Sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman's (CVN 75) Weapons department, G-4 division, are responsible for weapons elevators and associated gear which are vital to mission readiness.

G-4 division is made up of 43 Sailors performing maintenance and upkeep on nine weapons elevators, nine machinery rooms, four pump rooms, 30 electrically enclosed forklifts and 15 pallet jacks. They also moved 1,979 tons of ordnance valued at $240 million during the June 2015 underway.

Sailors use forklifts to move ordnance stored below decks in various magazines, onto elevators and up to the flight deck where it is delivered to squadrons for missions. The division performs year-round preventive and corrective maintenance with a goal to make sure equipment is 100 percent operational and certified.

Lt. j.g. M. Barba, G-4 division officer, said he is impressed by the crew's performance.

"I'm excited to ensure our squadrons are getting what they need to support the mission and that our weapons perform as advertised," said Barba.

With, arguably, the largest workload in the department, G-4 is made up of aviation ordnancemen, electrician's mates and machinist's mates who work together as a team on equipment.

Barba said it is unique and inspirational to have Sailors perform maintenance on equipment outside of their rates in order to get the mission done.

Sailors in G-4 have the opportunity to expand their skills on routine maintenance by interacting with different rates and learning new techniques from one another.

"My favorite part about working in my shop is watching my shipmates flourish," said Machinist's Mate 3rd Class A. L. Armstrong. "I get to mentor our newest Sailors. They come to me with excitement on a new skill set they have learned."

Armstrong said G-4 is working around the clock as the foundation of the Weapons department by providing fully operational equipment that is always ready at a moment's notice.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) is currently underway participating in a composite training unit excercise in preparation for a future deployment.

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit www.navy.mil/.