USS Stout conducts small boat drill during Ike COMPTUEX

U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) completed an inbound, high-speed boat training drill, March 28.

Stout is underway conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise with the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, the final test the strike group will undergo in preparation for deployment.

During the training evolution, the Stout crew was called to action at a moment’s notice when watchstanders on the bridge spotted anything out of the norm.

The exercise allowed the visual intelligence team, combat information center, small craft alert team and bridge watch team to work together to communicate the existence of any potential inbound threat.

“These drills get everyone ready for action in a moment’s notice,” said Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Maria Barrera, a member of Stout’s SCAT team. “We have only minutes from the time we are called over the 1MC to get all of our gear and have our stations manned and ready. It’s fast-paced, and being called to station four times in one day helps prepare us if anything were to actually happen.”

Ike CSG is comprised of the Carrier Strike Group 10 staff, Destroyer Squadron 26 staff, Carrier Air Wing 3, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61) and the ships assigned to DESRON 26: the guided-missile destroyers USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).