Refueling at sea - One of the Navy’s most dangerous evolutions.

Underway Replenishment (UNREP) is one of the Navy’s most dangerous evolutions. Not only are the two ships, the oiler and receiving vessel, sailing less than 200 feet apart from each other, but thousands of gallons of fuel, food and ammunition are transferred between the two vessels for hours on end. If not done perfectly, it has the potential to cause serious injury to all involved. One minute error, and a collision could ensue. As Captain Scott Robertson, CO of the USS Normandy (CG-60), reminds his crew “anytime we are doing a replenishment at sea, we are 30 seconds away from a collision.” Join the Energy Warrior team as they experience firsthand the dangers of an UNREP on board the USS Normandy and talk to Sailors throughout the fleet about the realities associated with the evolution.
Special thanks to:
Capt Scott Robertson, USS Normandy
GSM Jordan Urie, USS Normandy
GSM Christopher Archuleta, USS Normandy
GSM1 Joshua Chun, USS America
BM John Hardy, USS America
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[@jimwjohnq.public]

On the carrier I was on, we refuled every 3 days always at night. Night refuelings are just so much fun. Zero white lights only different color 'greenie weenies' and red and orange flashlights. The only time we ever refueled during the day was during a vertrep and unrep evolution, as in bringing stores and bombs across. Always liked the emergency breakaways. Sound the horn, release the probe, signal the oiler to haul it back and slack the span wire, at which point we basically threw their rig into the water. The crew on the oiler kind of hated that. And we always told our gunners mate to aim for the guy with the yellow helmet, the rig captain, when shooting the shot line across.

[@watercloset99]

we lost a guy off the Cacapon AO 52 during an unrep; he sat on the cargo deck handrail w/out a life preserver; he had to be ordered several times to wear one; he finally wore one, & over he went. i saw him go over the side; we had an emergency breakaway & the tin can behind us picked him up; it cost our Captain; Captain Buck 5 gallons of chocolate ice cream; the boat crew wanted it, to get him back. He was a black kid from Chicago....don't recall his name.

[@watercloset99]

just remembered the name of the kid who went overboard: His name is Gage. i hope he is well

[@edl617]

Was on the USS Seattle AOE-3 in 1980 to1982. We did 2 Mediterranean Indian Ocean deployments, 4 major exercises and numerous back by Friday weeks. Flying those double hose refueling rigs were the best time I ever spending the Navy. 1st class and above were safety observers 3rd’s and 2nds were rig captains. At times we even had BMSN’s as rig captains.

[@secuervo]

USS Sacramento AOE-1 1993-1997 here.

[@ront2906]

USS Seattle AOE3, commissioning crew, Bremerton WA 1969-1971, through the canal, Gitmo, Med cruise.

[@richardmitchell3037]

And what's even worse, these evolutions always seem to occur in rough seas.

[@drinksnapple8997]

I was 1LT in a teeny FF. My Division and I would do that UNREP/RAS shit, in a storm, at night, in the North Atlantic. From ROMEO closed up to pumping fuel in less than 10 minutes. BALLS & SKILLZ!!!!

[@TheRetirednavy92]

I was MAC on the AO-177 USS Cimarron. Got qualified JOOD underway and could take care of single or double refueling. What a thrill.

[@justsayingforafriend7010]

My Job, teaching and doing for 31 years at Sea... BOSN...

[@donaldrobart48]

Navy ship's refueling at sea is indeed the Navy's most dangerous exercise to do for all ship's involved in the exercise right along with taking on supplies at sea.

[@eddieybarra9252]

They make it sound like it's difficult. I did those and as long as you listened it was the easiest job there is

[@higherperspectivephotography]

1:30 - Liam Neeson "You don't remember me? We spoke on the phone...I told you I would find you."

[@SustenanceNCovering]

No. That is not Liam Neeson. It's Vladimier Putin.

[@kennethkurz6141]

I served on the Cacapon in 1966 and also on the Mispillion Ao 105 R div.

[@kylemedia6113]

USS Camden (AOE-2).. WESTPAC.. IO ops.. Ranger Battle Group. Don't know how many unreps I did. Doesn't matter. Any more than one.. you're in! Every three or four days.. port and starboard.. the battle group. 0500 reveille.. early chow.. on station by 0600.. alongside by 0700.. start of a very long day. Longest days were getting refueled by a USNS.. 20 hour unreps to fill us up. Smoking lamp was out most ricky tick! Not sure I've ever done anything else in my life that even come close to that other than raise a family.

