More Than Just Training
Story and photos by PA2 Bobby Nash, PADET Jacksonville, Fla.
MAYPORT, Fla. -- A jaw-jittering shudder echoes through the modest gray steel room. A loud panicked voice belches over the loud speaker, "we've taken a missile to the port side! All hands brace for additional incoming rolls! Investigators, to your stations!"
Two people cautiously exit the room and make their way down the passageway, their boots sloshing through ankle-high water. They make their way to the first hatch on the left and open it.
Inside they discover they're taking on water, and they're taking it on fast.
"There's a hole in the bulkhead. It's about four inches in diameter," yells one investigator. The sound of rushing water is mind numbing, "we've also got two more leaks over here coming from these pipes," says the other.
MAYPORT, Fla. -- An instructor watches as students attempt to patch a pipe with several large holes in it. Students practice working on the pipe before going into the large wet trainer pictured in the background. Coast Guard photograph by PA2 Bobby Nash.
The two investigators make their way back and tell the rest of the crew that they have some serious challenges ahead of them, and they need to move quick if they are going to be successful. With a nod from their instructor, the group of 15 prepares to move into the flooding compartment by gathering the tools they think they'll need to save their ship. They have all just begun their damage control field exercise in one of the wet trainers at the Center for Naval Engineering on Naval Station Mayport.
The group makes their way down the passageway through the rising ankle-deep water and each one enters the flooding compartment. Once everyone is through, the last two of the group dogs-down the door behind them.
There's some confusion as to who should be doing what, but there is no confusing the fact that something needs to be done fast.
The water level is nearly knee high now as the group splits up and works on each task that needs to be done. Each small group working fervently to stop the leak before they lose their ship.
The next 15 minutes is a frenzy of wedges, rags, hammers, shoring, yelling and the sound of rushing water.
"We need a hammer over here," shouts one student.
"Does anyone have any wedges left?" another desperately asks.
Most of the leaks being worked on are now below the water level, which is now almost waist high. Each student takes turns diving underneath the surface to stop the hemorrhaging before coming back up gasping for air.
The group gets the flooding under control with the water level just a waist height. A strong sense of accomplishment can be sensed in the room. They have all just demonstrated that they could effectively slow or stop a leak in a crisis.
MAYPORT, Fla. -- Students grasp onto the overhead to keep their faces above the water. The compartment they have been working on was just flooded, and they are about to egress the room through an overhead hatch. Coast Guard photograph by PA2 Bobby Nash.
That's the whole point of the class according to one of the instructors.
"The course is designed to inspire confidence in sailors who don't necessarily work with this type of stuff every day," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class (DC1) Cecil Harper and instructor at the Center for Naval Engineering.
The team of five instructors doesn't just teach Coasties and sailors how to save their ship when taking on water. They also allow high school students and sea cadets to participate as well, according to Harper, who has been an instructor at the center for four years total.
But the challenges aren't over for the group of 15 still trapped in the half-flooded room. They are told by their instructor that the only way out is through an over head hatch into another compartment that is flooded with at least five feet of water.
Before the hatch is opened, everyone is instructed to grab the overhead piping.
"The water's going to get real high in a minute," says an instructor.
The hatch opens and the crashing water is both deafening and frightening for the people in the room. The water level quickly rises to over six-feet high, and all the students grope for the overhead pipes to stay above the water line.
The first student fights his way up the ladder and through the torrent of water coming over him. Before long, all the students have forced their way up to the second deck out of the flooded compartment.
They have all succeeded and passed their test. Once everyone is out of the trainer, they're all smiles, student and instructor alike.
"For me the biggest thrill is when a young sailor comes back to the ship and says they now know how to use shoring and the other tools. It feels good to be a part of building their confidence in something that could critical for a ship to survive," said Harper.
The training team instructs approximately 2,000 students a year, who receive the same trial by fire, or in this case water. It's because of this training Coasties and sailors alike shouldn't have to sink or swim if they hear a jaw-jittering shudder on their ship.
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