It happens every day of the year, and many Sailors take it for granted. Sailors roam the passageways on the ship, hearing the petty officer of the watch strike bells and make announcements over the ship’s one main circuit (1MC) marking time. Concurrently, departmental duty officers and command leadership talk to each other on handheld radios, keeping everyone informed. Television monitors display views of the flight deck, with aircraft launching and recovering. The unsung heroes who keep these systems humming along are known as Interior Communication Electricians (ICs).

ICs are responsible for maintaining critical equipment in nearly every space on the ship, from forward to aft. While underway, these same Sailors work to maintain shipboard communications such as the phone lines, sound-powered telephones used for damage control and other operations, and the 1MC announcing system. During an aircraft carrier’s refueling complex overhaul (RCOH), they are on corrosion control teams and complete tag-outs to alert their shipmates of dangerous live electrical current in wiring or equipment.

“We use the cathodic protection system (CP) to keep corrosion off of the ship,” said Interior Communications Electrician 2rd Class Alyssa Kean, a Sailor assigned to the combat systems department aboard the George Washington.

Kean said cathodic protection controls the corrosion of a metal surface (and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is one large metal surface!) by using large metal structures as a sponge for corrosion rather than letting the ship collect the corrosion itself.

While operational underway, air ICs are also responsible for maintaining the ship’s integrated launch and recovery television system (ILARTS) and the improved fresnel lens optical landing system (IFLOS), which allows them to keep a watchful eye on flight operations. As RCOH work continues to press on, these ICs are looking forward to crucial testing of important air operations equipment.

ILARTS is a chain of several flight deck cameras that record flight operations, making it possible to review almost every aircraft launch and recovery. IFLOLS is a visual landing aid to assist pilots by indicating position in relation to glide scope upon landing. Both systems play a vital role in continued air operations and the ICs of the very large array (VLA) team are the backbone.

“Next year begins testing for VLA equipment,” said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Samantha Cox, the V-2 division training petty officer. “Air IC’s are not dealing with the 1MC and other combat systems equipment. We mainly are concerned with air department’s VLA equipment.”

One IC Sailor said RCOH is the perfect time to gain technical expertise and conduct training in a non-operational environment to help prepare these Sailors for their important tasks ahead.

“This is the time for us to learn hands-on how to fix our equipment,” said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Bethany Calhoun, a Sailors assigned to the combat systems department aboard the George Washington. “While in RCOH, nearly every air Interior Communications Electrician is in combat operations working on all the equipment we own and we are removing and replacing systems as well as getting to troubleshoot them.”

Sailors may not always stop to think of the hard work done by these ICs. However, it is worth remembering that without the dedication and efforts of these Sailors, communications could not be possible. Without communications or air operations IC equipment, the George Washington could not function, orders could not be passed, and operations could not be carried out, jeopardizing our mission and our national security interests. Interior Communications Electricians make this, and much more, possible.

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