[@lanes58]

I know the drill. I served aboard the USS Chemung AO30, during the Vietnam War.

[@poemarnan5498]

I was on a AOE for a year, and I never got used to this.

[@machine1266]

I remember all to well

[@markalexander4611]

Aft rig capt DDG 37. BM2 78/82 1 MED. 1 Persian Gulf during the Iranian hostage thing 2 Trips to Gitmo and I don’t know how many trips to PR, St Croix and exercises in the Atlantic, no idea how many ureps and helo details, wasn’t as difficult or dangerous as they make it sound

[@campingjack75]

As a plankowner of the Arctic, the original 1st LT would be a little sad with the amount of rust on her!

[@JadedeaJade]

Much respect Plankowner. I'm a Plankowner of the Chafee. 💗💗💗

[@wheels-n-tires1846]

Many a Med cruise, and seemingly endless UNREPs aboard Sylvania, 91-93...

[@Lordpianz]

From cic perspective were just making sure the ships don't collide and handling comms the reps ships and others its not that serious compared to what cic is really design for on a combatant. I could see why engineering would get excited however lol. Replenishment are the rare events that don't required everyone up in oi.

[@billludolph5738]

Witnessed countless under way rep

[@SustenanceNCovering]

That guy at the beginning of the show looks like Putin.

[@davedisinger1245]

Been there...done that.

[@hardmember]

Best evolution 0 incidents -Oil King DDG-56 '98-00

[@lookingforonetruechristian7396]

This is the duty they threatened you with if you failed out of the nuke program.

[@3rwparks3]

I was on an AO for three years. It isn't that dangerous.

[@rickreeve1246]

we had to replace a ship on the gun line in viet nam and did a midnite refuel in rough water because the old man was p o ed because he couldn t go to manila to play golf with marcos the hoses were hooked up and doing fine when the oiler rocked one way and we the other it ripped the big post off crushing Eugene Spock 18 he was gone in a blink a Lt and first class spent month in rehab it was sickning the old man got a transfer it did not need to happen this was in the 60 s rip Eugene

[@rickreeve1246]

should be Eugene Smock NOT spock Sorry Gene r. i. p.

[@billparker244]

It's not that big of a deal for anyone besides the turd officer that's gotta make sure all the valves are open. But he gets paid more than everyone else for that.

[@samgoldsboro6747]

Uss Sacramento AOE 1 USS Seattle AOE 3 WORK HORSE of the fleet

[@bbaff8622]

Why do you want to leave USS Detroit out? Spent many hours alongside her getting topped off.

[@secuervo]

1993-1997 for me on The Golden Bear.

[@PlanteDavey]

That guy was looking at water pipes not fuel

[@kevincrosby1760]

Yellow = DFM (Diesel Fuel Marine), Purple = JP-5 (Jet/tubine fuel), Blue = Potable Water, Red = Firemain/Salt Water.

[@bbaff8622]

@@kevincrosby1760 Ah DFM-44 ;-)

[@dkdg5150]

Where is the hole in the security alert team on any United States Navy ammunition ship and there any other ship in that platform where is the whole? There may be a whole in the security League teams Nicola weapon security protocol. Where is the whole? And if the whole is you, you were going to be full of holes. 25 Gunners mates with 25 M for teens 25 point 233 rounds in the Killzone. That is only 25 holes. With fixed bayonets, 25 holes in the Killzone at at sea, because they don't trust anybody guarding nuclear weapons or access to nuclear weapons even at Sea even your own people. Sleepers sleepers man your brooms. So where is the whole? The hole is in Yorktown Virginia naval weapons station and the surrounding areas of Norfolk Virginia. That is the whole in the security alert team nuclear weapon security protocol. If you are caught selling burn bags, you are going to go in the hole. A burning bag has top secret secret and confidential material in it. We had a lieutenant caught selling burn bags and York in Norfolk Virginia. I asked my friend the post middle watch where is Lieutenant B.? The both made her watch my friend s said didn't you hear? He was caught selling burn bags in Norfolk Virginia. He is probably under the whole military institutions in the United States maybe Leavenworth. This is during the Iran hostage crisis. 1979 to 1981. So who who was he selling the burn bags to? Who would be interested in information coming from a Sacramento class fast combat support ship with every weapon known to mankind that is in need of a navel platform or a naval carrier battle group? Sorry just woke up. So all you have to do is ask, where is the hole?