BIW Fist Bump

Every day, BIW shipbuilders are doing exceptional work. Let’s celebrate it. Like one athlete complimenting another on a nice play, show your respect for standout performance by giving a co-worker a fist bump. Send details to fistbump@gdbiw.com.

View our BIW ‘Fist Bumps’ below:

Nice job, Tom!

Who? Tom Staples, a specialty Maintenance Mechanic who works with electrical and HVAC systems, and also serves as a backup supervisor.

What? In the past, when an impeller in one of the shipyard’s hundreds of Coppus blowers, which create the suction inside sucker tubes, would break, the shipyard would replace them at a cost of almost $1,000. Then the price of the fan-like component almost doubled. Tom, who maintains the blowers, came up with a plan to save the company money on the impellers as well as the time the repairs take and damage to the motors themselves from unbalanced impellers.

How? Tom proposed repairing the impellers at a local machine shop in Wiscasset, which already does work for BIW. The shop repairs and rebalances the impellers and inserts an adjustable bushing in the center making them last many times longer than the original and requiring less maintenance. Getting the impellers repaired and modified locally will save time and about $100,000 per year.

Great work, Post Delivery Planning Team!

Who? Kateryna MacDonald (Trade Planning), Oleg Johnson (LYS Design), Brian Sutter (BIW IT), Rocky Stevens (Post Delivery Planning) and Lisa Larson (Electric Shop).

What? Process improvement to ensure accuracy of the Cable Hook-Up Sheets and Cable Tags for the DDG 120 Post Delivery Availability (PDA) and save time in the process.

How? The team automated the electronic read of cable information drawings so the Electric Shop does not have to manually type information to make the cable tags for equipment hook up during the PDA effort. The recent and final step was then performed at the Electric Shop with Rocky and Lisa to validate. Success! It worked perfectly.

Awesome Job Team!

Way to go, Feed the Hungry Challenge Volunteers and Donors!

Who? Bob Murray, the Feed the Hungry team of volunteers and all the employees who contributed to this year’s food drive

What? Worked with area food banks to get healthy food to Mainers facing food insecurity.

How? Bob coordinated a team of three dozen volunteers who promoted the event and staffed multiple gates – sometimes in the pouring rain – to collect donations from incredibly generous employees, raising more than $7,000 and food donations that filled four pickup trucks.

Now that’s something to be thankful for. Way to go!

Nice job, DDG 127 Mast Team!

Who? The Combat Systems Engineering Group, Hull Integration team, Surveyors and Crane Riggers, across three shifts, responsible for landing DDG 127’s mast.

What? Erecting the mast on Patrick Gallagher and safely securing it in place over the course of two nights while maintaining sensitive tolerances. Surveyors Tim Lackedy-McCormick and Kyler Sommers took real-time measurements of the mast’s controls and distributed the data to Josh Hersom’s Unit Integration team to make adjustments to the mast’s stem and legs. Once a favorable condition was achieved, the Combat Systems Engineering team consisting of Dave Perry, Pete Seymour and Ryan McGraw crunched the numbers to verify that the mast was well within tolerance for azimuth and inclination and gave the green light to begin makeup.

How? Communication between surveyors and the shipfitting team and having all the trades involved patiently execute the process. Crews monitored the alignment of the mast for several days as it was being welded into place because even small movements in the base affects the mast’s inclination.

Great work, Beth, Ted, Daniel and Joe!

Who? Outfit Fabrication Facility Pipe Shop Mechanics Beth Calden, Ted Case and Daniel Malesiewski and Supervisor Joe Marro.

What? DDG-91 in San Diego was in need of a set of Refrigerant Service Panels. These panels are being installed for the first time  in the fleet and are part of the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 upgrade. The SEWIP upgrade is designed to provide next generation surface electronic warfare capability for ship combat systems and includes game-changing non-kinetic electronic attack options for the U.S. fleet.  The SEWIP system protects surface ships from anti-ship missiles, providing early detection, signal analysis, and threat warning.  The service panels are to be used for the new refrigerant systems being installed which provide cooling to antennas in each of the new sponsons. They will allow ships force to fill and empty the refrigerant in each sponson as required.

How? This was a high-visibility job for the Navy waterfront community. Beth, Ted, Dan & Joe went above and beyond with this complex, first-time build, with outstanding first-time quality. Because of their effort, BIW Planning Yard was able to deliver this material to the waterfront sooner than originally expected. Their commitment and dedication is part of the bigger picture of getting our DDG-51 destroyers maintained, modernized, and back out into the fleet to protect our nation.

Way to go, BIW United Way Team!

