The medical department aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) works hard every day. Such effort requires aggressive upkeep and maintenance.

Part of that effort includes addressing and fixing various issues around the department and berthings.

Between patient care, day-to-day operations and maintenance, it has been an all hands effort to get the ship up to Material Assist Visit (MAV) standard. Medical has split up into two teams to efficiently handle all further discepencies.

“We’ve all really taken a hard look at all of our spaces,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Gregory Dudek. “We’re trying to identify and eliminate potential problems. If our ship isn’t ready, then we aren’t ready. MAV has a huge impact on our ship’s wellness and safety, so it’s our job to be able to fix these deficiencies so nobody gets injured on the job.”

Dudek said the scrutiny they have applied has increased their confidence in their equipment and abilities.

“We’ve been assigning individuals to fix MAV discrepancies daily,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Judd Aquino, Ike’s Medical Laboratory Technician. “It’s challenging, but it ensures that all of our equipment is functional and our spaces are suitable for deployment. This is what adds the assurance that when the time comes to utilize them, we know they won’t fail. We’re fixing medical spaces, emergency potable water systems and many other smaller discrepancies.”

Medical department is making an effort to keep Ike at the same standard as the day it was commissioned, said Lt. Stephen Kahn, the medical department admin officer.

“The MAV process allows Ike Sailors to keep the ship serviceable for its lifecycle,” said Kahn. “It is our responsibility as Sailors aboard Ike to keep her ready to continue the fight.”

This process is done through maintenance and smooth communication through medical’s chain of command.

“By doing things like maintaining spreadsheets and checklists of all the maintenance we have to do, we can disseminate information out to the crew that comes all the way from the department heads,” said Kahn.

Medical works daily to fix issues related to electrical safety, ship preservation and berthing habitability.

“Some of these issues were as easy to fix as ordering new hooks for the berthings and painting some spaces,” said Kahn. “Some of the more challenging issues to fix are re-decking areas that were done improperly and awaiting ship activity to fix hatches and scuttles.”

To properly maintain these spaces and assure the work is done correctly, senior enlisted medical personnel conduct inspections.

Kahn stressed the importance of taking care of Ike because the ship is not only a warship, but a home for all of its Sailors.

“We’re being tested on the material condition of our spaces,” said Kahn. “We live, work and take the fight to the enemy aboard this mighty ship and we must keep it ready for future generations of Sailors to live through those same experiences.”

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