SERMC TSRA Teaming Efforts Optimize Bradley's INSURV Preps

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120802-16
8/2/2012

By Susan Lawson, Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC)

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Personnel from the Navy's Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC), located in Mayport, Fla., recently teamed with ships force members to perform a Total Ship Readiness Assessment (TSRA) on the USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) in preparation for the ship's Inspection and Survey (INSURV) scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2.

During the assessment, SERMC identified and assisted ships force in working nearly 900 jobs. Typically, these jobs would be given to ships force to write ship maintenance forms known as "2-Kilo" reports, which they would then use to plan, document and perform the work themselves.

"Rather than handing over the immense number of jobs identified during the TSRA for ships force to work, we decided to partner with them and provide the support of our TSRA and Maintenance Assist Teams (MATs)," said SERMC's Commanding Officer, Capt. Ronald Cook. "Our work on the USS Robert G. Bradley is a great display of sailors helping sailors," said Cook.

"Our TSRA and MAT teams look at many of the same systems during their assessments, so we took this opportunity to work together and leverage off one other," said SERMC's Production Shop Department Head, Pat Shepler. "Our engineering department conducted the ship's TSRA event, and though they have a great depth of knowledge of the ship's systems and equipment they didn't, in many cases, have the time and manpower to conduct repairs during their findings."

"This work presented us with a perfect opportunity to pull in the Sailors from our MATs and from ships force, all of whom have a basic understanding of these systems and equipment, and place them under the guidance of the TSRA team. This helped all of the Sailors learn from our techs at the RMC, while providing the manpower and muscle needed to get the ship's discrepancies corrected," said Shepler.

TSRA is a five-phase process designed to assess shipboard systems and provides the opportunity for those problems to be remedied prior to the INSURV, which inspects and assesses the material condition of U.S. Navy vessels. These inspections are conducted on all Navy ships to ensure each is properly equipped, reliable and mission ready.

"Every space and every system is inspected for material condition during INSURV, which is why we reached out to support every work center on the ship," said Shepler. "This kind of training, "can only be done in this type of an environment, where real life, real-time problems are discovered, identified and corrected. And in the end, everybody wins."

"This particular event illustrates the value of TSRA in supporting INSURV preparations," said Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC) Rear Adm. David Gale, "it is important for all COs to understand that, under the Surface Force Readiness Manual construct, there are five phases to TSRA. These phases are integrated with Type Commander (TYCOM) and Afloat Training Group (ATG) Readiness Evaluation events (READ-E). Each TSRA event is designed to support the ship during different phases of maintenance planning and Fleet Response Plan (FRP) training, deployment and sustainment."

TSRA 1 is conducted prior to an availability and deployment. This phase helps prepare ships for upcoming major maintenance availabilities by accomplishing technically mandated "life cycle" material assessments.

TSRA 2 is also conducted prior to an availability, but is conducted after the ship's deployment. This phase is integrated with READ-E to evaluate the condition of a ship's mechanical, electrical and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Collaboration, and Intelligence (C5I) equipment to minimize growth/new work discovery in availability.

TSRA 3 takes place during an availability, at which time tanks and voids are assessed, along with other areas that are only assessable during a Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availability.

TSRA 4 is conducted after an availability, prior to the Basic Phaseand is integrated with READ-E 5. During phase 4, assessments of Hull, Mechanical and Electrical Equipment and C5I systems are completed to ensure that ship is materially ready to exit Maintenance Phase of the FRP to prepare the ship to enter Basic Phase training.

TSRA 5/Ballistic Missile Defense Readiness Assessment (BMDRA) is completed prior to deployment in order to assess C5I systems and ensure readiness for deployment.

"INSURVs are extremely challenging for ships force, and can be equally demanding for the RMC. I'm very proud of the way SERMC and the leadership and crew of the USS Robert G. Bradley have partnered in these weeks and months leading up to their INSURV to prepare for a successful inspection," said Gale.

For their INSURV preps, SERMC and USS Robert G. Bradley prepared the main engines and drive train for full power and steering checks, groomed Close-in Weapons Systems (CIWS) and 25MM chain guns to ensure they would be ready for demonstration. The teams also assessed and prepared the ship's auxiliary systems, such as air conditioning plants, refrigeration plants, and deck machinery for material checks.

Additionally, the teams cleaned and inspected more than 100 motor controllers, repaired dozens of darken ship light switches, and repaired and inspected more than 90 watertight doors, hatches, and main and secondary drainage systems.