Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) completed an ammunition onload while underway off the coast of southern California, Feb. 16.

The four-day evolution consisted of flight operations in which Sailors and Marines from America worked with members from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Det. Fallbrook to deliver the ammunition by vertical replenishment (VERTREP).

America took on more than 900 pallets of ammunition consisting of approximately 400 different types of ordnance, and the onload was one of the final requirements for the ship to be fully operational for deployment later this year.

America's Weapons Department Head, Lt. Cmdr. Todd Blackman, said this evolution is important because of the support America will be able to provide once deployed.

"We did this because when we get into theater we need to make sure we have the right ordnance to be able to support any mission for the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and theater operations," said Blackman. "This allows us to do the job the theater commander requires when called upon."

To ensure the process was a success, weapons department Sailors trained for approximately two years to prepare for the evolution by obtaining the credentials needed to handle ordnance.

"They were prepared," said Blackman. "They went through what we call the 'qual cert' program to qualify as team members, team leaders, and quality assurance safety officers. They worked for years to get these magazines ready for America's maiden deployment."

America received ordnance from nearby shore facilities via helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadrons (HSC) 3, 14, 21, and 23. During the evolution, the ship and crew encountered adverse weather and reduced visibility, causing some delay, but their training prepared them for such conditions.

"We were ready," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Jason Luthge, armament weapons support equipment (AWSE) leading petty officer. "Most of us have been here since 2014. Everybody did their jobs, and we became qualified to do the operation. It takes a lot of training, but we did it, and we did it safely without incident."

America is equipped to support a wide spectrum of military operations and missions, including putting Marines ashore for combat operations, launching air strikes, keeping sea lanes free and open for the movement of global commerce, and delivering humanitarian aid following a natural disaster.

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