Who? BIW United Way campaign chair Karianne Merry and volunteers Dillon Redd, Mark Young, Emilee Swain, Julie Rabinowitz, Jared Morneau, Rebecca Volent, Meghan Bowen, Crystal Nittinger, Karen Race, Ali Lorom, Marc Vachon, Wade Caplinger, Kimberly White Kaiser, Alan Yarosh, Amber Haines, Steve Nicholson and Scott Zamer.

What? Almost 1,650 people are actively giving through payroll deductions or other means and shipyard employees have so far raised $434,158 towards this year’s campaign!

How? The BIW team held nearly 100 campaign rallies from the deckplates to the offices to spread the word about the positive impact United Way has on our communities, and they received more than 500 campaign cards during these rallies–many with increasing donation levels. A special shoutout to Emilee, who entered each pledge card into the payroll system!

Thank you all for your efforts toward this good cause!

Nice job, Data Management Drawing Support Team!

Who? Data Management Drawing Support Technical Clerks Carrie Harris, Sabrina Young, Doris Witherell, Jami Lyford, and Amber Haines.

What? The team conducts administrative Quality Assurance (QA) on drawings to make sure they are correct before loading into UCM (Universal Content Manager) and linking in CDMS (Configuration/Data Management System).  From CDMS the drawings can be accessed for use in Engineering, Design, and Production work on the DDG 51. The first week in August, the team made over 100 drawings available including Milestone updates.

How? Carrie, Sabrina, Doris, and Jami worked overtime to QA 187 drawings consisting of 656 drawing sheets. Amber loaded the sheets into Drawing Data Manager so the rest of the team could focus on the QA process. “This is three times what they normally process in a week!” said Susan Sarber, Manager, Configuration and Data Management.

Great work, Alec and Corbin!

Who? Outside Machinists Alec Baker and Corbin Wescott.

What? Alec and Corbin helped refine a design so that the bridge crane hoist would stop at the lower limit to prevent issues when moving ordinance.

How? A deficiency in equipment for the Torpedo Bridge Crane Hoist led to a series of efforts to work with the vendor to fix the problem, though none were successful. Rather than throw up their hands and leave it to the vendor to work through another new design, Alec and Corbin stepped up and helped refine the planned location of a critical valve. They came up with a solution which not only worked, but didn’t require drastic changes or hose re-runs.

“This retrofit began late and was not set up for success,” said Josh Anderson, Systems Engineer. “Alec and Corbin’s patience, tenacity, and ownership of assigned tasks reflect greatly on themselves and BIW. Without them this Combat Space would not be ready for upcoming certifications.”

Nice work!

Way to go, Debra!

Who? Planning Technician and Master Shipbuilder Debra Morawski.

What? Debra provided assistance to an injured motorist.

How? Debra was headed to work at the Structural Fabrication Facility and just before 5 a.m., the car in front of her veered off the road and over the railroad tracks at Cooks Corner in Brunswick. She found a safe place to turn around and call 911 to summon emergency services. She then returned to the scene and stayed with the driver until help arrived, then headed to work her shift at the Structural Fabrication Facility. The motorist was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries.

Thanks Debra, for being a good citizen and helping out someone in need!

Nice job, Betsy, Mariah, Karissa, Tristan, and Zachary!

Who? Maintenance Custodians Betsy Peavey, Mariah Pennell, Karissa Warren, Tristan Bard and Zachary Ferguson.

What? The grounds alongside the Main Office Building can be an important first impression that guests to the shipyard experience when visiting. Visitors can include Navy officials, members of Congress and representatives from our industry partners. Well-groomed landscaping reflects well on the shipyard.

How? Betsy, Mariah, Karissa, Tristan and Zachary did an excellent job upgrading the grounds, providing professional landscaping on a tight time frame, at one point working even as a powerful storm descended last Friday.

Way to go!

Great work, BIW Fire Department!

Who? Firefighter/Advanced EMT Jesse Bell and Firefighter EMT Robert Morris.

What? The City of Bath Fire Department requested BIW firefighters respond to an industrial accident at a business on Wing Farm Parkway. An employee had become trapped in a piece of machinery and Bath firefighters wanted BIW’s specialized air bags designed to lift heavy weights to aid in the rescue.

How? Firefighters Bell and Morris responded and were on scene in 5 minutes. They deployed the bags, one capable of lifting 19 tons, so they were ready for use in case they were needed. Bath rescue workers were ultimately able to free the employee without using them and the person was flown by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center.

This is a great example of BIW Fire Department personnel responding to another department quickly and professionally, and making available the advanced capabilities of the shipyard.

Way to go, PDP and Trades Trainer!

Who? Mary McGuinness, part of the Professional Development Program, and Dalton Dunphy, Manufacturing Production Coordinator for Insulators.

What? Mary and Dalton collaborated to develop training for the Insulation Department that meets the style of the modern learner. Progressive micro-learning, kinesthetic (hands on) learning and extensive use of videos are more effective and efficient teaching tools.

