Metallic clashes ring throughout the dust-filled air as Sailors swing their sledge hammers meticulously and methodically against the deck plates of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

As the ship prepares for refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) maintenance, Sailors are sent to temporary assigned duty (TAD) stations to fulfill the command's mission. One such TAD billet is the deck team.

"The deck team is tasked with removing all the deck plates on the ship that need to be replaced," said Lt. Mircea Pamfil, production manager for the deck removal team. "We also prepare and prime the decks for the installation of the new floors."

Being one of the few production teams to start work months ahead of RCOH, the deck team sets the ship up for a successful RCOH by getting the work done ahead of time.

"Decks have to be removed before other jobs may commence. For example, the mess decks had to be cleared in order to clear the way for the removal of the reactor pump," said Pamfil. "We had to remove decks and grind the deck to bare metal so that firemain pipes could be rerouted ahead of major bulkhead alterations. The sooner all required decks are removed, the faster other teams can begin their respective work."

The deck team knows the task and applies teamwork to get each job done at an incredibly fast pace.

"Deck team is two months ahead of the Advanced Planning Team's (APT) Smart Start jobs," said Pamfil. "We are looking at completing Smart Start by the end of this month, and we are already taking on future jobs now and accomplishing them ahead of schedule."

With a work hard, play hard attitude, the deck team always puts in a full day's work and then some.

"Deck team is given a lot of work to do," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Christopher Hood. "We never fall behind though. We know that we can't leave until the job is done, so we all work together to make the job easier and go by faster. We come in, we have a job to do, we do the job, and we go home."

Tearing up decks is no easy task, but the Sailors on the deck team enjoy the benefits it provides.

"My favorite part about being on deck team is swinging the sledge hammer," said Airman William Walsh. "It's an amazing feeling to tear up the deck plates because we get to tear up the ship, and because it builds muscle. So it's a win-win situation."

It is because of their team spirit and passion for the job that Pamfil is happy to have the team he has.

"I have the best group of Sailors that I could possibly ask for," said Pamfil. "They are always on time. They volunteer to work on their duty days when they don't have watch or other responsibilities, and their work ethic is second to none. I couldn't be happier with the team I have."

The hard work and exceptional team participation by the deck team has resulted in numbers that speak for themselves.

From January 2017 to April 2017, the deck team properly removed and restored 26,591 square feet of deck coverings yielding $904,098 of financial savings to the Department of the Navy, and eliminated the need for contractor utilization. To date, 31 passageways, 49 work center offices and 40 officer state rooms have been completed, which places the deck team two months ahead of schedule.

RCOH is a time consuming process but with the deck team's commitment to the strenuous mission, GW paves the way for future carriers going into an extended maintenance period.

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