On any given day aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), there are numerous safety hazards Sailors must overcome in order to get their job done effectively. Whether it’s wearing a float coat and cranial on the flight deck or just remembering to lace up their boots properly, safety plays a big part in the day-to-day routine of Sailors. Perhaps the most dangerous time for Sailors is an underway replenishment (UNREP) and ordnance onload.

Imagine two full days of back-to-back ordnance onloads, UNREP and vertical replenishments (VERTREP) simultaneously beginning at 8:00 a.m. and lasting into the night.

That’s exactly what the crew of the Lincoln did as it made its way south from Washington state towards San Diego, Calif. Oct. 16 and 17. USS Camden (AOE 2) pulled alongside Abe’s starboard side for one of the most intense evolutions for both the ships and their crews.

Approximately 1,400 lifts of live and inert ordnance were onloaded from Camden over the two-day evolution, a feat that would usually require three to four days of intensive labor said Lt. Cmdr. Bruce Witt, Abe’s Ordnance Handling Officer.

As ordnance reached Abe’s Hangar Bays, Sailors from the Weapons Department carefully lifted the cargo with forklifts, and transferred their loads out of the way of onload traffic until they could be moved below decks by weapons elevators.

Helping out in the evolution was Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Levi Allen from G-1 division. Allen and his Sailors ensured that the ordnance was safely handled in the hangar bays, and attributed the successful completion to departmental planning.

“This was really well thought out and executed,” he said. “It was a good team effort, and a lot of people worked really hard to get three days worth of ordnance in just two days.”

Following the completion of the ammunition onload, Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (AW) Charles Baldwin of G-5 division took a moment to reflect on the training required of his Sailors before they can handle live munitions.

“Before anybody is allowed to even touch anything live, they go through a program to become certified,” Baldwin said. “After they go in front of a review board and we feel confident that they can handle live ordnance, they’ll become certified.”

Although ordnance onloads may be one of the most dangerous evolutions for a ship, the teamwork, training and dedication of Abe Sailors made sure that each and every one of the more than two million pounds were received and handled with care. It’s all in a days work for the hard chargers of Abe’s Weapons Department.