June 3, 2014, PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) – Sailors constantly call their loved ones and message them to escape from the everyday stress of being underway, but many Sailors don’t know who to thank for this luxury.
On the third deck of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) resides combat systems 1st (CS1) division, whose sole responsibility is to handle all external communication coming to and going from the ship.
“We deal with just about anything that allows you to contact anyone outside the ship,” said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Reneshia Moodie, from Fort Pierce, Fla. “Phone lines, internet services and even the announcements on the ship. We ensure that all communications are working so that if an emergency arises, we are able to warn any allies about incoming threats and increase the safety of our Sailors.”
CS1 also performs ship-to-ship communications, which allows ships in the same area to contact and even troubleshoot communication issues for each other; ship-to-shore communications, where a ship will communicate with a Navy base to make sure that operations are being performed smoothly; and ship-to-aircraft communications, where the ship talks to any aircraft that is performing any sort of air operation to guarantee the safe recovery of an aircraft as it returns to the flight deck.
“We are the gateway to anything outside of George Washington,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Jerry Washington, from Hattiesburg, Miss. “If we were not doing our job the way we have been taught, the ship would be dead in the water. We are the behind the scenes backbone of the ship, ensuring the ship receives all messages and transmits them in a timely manner for the safety of the ship and the crew.”
CS1 division will continue to work diligently to ensure that George Washington is ready for whatever happens, whenever it happens.
“You can talk about us, but you can’t talk without us,” said Washington.
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn73/.