• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Teamwork and Trust, Key to PSNS Success on Stennis

NAVSEA News

By Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Public Affairs

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard completed another successful Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) in San Diego when USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) finished ahead of schedule in what has become a long line of superbly executed carrier availabilities by the Shipyard.

Ted Ramirez, Stennis Project Superintendent, attributes the dedication, knowledge and skill of each individual in the Shipyard work force as being the cornerstone of this successful project. Every shop and code, including the inside shops back at PSNS cranking out the prefab, played a vital role. Ted explains, "Our mechanics came from working long days at Puget but were still willing to work the hours needed to get the work done here, even with the growth of the work package. Also, this has been the best Ship's Force that I have ever worked with. They were not industrial maintenance providers but they knew they had work to do and they did it. I guess the real bottom line is attitude! This Project Team had it from the top down and bottom up. We all knew what had to be done and why it was important."

This overhaul was the largest work package done yet by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in San Diego and included major alterations and repairs to ship systems, as well as innovative repairs normally done only in dry dock.

Captain James A. McDonell, Commanding Officer, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), remarked, "We had a great team that had " Teamwork and Trust," but we learned early that we needed to build in discipline so our trust wouldn't turn into complacency."

The skill and cooperation of the Shipyard's private sector partners in the San Diego area plus the support from NAVSEA headquarters and Fleet Type Commander, as well as other naval Shipyards providing technical direction and resources, were also key ingredients in this success story. Private sector partners, working for Northrop Grumman Newport News, included Continental Maritime, Southwest Marine, Pacific Shipbuilding and Fabricators, and National Steel and Shipbuilding. This group performed most of the topside repair, along with Superintendent of Shipbuilding, San Diego.

Originally planned to have been a drydocking availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard beginning in October 2002 and completing in April 2003, Stennis start date was moved up 2-1/2 months and was performed in San Diego. The first two months of the Stennis PIA overlapped with the end of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) PIA, requiring the Shipyard's work force to roll from the long hours on the Vinson right into Stennis with little or no break. This also reduced the planning time and put the testing sequence in the Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday season. Off-station Shipyard personnel spent Thanksgiving in San Diego with just the day itself off, working extended shifts the day before and after. Captain Tony Gonzales, Stennis Chief Engineer, stated, "Our mechanics and crew worked really hard and we made commitments to them for time off like the 4th of July weekend, Thanksgiving, and the Christmas shutdown and we kept our commitment."

Stennis' early completion date means that Stennis will be able to deploy at least 7-1/2 months earlier than originally scheduled and 2-1/2 months earlier than the original San Diego PIA schedule. This will give more flexibility to those carriers already on extended deployment.

Whenever, wherever needed - the Shipyard also supports the Fleet when emergent work is required on a vessel by sending fly-away teams to the far corners of the globe at a moment's notice. Recent examples included sending Shipyard employees to Perth, Australia, for repairs on USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) before she headed back to the Persian Gulf; providing gear and technical personnel to fix a problem onboard USS Sacramento (AOE 1) prior to it getting underway; work on USS Greenville (SSN 772); fixing equipment from USS Peleliu (LHA 5); and sending a fly-away team to USS Helena (SSN 725).

As demonstrated on Vinson, Stennis and recent responses to emergency repairs, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard continues to adapt to changes in lead time, schedule and workload. PSNS has been tasked to do more with less planning and execution time and keep the costs comparable. The ability of the Shipyard to flex as needed by the Navy ensures that the right ships are available at the right times and in the right places. Captain Clarke Orzalli, Shipyard Commander, said this was an opportunity to serve the Fleet and make a significant difference. He summed up recent accomplishments by saying, "Working together utilizing our command strategies on Safety, Stewardship, Teamwork, Leadership, and Making a Difference have ensured successful and safe team efforts."