How? The new training focuses on a gradual, step by step, learn-then-do approach, which reinforced the importance of safe work practices. The effort replaced detailed but wordy explanations of proper technique with diagrams and video. Superintendent Lenny Rainey was pleased with the end result. “Once I saw the way the training was presented I knew we had something that would be useful for our new people as well as our veteran employees.”

Nice job, Planning Yard Teams!

Who? BIW Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) team, Manager Tim O’Connor, Engineer Ben Ackley, Buyer Peter LaMagna, Sr. Homeport Rep Moriah Flood and Designers Jonna Crocker-Wilson, Michael Brillant and Jeffrey Manson.

What? During a recent DDG 1000 Planning Yard program update, the Navy’s program manager for the class, Capt. Matt Schroeder, provided Navy recognition letters to members of the BIW Planning Yard for their important work with the Zumwalt class. Capt. Schroeder highlighted the importance of the DDG 1000 class to national security at a meeting with organizations supporting the Planning Yard effort – Supply Chain, Engineering, Design and Programs.

How? The team working on the degaussing effort contributed to a successful critical test held in San Diego last month. In addition, the team who worked on the 3D modeling of new technology on the ship led to the successful Zone Model Reviews. Lastly, the BIW ILS team completed and delivered all products in support of the transition of the DDG 1000s to the operational fleet. Great work by everyone involved supporting the important work of our Navy customer!

Great work, Operating Crew of DDG 1002!

Who? The Operating Crew who sailed the ship to Pascagoula, Miss., and the shipbuilders who made sure the final ship in the Zumwalt class was ready for the trip and its next stage of construction.

What? BIW shipbuilders completed work on the ship in 2021 and the crew spent five days at sea transporting it to its new port.

How? The crew underwent a series of testing and restricted their interactions with others for days to ensure they did not contract COVID before leaving. The Navy commended BIW for the work completing the ship and said it performed exceptionally in trials. A tremendous accomplishment by all those involved!

Way to go, BIW Firefighters!

Who? Bath Firefighters Lt. Jordan Powell, Lt. Jeff Carr, Firefighter/EMT Rob Morris and Firefighter/EMT Sean Donegan.

What? The BIW firefighters supported the Bath Fire Department when fire broke out at 595 Middle St., Bath, a three-story, two family building. In addition to working with Bath Fire to control the blaze, the BIW team also made sure no embers threatened the nearby facilities of the Supervisor of Shipbuilding-Bath and the Navy’s Pre-commissioning building. Members also continued to monitor the shipyard in case of an emergency there.

How? “With the assistance from mutual aid crews and a great job by all, we were able to save the structure with only minor injuries to two fire personnel,” wrote Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud in a letter of appreciation to the BIW department. “Through your department’s commitment to provide mutual aid there was no loss of life and the fire was contained efficiently.”

Nice job, Paint Shop Team on Hull 521!

Who? First, second and third shift Preservation Technicians working to complete spaces on Carl M. Levin (DDG 120).

What? The Hull 521 Paint Shop team worked hard over the past six weeks to complete paint preparation and final spraying of Main Engine Room # 2. DDG 120 now has four of six machinery spaces final sprayed.

How? “It’s been a total team effort from all shifts to achieve this task,” said Chief Superintendent Ron Martin. “I am extremely proud of every employee involved with this operation. I would like to recognize Supervisors Dan Greatorex and Chelsea Lagace for stepping up over the past weeks to help manage this operation.”

Great work, teams that set 10 propeller blades in five days!

Who? Mechanics working with Area Supervisor Travis Dubay, including the Outside Machinists working with Assistant Superintendent Brandon Bell-Colfer, the Crane Operators and Riggers working with Frontline Supervisor (FLS) Fred Sprague, the Stagebuilders working with FLS Greg Greeley and the 09 Operating Crew working with FLS Bernie Clowes.

What? In the span of five days, the crews lifted each of the ten propeller blades by crane – each one weighing three tons – then transferred them to a chainfall to bolt into place at the top of the shaft. Staging was erected to support the installation. After each blade was installed, the staging was disassembled, the shaft was rotated and the staging reassembled for the next blade installation. After each propeller was fully assembled, it was filled with oil and hydrostatically tested by the Operating Crew.

How? The Outside Machinists, Riggers and Stagebuilders all communicated well throughout the project so they were able to maintain a seamless, steady cadence from start to finish. Hats off to the more than 30 mechanics who made this project a success!

Way to go, Crane Crew and Others who worked on #16 crane!

Who? The Maintenance Weight Handling Team (Crane Crew) along with a number of M20 Toolkeepers and Tin Shop Mechanics on loan to Maintenance – some of whom had not worked on cranes before.

