Week 5 for NORTHLAND has been very training-intensive! After we finished up with our generator repairs and testing, we made out way out of Mayport (finally!) and headed north for some fisheries law enforcement operations. Along the way, we were able to fit in all kinds of great training opportunities for the crew!

The training began with a fun, and friendly competition called DC Olympics. Our Damage Control Training Team worked very hard to put together this all-afternoon training, which consisted of 8 stations. The stations included dressing out in full Firefighting gear, Fire Hose Handling, First Aid, and how to plug up and patch holes in pipes or the hull of the ship as well as demonstrating many other basic damage control skills that we need to know onboard the ship in case of an emergency. The crew was divided into 7 teams and participated in all the events…the competition was pretty much a draw, but everyone had a great time and learned a lot from the training in a fun environment!

We also conducted some Maritime Law Enforcement training for those involved with the fisheries boardings and had a helicopter deliver some argon gas needed to make repairs to some piping. Finally we capped the week off with a successful test of our 76mm gun! All in all, it was a successful, productive week…and it brought us a little closer (literally) to coming home to Virginia!