Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) University: Refreshing and refining skillsets for a safer flight deck

ByPettyOfficer2ndClass

TatyanaFreeman

Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic

The flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is a fast-paced and complex place especially when operating at sea It takesonlysecondsforamulti-milliondollar aircraft to “crunch” into another one and render both unable to fly This miscalculation of movement and spilt-second mistake made by personnel working on the flight deck creates huge complications for operationalunitsthatprovideforwardpresence aroundtheglobe RearAdm.JohnMeier,commander,Naval AirForceAtlantic(AIRLANT) believesthe unfortunate mistakes made on the flight deck can be mitigated through more rigoroustrainingintheclassroom andhands-on experiences on the flight line. From his perspective, the naval aviation community has a duty and obligation to train and prepare Sailors who will, or who presently, workandmanageday-to-dayoperationson aflightdeck.

“The vast majority of reportable safety incidents we have in naval aviation are ‘crunches,’ said Meier “This is when personnel working on a ship’s flight deck or flightlinetowa 100 to200milliondollar aircraft into something else The worst of thesetypesofeventsoccurwhenoneaircraft istowedintoanotherone,andthenasquadron or unit is down two of their aircraft. Mission and readiness are automatically impactedinablinkofaneye.

Due to these incidents mostly resulting fromhumanerror,Meierisworkingwithhis team at AIRLANT to take necessary steps towardmakingnavalaviationsaferbytrying to stop problems before they happen and to close out the most preventable mistakes in order to keep Navy aircraft where they belong:intheair

“Last year we had a significant number of crunches throughout the fleet,” said Meier. “A-B-H-U is our approach to that. It’s basically our ground school for aircraft handling.”

ABHU, or Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) University is a new course that Aviation Boatswain’s Mates (Handling) (ABH) within AIRLANT’s claimancy can now take part in to refresh their skills, or acquire more knowledge in an area they maybeunfamiliarwithduetoshipmaintenanceperiodsortheirassignedjobposition within their shops ThefirstABHUparticipants,fromUSSHarryS.Truman(CVN75) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), graduatedfromthecourseonNavalStation Norfolk on June 2, 2023 The second class of Sailors comprised of participants from Harry S. Truman and they graduated June 9,2023 ABHssupervisethemovement,spotting, and securing of aircraft and equipment ashore and afloat and provide crash rescue, firefighting, crash removal, and damage controldutiesinconnectionwiththelaunch andrecoveryofaircraft

“It’sabasicABHcoursewithalotofextra reps [repetitions] and sets that they can use

ByNavalFacilitiesEngineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic NORFOLK, Va Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune North Carolina Partnering Team was recently announced asrecipientsofthe2023EPANationalNotable Achievement Award: Federal Facilities Excellence in Partnering Team of the Year for their exemplary partnership, and for effectivelyimplementinginnovative,timely, and sustainable remedial actions onboard the 156,000-acre military base Teams from all 10 EPA Regions submitted packages and competedforthisyear’shonors

The MCB Camp Lejeune Partnering Team included: Dave Cleland and Lindsey Mills, from Naval Facilities Engineering SystemsCommandMid-Atlantic(NAVFAC

MIDLANT)Environmental;JenniferTufts, from EPA Region 4; Thomas Richard and Laura Spung, from MCB Camp Lejeune; RandyMcElveen,BethHartzell,andAngela Moore,fromNorthCarolinaDepartmentof Environmental Quality; Matt Louth Kim Henderson and Monica Fulkerson, from Jacobs; and Dylan Elks and Shaun Whitworth,fromMeadowsCMPG,Inc

“I’m extremely proud of this team, but also proud of their ability to assess tough environmental issues by incorporating innovative thinking and reasoning, positive communication, and efficient managementpractices,”saidKellyKnight,NAVFAC MIDLANTEnvironmentalDirector.“Their efforts also helped to support beneficial goalsoftheDepartmentofDefenseandour partneringagencies.”

Workperformedwasmanagedunderthe Navy’sEnvironmentalRestorationProgram (ERP),whichutilizesapartneringconceptto facilitatecleanupactionsrequiredunderthe Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation,andLiabilityAct.

Theteamwaswidelyrecognizedfortheir functionality and for the performance of their duties During the submission period, the team’s combined efforts included: the treatment of more than 6 million gallons of groundwater, injection of more than 3,000 gallonsofemulsifiedvegetableoilsubstrate as part of a bio barrier replenishment and recirculationsystem,andtheoperationofair sparge systems for more than 9,000 hours Additionally the team saved more than $40,000byreusingremediationequipment from a decommissioned site, and increased efficiency through the installation of a new solarpoweredtreatmentsystemthatreused 70cubicyardsofsoil,recycled7,530pounds of metal, reduced remediation-derived wasteandpaperwaste,andsavedmorethan 52metrictonsofcarbondioxideemissions, amongotherbenefits.

Their dynamic structure allowed them to establish and maintain effective working relationships with external organizational units, including the Restoration Advisory Board, a stakeholder organization that provides input on MCB Camp Lejeune’s cleanup program. The team’s partnership involved frequent engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to execute the Navy’s ERP in a timely efficient, and

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