What? This was the first time the Maintenance crane crew changed the wire ropes on the main fall of #16 Crane since it was put into service in 2001. The team removed and installed just over 2.5 miles and 26 tons of wire rope. Each end of the wire ropes, both new and old, had pulling links welded into them to connect them together for pulling the old out and the new into place.

How? A detailed material and execution plan, developed by Weight Handling Engineer Matt Giffen, was orchestrated over 10 days by Maintenance Mechanic Marc Bosse. With oversight from Maintenance Planner Tyler Wax and setup by Weight Handling Leadperson Jason Hurd, the project was executed by Mechanics Dan Moody, Troy Trask, Jean Martel, Shawn Dowd, Josh White, Chris Peabody, Tyler Barter, Nate Brusseau, Swanton Robson, Shawn McCleary, Deante Clarke, Joshua Hawks, Lisa West-Harper, and Avery Bolduc with support from H523 Hull Manager Matt Ames.

Nice job, Cybersecurity Test Participants!

The employees identified and reported suspicious emails, demonstrating BIW’s ability to protect itself from hackers and identity thieves.

Who? Alexander Ross, Alicia Nurnberger, Arno Wirta, Bruce Tuttle, Conner Olsen, Conrad Hersom, Drew Colby, Eric Kruger, Ernel Galsim, Jonathan Horsley, Joseph Fricks, Julie Rabinowitz, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Therrien, Tammy Jawdat and Wendy Greenbaum.

What? The employees helped the BIW Cyber Team as it underwent a test of its ability to detect and respond to cyber attacks. The GD Corporate sponsored engagement was conducted by an authorized team of cyber penetration testers whose goal was to infiltrate BIW’s cyber defenses. As part of the test, the testers launched a very convincing credential stealing phishing campaign against 33 BIW employees.

How? The 16 employees listed above all reported the phish, enabling the Cyber Team to quickly neutralize the simulated threat and protect the BIW network. Bravo Zulu to all for a job well done!

Great work, Jake, Ben, Dan, Mike, Rod, Shannon and Nick!

The uptake sections had to be located precisely so a unit could be placed over them.

Who? Tinsmiths Jake Hill and Ben Clark, Material Handler Dan Cote, Rigging support from Mike Ferrell and Rod Morrison, Crane Operator Shannon Horne and Front Line Supervisor Nick Couture.

What? Safely and efficiently performed duties on DDG 118 on Saturday, Sept. 18, in preparation for sail away.

How? The unit would have blocked any load out route or the ability to change uptake positioning so the team had to rig the uptake sections into precise locations. They safely and accurately completed the job in a single shift.

Way to go, DDG 118 Team!

The effort supports our Navy customer by ensuring a smooth sail away.

Who? Members of the Carpenter Shop, Cranes & Rigging, Fire Dept., Facilities, Environmental, Material Handlers, Safety Inspectors, Outside Machinists, and Security all played important roles in this process.

What? Safely and efficiently performed duties on DDG 118 on Saturday, Sept. 18, in preparation for sail away.

How? From cleaning the Pier to taking the last of the perimeter tape down, every one of the BIW personnel involved performed flawlessly, said David Rogers, a Senior Engineer in Environmental, Health and Safety. “I could not have been more proud and grateful,” he said. “They executed their mission with excellence.”

Nice job, Amelia, Kairi, Alicia and Joel!

The effort supported a summit to discuss important upgrades to the Zumwalt class.

Who? Amelia Barret and Kairi Skye with Visitor Control, Alicia Tingley with Security Operations and Joel Twist with D86 Information Technology.

What? DDG 1000 Planning Yard hosted more than 50 representatives from industry and the Navy for a design summit. The two-day summit included a tour of DDG 1002 and required visitor access badging and visitor internet access.

How? Amelia, Kairi and Alicia worked with Planning Yard Program Office and our industry partners to process access paperwork the week prior to the summit. This advance effort made processing into BIW effortless for our distinguished industry leaders who commended the team for its professionalism and clarity. Joel and his team pre-processed the BIW Internet Access forms the week prior to the summit and then helped connect the visitors to the internet during the visit. This was a large undertaking made successful with the help of some everyday heroes!

Great work, Maximo Team!

The software keeps track of maintenance work orders and manages critical spares.

Who? Greg Milligan, Peter Owen, Brian Demers, Steve Tondreau, Jolene Nickerson, Jessica Roskowinski, Marc Martin, Aaron Accurso, Van Phuong, Garrett Shepherd, Phil Laperriere, Eric Bixel, Joe Merlino and Christine Fromond!

What? Members of BIW’s IT and Facilities teams along with DXC and external implementation advisors completed a three-year conversion project to replace the previous, 30-year-old system.

How? After making sure every piece of equipment in the company was tagged and incorporated into a database, and developing real-time interfaces, the crew worked long hours leading up to the “Go live” date of June 28 to make sure the user-friendly system would be available to those who need it. Way to push it across the finish line!

