An aircraft carrier is known for being an inherently dangerous environment, with the possibility of an emergency never more than one mistake away. Sailors must always be prepared to respond at a moment's notice.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) maintains its own team of damage control specialists, the in-port emergency team (IET), which acts as the initial response to shipboard casualties.

IET refines their emergency response skills during daily drills, which require them to fight fires, clear chemical spills, patch burst pipes, dewater spaces, and combat other shipboard casualties. Their regular training is designed to ensure a quick and effective response to any kind of shipboard emergency while in-port.

"Being a part of IET is really rewarding," said Damage Controlman 1st Class Gregory Abrams, a duty fire marshall. "I have the opportunity to teach Sailors how to do my job and give them hands-on training that could potentially save someone's life."

Every duty section on the ship has an IET that is ready to respond at any moment. The teams are responsible for upholding the integrity of the ship and ensuring all emergencies affecting the ship are dealt with safely and swiftly. Causalities may arise at any time, and the IET are on standby 24 hours a day.

"I've never gotten the chance to work with firefighting equipment prior to being on IET," said Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Marques Batten, a firefighter on one of the IETs. "It's a great feeling knowing that our team is essential to the ship's welfare."

From on-scene firefighting methods to casualty investigation, first response and first aid emergency response, Sailors are trained no differently while in-port than when out to sea.

"I'm proud to be able to teach Sailors on IET how to respond to a medical emergency," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ky Amos, a medical responder aboard Abraham Lincoln. "There are about 38 corpsman and 3,000 personnel aboard the ship. The first responders aren't always corpsmen, so effectively training Sailors how to do my job is pertinent to the safety of ship."

Abraham Lincoln Sailors continue to practice and maintain damage control readiness, always training to be perfect when an emergency occurs and lives are at risk.

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