The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) successfully completed the Mobility Damage Control Warfare (MOB-D) assessment, June 12.
Afloat Training Group (ATG) Pacific assessed the New Orleans’ proficiency in responding to casualties and keeping the ship afloat in simulated emergency situations.
The “Big Easy” conducted 34 drills from June 8-12 covering fires, floods, and toxic gas leaks along with chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) attacks. Ship-wide drills tested the proficiency of all four repair lockers and each inport emergency team.
MOB-D is broken up into multiple stages spaced over several months. The first two stages consist of a material readiness review of damage control equipment and then shipboard training in core fundamentals, such as fire hose handling, pipe patching, and erecting shoring to defend against structural damage.
During the third stage, ATG provided hands-on training during two weeks of damage control drills. New Orleans’ Damage Control Training Team (DCTT) ensured Sailors were able to combat any casualty.
MOB-D culminated in a final week-long assessment where ATG observed damage control drills. The entire ship was involved during the General Quarters drills, completing a Mass Casualty and a CBR drill.
The crew was also required to complete a written level of knowledge exam covering basic damage control.
New Orleans is currently in its training cycle preparing for a future deployment.
Image: US Navy