Way to go, Blaine!

Blaine has made several suggestions to improve the Safe Supervisor Program.

Who? Blaine Brooks, D10 Electrical Supervisor on Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002, BIW Hull 604).

What? BIW launched the Safe Supervisor Program in May to help learn why certain crews incur more injuries than others and how to prevent them. Blaine has helped improve the program, making the job site more safe.

How? Blaine suggested creating a checklist to go along with the Job Hazard Analysis card which supervisors and mechanics can use to survey the work site before starting a job. The list provides an additional tool, which will soon be available for everyone, to prevent injuries from happening and increase safety awareness. Thank you Blaine!

Nice job, Sierra and Offsite Reps!

When offsite reps were called to an urgent ship check, Sierra worked tirelessly to swiftly pull together travel arrangements.

Who? Sierra Buford, Administrative Assistant, and offsite representatives Tom Olehowski, Brooke Fuller, Krystin Stalter, Steve Robert and Derrick Williams, Planning Yard.

What? At the end of June, BIW was tasked with sending members of the BIW team – Tom Olehowski, Brooke Fuller, Krystin Stalter, Steve Robert and Derrick Williams to an emergent ship check for the USS Lassen (DDG 82) in Mayport, Florida, and they needed to leave in 48 hours. Despite having been with BIW just two months, Sierra made sure the team had what they needed to arrive at the ship check on time and get right to work.

How? Sierra made sure everyone had her cell phone number and she responded quickly to questions throughout the evening the night before, as well as during the day of travel, resolving issues that came up and maintaining a professional and polite attitude the entire time. Nice teamwork!

Great work, Jordan, John, Trevor and Eugene!

Who? Stage builders and new employees Jordan Thibeault and John Rioux, Safety Inspector Trevor Ward and S18 Trades Trainer Eugene Pearl.

What? Historically fall hazard training has been conducted in a classroom setting. This training does not allow any way of evaluating the student in the actual environment.

How? The team worked with the Advanced Concepts and Trades Training Curriculum Development to conduct the first ever fall hazard refresher training in virtual reality – with participants wearing virtual reality goggles to ‘see’ job site hazards – allowing a deeper, more realistic understanding of hazards in the working environment. Nice use of technology to improve safety!

Way to go, Colton, Mo, Clyde and Kris!

Who? Lifting and Handling Structural Engineer Colton Markevich and a Facilities team of Maintenance Mechanics Mo Labonte and Clyde Baily and Front Line Supervisor Kris Favreau.

What? Crews preparing to do a load out on Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. (DDG 124) last week needed an engineered lifting fixture to avoid damage to the equipment during the process and needed it quickly to maintain schedule.

How? Lifting and Handling engineers designed a lifting fixture and issued the I&A authorization in record time and Facilities pulled out all the stops to build and paint it, making it available in 3 ½ days. Nice work!

Nice job, Garage Team!

Who? Carpenters James Stephenson, Clyde Anderson, Bob Boilard, Chris Faulkingham, Jean Belanger, Ian Doucette, Joe Hodgkins, Kurt Duguay, James Bergstrom, Jonathan Swindell and Maintenance Mechanics Charles (Bud) Logan, Nate Brusseau, Ronald McKeown, Trace Bard, Chris Peabody, David Stewart, Roy Denham, Bill Coppock, James Mehigan, Tom Poseno, Shawn Dowd and Wayne Rice.

What? The TTS (Total Transfer System) was ready for the launch of BIW Hull 521 and soon afterward, the Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) were prepared for Hull 523 moves in North Ultra.

How? The crew performed all their tasks and finished preparing the TTS system a week and a half before launch. The crew worked til midnight Friday, May 14, supporting the translation of DDG 120 from Land Level to the drydock, then were back at 6 a.m. Saturday to spend the weekend getting SPMTs ready for future moves. Their planning and execution helps improve schedule!

Great work, Mike and Jun!

Who? Mike Budomo and Jun Martinez, Planning Yard On-Site Representatives (OSR) at Pearl Harbor in support of the 11-month DDG 108 Docking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) with 39 Alterations.

What? Mike and Jun were key players in the successful completion ahead of schedule of the USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) DSRA. Our On-Site Representatives are part of the team that received a Bravo Zulu message from COMPACFLT Admiral Aquilino for exceptional efforts in completing DDG 108 during its CNO Availability, 14 days ahead of the approved duration.

