CAMP ZAMA, Japan — Typically, the landing area for a UH-60A helicopter doesn’t rock and roll.

But it did Tuesday for Camp Zama Army chopper pilots who, used to landing on terra firma, practiced setting down aboard a Navy destroyer just off the coast from Tokyo.

Pilots and flight crews from the 78th Aviation Battalion flew out to the USS Curtis Wilbur to earn or renew six-month certifications that allow them to land aboard Navy vessels.

Of the four pilots qualifying for certification, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Mattos was the only one qualifying for the first time. He said his first landing aboard a moving, rolling deck was nerve-racking.

Army pilots need to practice landing on Navy ships in the event they’re needed for disaster relief and casualty evacuations, among other missions, said instructor and pilot Chief Warrant Officer 4 Stephen Williams.

Staff Sgt. Joy Kinzer, a crew chief and instructor with the battalion, said the soldiers have to learn different hand and arm signals and Navy terminology. She said pilots and crews also have to watch the clearance level of the blades aboard ship and be certain the tail is securely on board.

Wind, visibility, rain and time of day can all come into play when dealing with aircraft landings on the destroyer, said Cmdr. Paul Hogue, the destroyer’s skipper.