DVIDS – News – JFK begins navigation and ship handling training

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Sailors from aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) took the ship “virtually” underway in the navigation, seamanship and Navigation System (NSST) at Naval Station Norfolk, 7 February.

In preparation for the ship’s future commissioning, trainers from the Norfolk NSST and the John F. Kennedy Navigation Department placed the first bridge team in a simulator to practice practical ship navigation and maneuvering scenarios.

“It’s the best training tool the Navy has to offer, combining virtual reality with real-world scenarios you’ll encounter at sea,” said Quartermaster 2nd Class Courtney Hursey, chief petty officer of the navigation department. “For new sailors, the simulator gives you the initial exposure of being on deck and provides a refresher for sailors who haven’t been out to sea in a while.”

Sailors rotated through several different workstations while performing a mock transit through the Chesapeake Bay, including passing the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel to Naval Base Norfolk.

“In the simulator, you can get a feel for each position, including the flight officer and junior officer of the watch, which is great for navigating [team] to gain knowledge and exposure to each station and how it all works together,” Hursey said.

The first step in this training process is to ensure sailors are familiar with the fundamentals of navigation and ship handling while operating in a team environment.

“It was a great experience,” said Quartermaster Seaman Recruit Fletcher Silva of the Sailor Navigation Department. “Everyone was super helpful, there was no pressure and if you had any questions they were eager to answer them and help us grow as a team.”

John F. Kennedy’s assistant navigator, Lt. John Waters, helped facilitate the training by guiding the sailors through the roles of each watch station.

“It’s really about building foundations and revisiting the fundamentals for watchers who haven’t done this before or need a refresher,” Waters said. “I think it’s by getting people used to simulator events and picking up the pace that we’ll be successful when we put together our first bridge watch crews. These skills atrophy if we don’t practice, and simulation is a great skill refresher.

John F. Kennedy plans to hold regular NSST simulator training to give sailors the opportunity to practice their navigational skills.

“We’re not just building a ship, we’re building a combat-ready crew,” said Captain Joseph Furco, general manager of John F. Kennedy. “Investing in a training combat tempo now ensures that once the Kennedy is delivered, it will be flown by confident and skilled sailors.”

John F. Kennedy, the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, is under construction at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News shipyard in Newport News, Virginia.

For more information on John F. Kennedy, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN79 or follow social media at https://www.facebook.com/CVN79JFK on Facebook and @uss_john_f_kennedy_cvn_79 on Instagram.