How? Mike and Jun researched design issues, worked long hours, and provided timely corrections to 61 waterfront LARs allowing the Modernization SHIPALTS production and testing to meet all execution milestones. Our BIW OSRs constantly engaged the DSRA Project Team members, incorporated lessons learned from previous availabilities, conducted daily ship walk-throughs, proactively researched replacement parts as a result of design changes, and provided spot-on recommendations to installation conditions as found reports (CFR). As a result, Production Complete Date (PCD), Aegis Light-Off (ALO) Testing, Engineering Plant Light-Off Assessment and CANES Testing milestones were met leading to the successful completion of Contractor Sea Trials. Mike and Jun received accolades and praises from the SEA21 Hull Manager PMR, NIWC and SLQ-32 Onsite Installation Coordinators for their outstanding Planning Yard support.

Way to go, Talent Acquisition Team Members!

Who? Talent Acquisition team members Alan Bartlett, Ray Goergen, Ben Goulette, Danielle Kay, Rob Lailer, Marc Lindvall, Rob McKay, Dan McLaughlin, Meagan Packard, Casey Peabody, Amanda Reibel and Mike Ross.

What? The crew organized and executed two weeks of hiring events in nine southern states to help achieve our company goal of hiring more than 2,000 new employees this year.

How? Holding hiring events from Texas through Florida and into Virginia, the team of salaried and Local S6 personnel were able to offer jobs to more than 200 candidates representing several trades, including many experienced mechanics. New hires from the Houston, Texas event are already on the job. The total number of production employees hired so far this year now tops 1,060.

Nice job, Shipfitters and Welders!

Who? The Shipfitters and Welders who make up Seth Hamlin’s crew.

What? The crew was tasked with making a repair before the dry dock submergence test, which was a critical milestone in the launch preparations for DDG 120.

How? They worked long hours, from a barge, in all weather conditions to make the repair. They had to use their expertise and experience to determine the best path forward and get the job done. The final weld pass was completed the night before the submergence test and the dock was able to successfully submerge, maintaining a path to get DDG 120 in the water on time.

Great work, On-Site Representatives!

On-Site Representatives develops system to improve first time quality during ship maintenance and modernization.

Who? Cory James, Noel Gaon and Chris Ridgeway, On-site Representatives (OSR) assigned to USS McCampbell (DDG 85) Depot Modernization Period (DMP) Availability at Portland, Oregon.

What? During the execution of DDG 85 DMP, a ship maintenance contractor in Portland was experiencing issues with properly executing the foundation bolt holes in the correct orientation. Costly errors resulted in rework and production delays. The Program Manager’s Representative tasked all his On-site Installation Coordinators, Ship Manager Representatives and Ship Building Specialists to start performing Quality Assurance on all foundation work.

How? Cory, Noel and Chris collaborated with ship maintenance personnel to conduct training on how to use the maintenance shipyard’s plotter to print full scale (1:1 ratio) of specific drawings showing the hole locations. Our Planning Yard OSR team received approval from BIW Security Department to share redacted AutoCAD files with the maintenance shipyard. Thinking outside the box resulted in a much faster and more efficient way of checking bolt holes on foundations, preventing rework and delays in production.

Way to go, Design/IT/Planning Teams!

A Design/IT/Planning team created a way for Operations personnel to view 3D models of ship spaces.

Who? Project Lead Tim Hunt; Travis Zahradka, Chris Berlew, Dennis Russell and Chip Cassella defined the requirements; Mark Lierow and Peter Glueck wrote the code; and Rob Gordon, Darren Casey and Chock Griebel provided IT/Industrial Security input.

What? Planning determined that many people, especially new employees, would benefit from increased access to the 3D models that show ship assembly diagrams and parts lists. Design then created a tool which allows access to the model through BIW computer terminals. It can be queried to understand build sequences, searched to find a piece or part, or viewed to see how a system looks once installed.

How? The team established links from a database used for scheduling and tracking work orders, to the 3D ship model. Design detail once available only to Engineering and Planning can now be tapped into by mechanics through their supervisor. The Pipe Shop has led the way in finding ways to use the tool each day and soon, all trades will have access to it.

Nice job, Government Property Custodians (GPC)!

Who? GPCs Rick Grover, Jason Smith, John Marsh, Arnie Hall, Jeff Tardiff, Bob Fitzgerald, Dave Blethen, Randy Jackson, Leroy Nicolino, Barry Knowles, Zach Radcliffe, Mike Jones and Leland Gould, Superintendent of Trades Jeff Dagneau and Government Property Administrator (GPA) Curtis DeCosta.

What? BIW’s Government Property Custodians, under the leadership of Curtis DeCosta and Jeff Dagneau, completed an immensely successful Property Management System audit conducted by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath.

How? The Government Property Custodians are tasked with managing Government Property along with their day-to-day job. The GPC team embraced the overhauled processes, Government regulatory requirements and high level of effort required to ensure not only a successful audit, but a major cultural shift in BIW’s overall management of Government Property.

Great work, Frank and Kristin!

Ensuring the accuracy of 963 individual wire connections which encompasses the ship’s telephone and headset communication systems.

