Sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) completed the Command Assessment of Readiness and Training (CART) II, Aug. 18.

During this four-day event, the Afloat Training Group Atlantic (ATG) assessed Truman's needs for the rest of the training cycle in preparation for deployment.

"ATG conducted a comprehensive review of the ship's programs, qualifications and casualty control capabilities in order to assess our readiness," said Lt. Cmdr. Damon Sumerall, Truman's training officer.

ATG's evaluation looked at various administrative requirements as well, including plans for watch team replacement, watch quarter and station bills and long-range training. All of these evaluations provided invaluable information for future shipboard evolutions.

"We're going to take the feedback we got from ATG during the CART II assessment and formulate a plan to ensure success for upcoming training events," said Sumerall.

Aiding Lt. Cmdr. Sumerall are a number of command training teams: Air Department, Combat Systems, Damage Control, Anti-terrorism, Medical, Engineering, Seamanship and Navigation, and Weapons Department. These training teams execute comprehensive scenarios such as: response to causalities from the at-sea fire party, combat scenarios, first aid and stretcher bearer medical response and general quarters (GQ) drills to test their knowledge of readiness training.

"For each GQ we have, we want to have an initial planning phase where the various training teams get together and decide what we're going to do for that particular training drill," said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Eric Strotman, a damage control training team leader. "Preparation is key to understanding each crew member's role in each and every evolution. This training prepares the crew to have the knowledge to respond to an actual casualty quickly and prevent personnel injury and damage to equipment."

In addition to GQ drills, Truman's air department assisted the medical training team during a mass casualty drill and participated in flight deck drills. The evolutions covered the crew's ability to respond to simulated emergency landing scenarios such as switching out cross-deck pendants used to catch recovering aircraft and assembling a barricade.

"We've been working on these drills since the yard period," said Cmdr. Steven Djunaedi, Truman's air department officer. "We wanted to show ATG we're ready to execute rapid response to these types of scenarios and are motivated to get Truman back into launching and recovering aircraft."

Truman is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk while conducting a work-up cycle in preparation for deployment in spring 2018.

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