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GW Celebrates Shipyard Milestone

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050331-08
Release Date: 3/31/2005 3:28:00 PM

By Chief Journalist (SW/AW/IUSS) Henry Rice, USS George Washington Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- USS George Washington (GW) (CVN 73) reached a milestone March 29, as Northrup Grumman Shipyard (NNGN) completed refurbishing a living compartment on the ship.

The event, the first compartment to be turned back over, was celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony.

"I want to thank everyone who made this happen," Capt. Garry White, GW's commanding officer said. "This is the first in a long line of spaces that will be opened, and the crew looks forward to the day when we complete the final job and get this warship operational again."

The berthing compartment was completely rehabilitated from top to bottom, receiving new lighting, racks and lockers, and a new deck by workers from George Sharp, Inc. The reopening of the berthing is also a first of many for them aboard GW, as their 90 employees have a contract to restore 808 sleeping surfaces in 19 berthings located throughout the ship.

The makeover of the berthings is important for the quality of life of the Sailors who live on the ship and those who call the ship home during deployment.

"The berthing looks great," said Journalist 3rd Class (SW) Kary Favell. "Improvements on the quality of life of a living space can go a long way towards better morale and a more effective warfighter."

George Sharp, Inc. was not the only organization involved in the successful and on time completion of this job. Gregory Powell, the on site representative from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division said it was "the collective efforts of the ship, the shipyard and George Sharp, Inc."

Bringing together the talents and skills of all the organizations involved in the process of rehabilitating these berthings has been successful, and Ron Field, a field supervisor for George Sharp, Inc., believes the GW team has been accommodating to their workers and vice-versa.

"We have a very good work relationship with CVN 73, and everyone involved," he said. "And having good coordination with everyone is key."

Rich Coleman, the NNGN program manager for the GW availability, echoed the sentiment of White, Powell and Field, by saying the opening of the berthing was significant and that is one of many more successes to come.

"Today's ceremony symbolizes the integrated work efforts of all the organizations put in to complete the first of many jobs effectively and on time," Coleman said. "This is just the first step towards the completion of a successful availability."