Who? D86 DDG-51 Planning Yard, Frank Whittemore and Kristin Johnson.

What? The cable hookup required for the Integrated Voice Communication System has over 900 wire connections and over 1,000 pages of hookup information. Each connection in the design has historically been manually verified, which results in quality issues with the hookup information when implementing this alteration.

How? An Electrical Design mentor, Frank, improved the drawings prior to them being issued. Following a Navy request, he developed an Excel document for this alteration, which runs automated formulas to verify all the connections associated with the design change. This allows the designer to go right to the point of conflict and make all corrections in one shot, without having to verify all 900 connections one by one manually. The designers along with Kristin Johnson, Engineering Technical Point of Contact, used this to improve accuracy during development of the Ship Alteration, improving the design effort’s efficiency. The first installed alteration fully using this document resulted in zero connection errors and high praise from the customer.

Way to go, Joint Label Plates Team!

The Joint Label Plate team has improved on Hull 508 by reducing the number of incentive trial cards worked on Hull 520.

Who? Members of the Joint Label Plates Team.

What? The team completed 525 incentive, or high priority, Trial Cards on Hull 520, reducing the number of incentive cards – items which the Navy has identified as needing correction – worked since Hull 508 by 230.

How? Using lessons learned from Hull 508, feedback from the label shop, and working much more closely ship’s management, the team made several improvements to the design and fabricating process, including:

  • Before production trial cards go to the label plates shop, they are reviewed to determine whether design input is needed or they can be fixed directly by the shop. This reduces handoffs between the shop and design.
  • Working trial cards as they are received, rather than placing them in a queue to address later. That had led to delays and impacts on production and Lead Yard Services when attention had to shift abruptly to trial cards.
  • Documenting trial card responses against future hulls to reduce future occurrences of the same issue.
  • Assisting Label Plates production by providing a ‘heads up’ list of labels that might be unfinished or damaged before a space is Government Inspected.
  • Revamped Design’s Trial Card process and trained all designers in its use to provide more consistent responses.

Great job Label Plates!

Nice job, Configuration/Data Management and Class Design!

Together making a difference to Reduce Total Cost

Who? Department 82, Configuration and Data Management (CMDM): David Desmond, Shelia Labreque, Abbey VanBerg, Doug Young, Carrie Harris, Karianne Merry along with Department 87, Class Design: Erin Holmes and Dan Shellenbarger.

What? As part of the “Reducing Total Cost” effort, CMDM and Class Design came together and saved 3,200 labor hours and $2000 dollars in paper cost per year by eliminating hard copy documentation, bringing manual processes into electronic work flows, and reducing the number of steps in the current processes.

How?

  • Shelia Labreque and David Desmond moved the Planning Yard Electronic Liaison Action Request (LAR) process from hard copy documentation and physical drop boxes to an electronic process flow with a link to access the LAR product. This effort was a significant reduction in labor savings
  • Abbey VanBerg moved the drawing audit process from a hard copy drawing review, where drawings were hand delivered to local Navy representatives, to the new, secure on-line Navy drop box so drawings are reviewed and updated electronically.
  • Doug Young introduced another way to use existing electronic information and eliminate manual hard copy slips to downstream customers and Carrie Harris brought the parts list drawing process, which used large amounts of paper, to now receiving, reviewing, updating and distributing all electronically. This saves a ton of paper!
  • Karianne Merry and Dan Shellenbarger developed a JIRA dashboard for better visibility and management of incoming electrical work, and Erin Holmes worked across all design disciplines to reduce the number of No Design Impact (NDI) products, saving cycle time and reducing material cost.

Great work, Machinists in Structural Fabrication’s Secondary Machine Operations!

The MO4s worked together to produce a 26 week keel-to-keel rate for a solid month.

Who? Forty MO4s across all three shifts at the Structural Fabrication Facility.

What? In the Parts area of fabrication, products go through Blast and Paint and Primary Burning Operations and then go through Secondary Machine Operations. There, machinists form, drill and mill components into products for assemblies at Structural Fabrication and Pre-Outfit 1. This had been a bottleneck as Primary Operations struggled to get throughput to Secondary Operations and equipment issues compounded delays.

How? More training has been provided to off-shift machinists, Planning is rapidly resolving flow disruptions, supervision is fixing systemic flow disruptions and the H18 is working hard to feed the Secondary Operations machines. Capital investments in conveyance and new burning and milling machines have helped both Primary and Secondary Operations throughput and Machinists have increased parts per hour at every Secondary Operations machine. Sustaining a keel-to-keel rate of 26 weeks achieves the two ships per year goal the entire shipyard is working toward!

Way to go, Mark Cote and the DDG 120 Switchboard Team!

Cote and the new switchboard team have beaten all previous ships in preparing switchboards for inspection.

