Without Aviation Boatswain’s Mates (Handling) (ABH) from Air Department’s V-1 division, aircraft could not launch, land or be taxi around the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), rendering flight operations impossible.

One of V-1’s main missions aboard Abraham Lincoln is the movement of aircraft. Whether that movement is across the flight deck or up and down aircraft elevators, V-1 ABHs are the ones choreographing the operations. Their first priority is ultimately to execute the ship’s air plan of the day.

On Lincoln’s four-and-a-half acre flight deck, the ABHs wear three different shirt colors, all representing the different roles on the flight deck.

Yellow shirts are directors for aircraft while taxied around the flight deck. They are responsible for guiding pilots if an aircraft is manned and guiding tractor drivers if they are unmanned.

Before ABHs earn the right to wear yellow shirts through qualifications and experience, however, they start out as blue shirts. Blue shirts have three different roles on the flight deck. As chock and chainers, they are responsible for securing aircraft parked on the flight deck. They also operate the four aircraft elevator systems to move aircraft between the flight deck and hangar bays. Meanwhile, blue shirt tractor drivers tow and maneuver aircraft with ground support equipment under the directions of yellow shirts.

The third category of V-1 ABHs, red shirts, make up the crash and salvage team. As the the flight deck’s principal firefighters, they are experts in the shutdown and emergency rescue procedures for every aircraft up there. During flight operations, red shirts stand by in P-25 mobile firefighting vehicles, ready to respond to a casualty.

Notably, of all the workers on the flight deck, none of them wear any discernable rank on their sleeves.

“On the flight deck, any rank, depending on manning and qualifications, can fill any of those roles.” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) First Class Adam Promersberger, leading petty officer within V-1.  “An airman could be acting as a yellow shirt up on the flight deck. All that matters is how much someone pushes themselves to get qualified to be in that specific role.”

With upwards of 500 personnel and nearly 50 aircraft, the flight deck, though highly-controlled, is hazardous. The proud ABHs of Abraham Lincoln find the job rewarding but competitive. Even after a good day’s work, many are still looking for ways to improve.

“You don’t just learn this job once; you’re always learning your craft,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Percy Pasia. “Even now we continuously have to train ourselves and educate our junior Sailors. We’re always trying to perfect our craft, learning new ways to be more efficient, with the goal of becoming technical experts.”

Simultaneously, the undesignated Sailors within V-1 are getting a first-hand look at the ABH rating. Many end up applying to strike, or permanently pick up the rate of, ABH because of the dynamics of working on the flight deck.

“I love working on the flight deck,” said Airman Denis Castillo. “I’ve been told once that being up on the flight deck is 90 percent adrenaline and 10 percent fear, or vice versa. Either way, it’s knowing that anything can happen if you’re not paying attention. That keeps my head on a swivel when I’m driving the tractors and paying attention to the yellow shirt giving me directions.”

Castillo has been in the Navy for more than a year as an undesignated airman and hopes to one day become an ABH himself.

“I love what I do. It is adrenaline-fueling and one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced.” said Castillo.

While it can be an adrenaline rush for some on the flight deck, it does come with very real dangers. During flight operations, moving aircraft, jet blasts and the equipment that help to land planes presents constant hazards that have to be observed at all times.

Safety on the flight deck is paramount. If it can go wrong, Lincoln needs to be prepared with a solution.

“Safety is of the upmost importance, especially in a dangerous environment like the flight deck,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) William Sum. “Our jobs are inherently dangerous, and every safety precaution needs to be adhered to.”

For V-1 Sailors, every day of work on the flight deck is dangerous and exciting. They aim to do the best job they can, while soaking in the thrill of the job.

Through day and night of flight operations for Abraham Lincoln, ABHs are always there, working to get the planes and helicopters in position to fly and working to receive them when they return.

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