The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) visited Naval Magazine (NAVMAG) Indian Island, the Navy’s primary ordnance storage and handling station on the West Coast, to onload six million pounds of ammunition, Jan. 13-15.
Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jason Engleman, G-5 division’s leading chief petty officer, said:
This is the biggest ordnance onload we’ve seen. We haven’t had an onload since December 2010, and we are ready to show what this warship can do.
The ship plans to take on two-thirds of its weight capacity during the three-day evolution. Bombs, missiles and rounds will be onloaded by 1,400 crane lifts.
Before weapons department’s Sailors transfer ammunition, every Sailor in G-1 division must become ordnance strike qualified.
Sailors must also qualify to transport ordnance using the weapons elevators, electrically enclosed forklifts and 6K forklifts.
The ordnance onload was an all-hands evolution and included Sailors from AIMD, air, navigation, safety, security, supply and medical departments. Sailors served as watchstanders, safety observers or ordnance handlers to ensure the evolution ran smoothly.
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Press release, Image: US Navy