Air Department made its 190,000th trap, or aircraft recovery, via arresting gear on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), June 6.

Abraham Lincoln was commissioned as a U.S. naval vessel on November 11, 1989 and has completed more than 29 years of service. The ship’s first arrested aircraft landing was during her maiden deployment in 1990.

“190,000 arrestments is a great accomplishment,” said Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Ivelaw Sealey, Air Department’s maintenance chief. He explained that Sailors started counting aircraft landings on the flight deck the day the engines went into service aboard the ship.

“It feels good to know that we’ve become a part of the history of the ship,” said Sealey. “The 190,000th trap is a landmark for the ship and a tribute to the fact that we’ve come this far. That’s why we took this opportunity to celebrate.”

A short ceremony was held in the Air V-2 maintenance office to celebrate the major accomplishment. More than 50 Sailors attended the celebration, which included a cake and remarks from the division’s senior leadership, as well as a presentation of a piece of an arresting gear wire to the pilot who made the landing.

“The fact that we’ve been able to manage these traps makes me feel proud,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Andres Cardenas, a Sailor who works on the arresting gear. “Considering we were able to recover such a high number of aircraft makes this a special event.”

A trap is successfully made when the tailhook of an aircraft catches one of four arresting wires strung port to starboard across the flight deck. The arresting gear is vital to the ship’s function because it allows pilots to securely land aboard an aircraft carrier by rapidly decelerating an aircraft as it lands.

“I feel great about it because it’s an achievement that came after Refueling and Complex Overhaul in 2017,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Corris Brown, an Abraham Lincoln Sailor who works in the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipmen (ALRE) division. “It’s an amazing accomplishment given the fact that we went underway with a young crew.”

ALRE division’s primary tasks aboard an aircraft carrier includes launching aircraft from catapults, recovering aircraft using the arresting gear and controlling the visual landing aid through the Integrated Launch and Recovery Television System.

“We make sure that the fighting capabilities of the entire strike group and air wing are held to a high standard,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Zacharie Polesky, an Abraham Lincoln Sailor working in the ALRE maintenance office. “We get the job done wherever we’re sent.”

The crew on the flight deck makes anywhere from 40 to 100 arrestments every day while underway.

“A lot of work is put into the launch and recovery of aircraft aboard this carrier,” said Sealey. “The Sailors that man the equipment work day and night to ensure we can continue the mission. Celebrating an occasion like this is really for the Sailors because they’re the ones who keep the equipment in great shape. They complete post-operations, pre-operations and conduct all the maintenance on the equipment. They’re here to take care of this equipment every day. The fact that we have 190,000 traps is a testament to the crew’s diligence and sacrifice.”

The landmark trap was made by Lt. Chase Strickland, from the "Sidewinders" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, who caught the “3 wire” on the flight deck.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to help set another milestone for the Air Department team on the Lincoln,” said Strickland. “This accomplishment is a team accomplishment. The confidence that aviators have in ALRE is the highest it has ever been. Never is there a concern that the professionals manning the gear will fail to keep the aviators safe.”

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. With Abraham Lincoln as the flagship, deployed strike group assets include staffs, ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG 12), Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW 7).

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