Every time Sailors hear the familiar grind of arresting gears dragging across the flight deck and feel their work centers shake, a team of Aviation Boatswain's Mates (Equipment), or ABE's, are at work.

Sailors in Air department's V-2 division are essential for ensuring that flight operations are successful by maintaining and operating four arresting-gear wires and one emergency-landing barricade aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

"We do countless maintenance procedures on all of this equipment," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Jia Chen, V-2's leading petty officer. "Pilots and flight deck personnel rely on our equipment to work perfectly. There isn't any room for error here."

Each component is powered by its own hydraulic engine system that enables an aircraft at full-throttle speed to stop in less than 340 feet.

According to Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Andre Jones, from Memphis, Tennesee, proper operation and maintenance of V-2's equipment requires approximately 40 Sailors to work around the clock.

About 20 Sailors man the arresting gears during flight operations, while another team of 20 work during the night shift performing the maintenance to ensure arresting gears and the emergency barricade are in fighting shape.

"The equipment is important, but what makes or breaks the safety of its operation are the Sailors in V-2," said Jones. "We take a lot of pride in our work, and the importance of our job keeps everyone going."

Jones added that arresting gear personnel receive a lot of training. Senior personnel in the shop emphasize teaching new Sailors and getting them qualified. Every Sailor must complete an extensive personnel qualification standard to perform any task that involves the arresting gear system.

During each aircraft recovery, there is always a team of arresting-gear aviation boatswain's mates present.

Whether it's to raise the emergency barricade for a drill, observe arrested landings on the flight deck and below decks, or performing maintenance at night, V-2 Sailors help ensure pilots and aircraft return to the ship safely.

George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, are on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan.

For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visit www.navy.mil/.