Sailors assigned to Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) attended the cableway improvement class at the Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding Carrier Integration Center (VASCIC), in Newport News, Va., Nov. 2-6.

"This class gives Sailors a chance to learn what Production Management 17 (PM17) is doing right now," said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Rodger Stokes, a course attendee. "With me being a part of the PM17 team, any help is better than no help. These Sailors have the chance to actually see what we do, what's out there, and what they can do to make the ship better."

Once a Sailor has attended the course and is certified, they are able to do cableway improvement work for a lifetime. This allows Sailors to do certain shipboard jobs that would normally be outsourced to contractors.

"It costs about $2,000 for a civilian to go through this course, and these Sailors are able to attend it for free," said Paul Estella, a senior consulting field engineer who teaches the class. "The knowledge that Sailors gain from the class helps keep the ship and shipyard safe."

The course is offered four times a year. Sailors of all rates and ranks are eligible to attend for free.

Lincoln is currently undergoing Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class ship to undergo RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet, and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit http://www.navy.mil/.