aviation maintenance back on people's minds."

Nimitz is currently underway conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), in preparation for an upcoming 2017 deployment.

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