The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) completed the Command Assessment of Readiness and Training Phase Two (CART II) certification, Sept. 16.

CART II, part of the basic phase in the optimized fleet response plan (OFRP), is the second of four phases that comprise Ike's training cycle and an opportunity for the crew to demonstrate greater proficiency and readiness for at-sea operations.

"In CART I, we looked internally at our training programs across the command," said Cmdr. J. Darrick Poe, Ike's training officer. "We did a self-assessment of how we looked. This time, in CART II, we had an outside entity, the Afloat Training Group (ATG), look at a lot of the same things."

ATG assesses training teams on their ability to train the crew during an assortment of drills, including medical casualties, general quarters responses, and the launching and recovering of aircraft.

"During the basic phase, we're working on getting the unit cohesion together for Ike, making sure that all the departments have their subject matter experts in place, that they're training their crew, they can operate their equipment and recover from casualties safely," Poe said. "Basically, we're focused on making sure that we, as a team, are ready."

Ens. Tyrone Downing, Ike's fire marshal, focuses on the part of the CART II assessment that concerns Ike's Damage Control Training Team (DCTT).

Ike's DCTT instructs Sailors on the proper methods for quickly and efficiently addressing or reducing the severity of shipboard casualties.

"CART II is an inspection where DCTT will be graded on their ability to assess and train the ship in the area of damage control," Downing said. "I have more than 100 members on DCTT from many different departments who are training in the areas of combating structural damage, flooding and fire."

Ike's training team was assessed during a condition 1, or general quarters-drill, Sept. 14.

"The crew came with a lot of motivation, ready to train, and to refresh and show all the knowledge we've trained them in," Downing said. "We've put in a lot of effort, time and work, and I'm 100 percent positive that the crew will repay DCTTs efforts by showing ATG what we can do."

With the conclusion of CART II, the ship enters the Tailored Ship's Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP) process. During TSTA/FEP, the crew will stress the limits of their casualty response capabilities during a 25 day underway.

For more news from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), visit www.navy.mil/.