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To: Ronin
When nukes are involved, and here we have both — weapons and nuclear power — there is absolutely no room at all for this kind of crap.

Rickover turns over in his grave. The man set high standards for the nuke Navy to preserve it's integrity and demanded they be followed. Heck he was still active when I was in but I was a conventional Machinist Mate.

I'll note something else too. Because of our stricter standards pre-1989 smoking as such wasn't a major cause of shipboard fires. We also had a lot more places smoking was usually allowed. It was just common sense. Swab fires were most common fire cause, electrical problems {I saw a switchboard melt due to DFT feeedline rupture}, and next came improper storage leading usually to spontaneous combustion.

A buddy and I found a bad fire one night off the hanger bay in the yards. A storeroom of cardboard, rags etc in a locked space. Even with a visible location it had a good start I'd say about 30-60 minutes as heat was already transferring up to the 02 level. I couldn't find a phone so I ran to the QD and called it on the 1MC from there. I wasn't on duty for that one so I suited up and went as an OBA investigator and we started doing compartment deck and bulkheads cool downs. First was the Barber Shop Big Evil Grin of Vengeance :>} Minimal Damage & the Barber Shop was the most effected damage wise.

The duty team had it out in about an hour or two including overhaul. It was the worse fire I saw. The next bad one came a few years later long after I was out. #6 pumproom blew up. That was a Grape space. I do remember this much. In the late 70's even with good ventilation down there you could still smell it in the aft chow line.

The Navy and congress better get on the stick and get serious about general maintenance and readiness. Readiness includes putting stuff where it darn well belongs. Not doing so cost us a conventional carrier in 1990's two carriers younger than the Kitty Hawk and it also later cost us JFK due to the same thing. I don't see how the KW and Big E have made it so long.

75 posted on 07/31/2008 3:25:39 PM PDT by cva66snipe ($.01 The current difference between the DEM's and GOP as well as their combined worth to this nation)
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To: All
An interesting source of information. Shipboard Casualties

There is nothing more important on any ship than Damage Control. Live by it's rules and your chances of surviving even a mass cauuality are fairly good.

76 posted on 07/31/2008 3:30:24 PM PDT by cva66snipe ($.01 The current difference between the DEM's and GOP as well as their combined worth to this nation)
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