Story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christian B. Martinez

NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND – USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) successfully completed its Board of Inspection and Survey – or “INSURV” – evaluation, July 23.

The crew earned an INSURV figure of merit score of 88 percent – the highest achieved by an aircraft carrier in five years, according to Lt. Cmdr. Todd Nelson, Stennis’ INSURV officer.

“Since the last Stennis deployment in 2013, over 3,000 amazing Sailors completed a 16-month dry docked maintenance period, sea trials, multiple carrier qualification underway periods and a tailored ship’s training availability to ready both ship and crew for return to the fleet,” said Capt. Mike Wettlaufer, Stennis’ commanding officer. “Over the past year, we have also been ramping up for INSURV by expanding knowledge and capability to maintain, operate, sustain and repair our ship. I could not be more proud of their accomplishments.”

“The focus and effort put forth to execute this vital evolution is eye watering and a testament to the strength, character and readiness of this crew as we prepare for our final pre-deployment training and certification.”

Approximately 200 officers, enlisted sailors and civilian technical inspectors administered the evaluation, which officially began July 21 at 4 a.m. Stennis’ INSURV team organized a schedule of events containing information on demonstration teams and inspection times, covering a broad spectrum of equipment, spaces and ship systems to be thoroughly examined.

“INSURV is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive inspections the crew will face; they have met the challenge head-on,” said Senior Chief Engineman Robert Zantow, one of Stennis’ assigned INSURV coordinators, from Gillette, Wyoming. “Sailors from every department on the ship have coordinated with each other to prepare the ship for this test. From the planning stages more than a year ago to carrying out the inspection itself, the John C. Stennis Sailors—from the commanding officer down to the most junior fireman aboard the ship—have worked together to get Stennis ready.”

Inspectors evaluated 473 line items from the INSURV schedule of events over the course of three days.

“Preparing for INSURV was a complete change of lifestyle where you not only have to learn your rate but the ship as a whole,” said Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Loren Hilton, from Albany, Oregon. “It was very rewarding to see the fruits of our teamwork coming together even though we are all from different workcenters with vastly different lifestyles. Those perspectives are what helped us be successful during INSURV.”

INSURV has been around for more than a century. In 1882, Congress established a law that stated a Board of Naval Officers would inspect every Navy ship and report to the Secretary of the Navy on its fitness for service. Inspections have been performed ever since, assessing ships at their birth, every five to six years following, and for their end-of-life surveys. As a result, sailors received a deeper knowledge of Navy standards required for deployment as ship designs evolved over time.

Now that INSURV is complete, Stennis is scheduled to participate in Composite Training Unit Exercise (called “COMPTUEX”) with the John C. Stennis Strike Group.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis visit www.stennis.navy.mil or www.facebook.com/stennis74.