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TR Battle Group Begins COMPTUEX
Story Number: NNS030115-10
Release Date: 1/15/2003 8:10:00 PM
By Journalist Seaman Michael Perez, USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (NNS) -- USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) began its Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) Jan. 13 to complete another qualification in preparation for deployment.
COMPTUEX is the second in a three-phase process to make sure a carrier group has all the basic skills needed to be a successful battle group.
The first phase is the Final Evaluation Problem process, which sees if the carrier can act as one unit. The second phase is the COMPTUEX exercise. This phase checks if the carrier can act well as a battle group. The final phase in the process is the Joint Task Force Exercise. In that phase, the carrier battle group goes underway with Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force elements. This phase shows the battle group can operate alongside other armed forces.
COMPTUEX will last approximately three weeks. The exercise is a series of tests, including blue water qualification, basic carrier operations skills and several days of war games to get the ship “battle ready.”
The blue water certification tests the ability of the Carrier Air Wing 8 and TR to work hand-in-hand. The ship has to be able to handle problems with aircraft independently without the support of nearby air stations. It is with the combined effort of the air, aircraft intermediate maintenance and operations departments that this qualification can be met.
"Getting the ship blue water qualified is important because it means we can operate independent of air stations ashore," said Cmdr. Mark Hunter, TR’s operations officer. “This is a vital qualification before we deploy.”
Carrier Group 4 will be observing and grading the exercise. Rear Adm. Lindell Rutherford commands the group.
The first series of exercises for COMPTUEX are known as a Schedule of Events period. This period has many scenarios that include barricade drills, crash drills, rigging drills, flight operations and tanker refueling exercises. The ship gets time to plan out these events with briefings to set plans of action.
“COMPTUEX also has many scenarios in it to see if the carrier can handle different situations no matter what the weather conditions or what time of day or night it is,” said Rutherford.
Near the end of the exercise, the ship will conduct a series of “war games." They will battle a group of six “opponent” ships commanded by the Command Task Force out of Puerto Rico.
“We have an airwing in Puerto Rico. We can simulate both sides of the war games,” said Rutherford. The ship will have several unplanned scenarios to which it must respond. These scenarios are used to simulate real world threats.
TR Commanding Officer Capt. Richard J. O’Hanlon added that this exercise will get the ship up to fighting speed.
“You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run,” He said. “By the end of the COMPTUEX we’ll be running.”
For related news, visit the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn71.
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