Deck department aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) installed one of two 30-ton anchor on the ship’s starboard side June 16, bringing the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier one step closer to completing its docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).

Deck department detached the ship’s anchors and anchor chain early in its DPIA on Feb. 21, 2019.

“The anchor on load evolution is critical to ensure the ship gets out of the dry dock in a timely fashion,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Darrell Joyner, the Petty Officer in Charge of the evolution, who added that over the last year the links were refurbished and repainted.

Sailors assigned to deck department, with the support of NNSY personnel, worked to re-attach the anchor. There are more than 2,000 feet of chain on an aircraft carrier and each of the links weigh 365 pounds.

“Our deck department has been working hard to bring over 250,000 pounds of chain and 60,000 pounds of anchor back aboard,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, the commanding officer of USS George H. W. Bush. “Our ship is coming back together every day to look more and more like the fine warfighting ship that it is.”

The ship’s force completed the project, which began on June 8, in just eight days. Installation of the ship’s port side anchor is planned for later this month.

“We’ve got a great team here,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joe Kenworthy, the ship’s First Lieutenant. “I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the team.”

USS George H. W. Bush, which is the last of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, is receiving essential life-cycle maintenance and modernization of various systems, improvements. These improvements will enable her to return to the fleet in top warfighting condition in support of our national interests.

The ship is more than halfway through its DPIA. This is GHWB’s the aircraft carrier’s first time in dry dock, since her delivery to the fleet in 2009. The ship is expected to return to the fleet in the summer of 2021.

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