Hue City Ends FY12 With Nearly $600,000 in Repair Cost Savings
Navy News Service
Story Number: NNS121008-10
10/8/2012
By Lt. Scott Junkins, USS Hue City (CG 66) Public Affairs
USS HUE CITY, At Sea (NNS) -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) concluded Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) with a repair cost savings of nearly $600,000 as a result of the ship's management of the Navy's Miniature/Micro-Miniature (2M) program, Sept. 30.
The 2M program is administered by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), providing ships, submarines, and shore activities with the 2M Module Test & Repair (MTR) equipment needed to provide their own on-site repairs if the electronic systems employed by their commands break down.
Electronic repair, 2M, saves dollars by avoiding potential maintenance costs associated with reliance on depots and results in an overall improvement to fleet readiness.
The self-sufficiency fostered by the 2M program has been exemplary aboard Hue City. The 2M program has supported every department on the ship to get systems and equipment fully mission capable.
Electronics Technician 2nd Class (EXW) Olivia Cannon and Electronics Technician 3rd Class (SW) Meagan Bramble, both from Combat Electronics Division, were credited with the success of achieving the recent cost-savings milestone and were officially recognized the last two quarters via naval message from Commander, Surface Force Atlantic. The message spotlights top 2M performers by ship class and highlights techs that have made the cost savings possible.
"It was a collaborative effort and definitely time consuming, but it's nice to get recognized for the countless hours spent doing what most people can consider as tedious work," said Cannon on receiving recognition in the SURFLANT messages.
In order to achieve such sizable cost savings, Cannon and Bramble have been working in virtually every corner of the ship conducting 2M. They work in split shifts, allowing 2M work to continue onboard 24/7 since the ship's current deployment began in mid-June.
As a small sample of the work accomplished, these two stellar Electronics Technicians have been involved with repairs inside of gas turbine engine enclosure, one of the 5-inch gun mounts, a variety of internal and external communication systems, the 20mm crew served gun mounts, 400 Hertz (HZ) power systems, electronic counter-measure systems, anti-submarine system equipment, a variety of operator consoles and even assisted with an SH-60B in-flight computer. All this work has been vital to keeping Hue City mission ready.
"The fact that they have been recognized is no surprise," said Lt. Cmdr. John John, Hue City combat systems officer, acknowledging the SURFLANT messages from the last two quarters. "Several of the ship's systems vital to our current area of operations have been aided by the 2M process, and we retain higher levels of readiness because of the quality work produced by our technicians."
Chief Electronics Technician (SW/AW) Richard Ziminski, CE division leading chief petty officer, frequently observed the work in progress and provided quality assurance reviews throughout. He expressed sentiments of the hard work and determination that the 2M ETs did to get the job done.
"It is gratifying to know that we [2M] are an important part of self-sustainment at sea," said Ziminski. "Completing assessments and repairs at the bench full-time, week after week, would likely deplete most Sailors, but in their case it is a motivator. To know my team has just repaired or helped restore a critical system, provides a great deal of job satisfaction."
According to ETs in the division, the motto has been "Leave it better than you found it" and Cannon and Bramble, and the 2M program overall, have lived up to that.
Hue City is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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