Features Rotary Wing Success at COMPTUEX By LCDR John “Dom” Bamonte
T
he work-up cycle for a carrier strike group is a long and arduous road, one that takes nearly a year to complete. Units start in the basic phase where they conduct Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) and unit level training (ULT); deployment preparation ultimately culminates in the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX or CTX). For the rotary-wing community, helicopter squadrons regularly participate in this exercise while underway as part of the carrier air wing (CVW) or as an air detachment embarked on cruisers, destroyers, amphibious landing and littoral combat ships. In the last two years, the Pacific Fleet has executed five CTXs, certifying three carrier strike groups (CSG) and two amphibious ready groups (ARG). Through these events, we have collected many lessons learned and best practices to be employed in the areas of operations, maintenance, and training to ensure future HSM and HSC squadrons arrive well prepared to conduct integrated operations. Carrier Strike Group 15 (CSG-15), the Pacific command charged with planning and executing CTX, provides a formal recommendation for deployment certification of the respective CSG/ARG at the conclusion of this culminating exercise. Rotor Review #156 Spring '22
CSG-15 is allotted 30 training days to challenge the training audience by administering a robust scenario that exposes them to missions they may conduct in both the 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation (AO). Given this short duration to cover a plethora of missions and tasking, the month is incredibly busy. It is necessary that rotary wing squadrons show up ready to perform on day one. To accomplish this, squadron Operations Departments need to organize their underway processes before embarking. Everything from mission planning, conducting shipborne flight operations, writing the daily flight schedule, and basic communication requires a team effort across multiple squadron departments. Layer on top a complex exercise scenario containing multiple countries with their own air, land, and sea forces. Squadron leadership must empower pilots, aircrewmen, and maintainers at the lowest level. Relying on a single department head or the squadron Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) to lead all training and conduct all mission planning related to the exercise is not sustainable. Establishing multiple mission planning leads and extending that role to senior Lieutenants and aircrewmen will create greater depth on the bench and thin out the effects of fatigue across a greater number of people.
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