Who? The 60 Hz switchboard team led by Supervisor Mark Cote.

What? Switchboards, which guide power throughout a DDG 51, are comprised of thousands of electrical wires and connections, and each one must be installed and confirmed secure so the ship’s electrical system can be tested. Meeting the testing schedule is essential to getting compartments and functions Government Inspected.

How? Drawing on 30 years’ experience readying switchboards as an electrician, Cote instilled in the team best practices for accomplishing the work with efficiency, such as:

  • Providing wire connection lists for reference to avoid crew members spending time looking things up on a computer.
  • Cote scopes the work and distributes assignments, allowing mechanics to focus on the work at hand.
  • Relocated the crew’s workshop from the stern of the ship to near the Maine Engine Room to reduce the time it takes to retrieve tools and supplies.

Also, having a separate manager focused on chasing down parts issues allows the work crew supervisor to focus his time on the crew.

Nice job, DDG 51 Planning Yard ADNS Team!

A team in the DDG 51 Planning Yard developed time-saving Ship Alteration Designs for the ships’ Automated Digital Network System.

Who? Designer Jonathan Dearborn and Engineering Principal Robert VanGilder.

What? Jonathan worked with Rob, to develop a complex Ship Installation Drawing related to the Automated Digital Network System. Together, they created a design relocating 20 pieces of equipment across nine areas of the ship. This alteration is affected by up to 32 other alterations.

How? Jonathan laid out the foundation for the hull range of DDG-52 to DDG-112 with excellent quality. With Design and Engineering communicating regularly on the project, Jonathan’s seamless design created four base line drawings for four groupings of DDG 51s. This resulted in a reduction of 260 hours that would have been spent duplicating design efforts. This also eliminated a combined 3,840 design hours between the Option year 1 and 2 contract by eliminating the need for other designers to make numerous changes in each ship design. The reduced hours helped the Planning Yard meet milestones during an unprecedented year!

Great work, Sonar Dome Plate Team!

The group at Structural Fabrication pressed three of the complex plates into shape in a single shift.

Who? Machinists Ricky Genther, Chris White, Mark Mitchell, Keith Bussiere, Drue Lowery, and Andrew Bryant, Supervisor Kyle Pelletier, Quality Engineer Rich MacCabe, Field Engineer Joe Romano and the 3rd shift team.

What? Sonar dome plates are highly complex and have to be heated to more than 1,000 degrees to press into shape. The team was challenged to execute three plates in a single shift. This tied the record for plates, and tied the record for press swaps. The team executed this flawlessly and all three plates came back from Quality and Liaison at 100% satisfactory.

How? There was a solid plan in place and they had prepared the area the shift prior to executing. The team was willing to do what it takes to succeed. This would not have happened without their push and commitment to the cause!

Way to go, Jeff and the DDG 1002 Galley Team!

The group completing DDG 1002’s galley space accelerated completion by about 30 days.

Who? Electrician Jeff Malinky, an LS6 Working Expeditor, and the mechanics from multiple trades working to complete the ship’s galley.

What? Something needed to be done to provide the big push necessary to accomplish the ‘trade work complete’ milestone in the Galley space.

How? The ship’s management team worked with union leadership to enlist the help of a Working Expeditor from Local S6. Jeff helped to build the Galley space on prior DDG 1000 hulls and was familiar with the work sequencing needed to efficiently complete the space. Jeff engaged immediately and helped coordinate work across multiple trades. The team was able to accelerate completion of the Galley space by about thirty days.
Great work by Jeff and the rest of the Galley team!

Nice job, DDG 118 Hook Up and Combat Test Electricians and MCS Technicians!

The teams took a project that can take up to a month and achieved it in less than a week.

Who? Hook-up Electricians Tim Averell and Lyman Condon; combat test Electricians Mike Elwell, Bill Stees, Al Swaim, Jess Theriault, and Corey Hodgdon; Machinery Control Systems Technicians Frank Zimmerman and Pete MacDonald.

What? During a bilge system demonstration on DDG 118, water leaking into two terminal boxes caused a problem with one of the gas turbines. The fix required replacing and hooking up both turbine interface boxes. Installing one typically takes a month.

How? Beginning as soon as the ship arrived back in port Feb. 5, Tim and Lyman began stripping out the boxes and putting new components on the conductors. Then Mike, Bill, Al, Jess, and Corey took turns reconnecting the boxes. Frank and Pete tested each connection. After working long hours through the weekend, the teams finished the repair in four days. Great effort!

Great work, Jim, Sam and Kent!

Jim, Sam and Kent developed a database that houses all Government Furnished Information (GFI) in one location.

Who? D82 Configuration and Data Management Jim Gourhan, Sam Hayes and Kent Leavitt.

What? GFI information was spread across different systems, with no single place to locate necessary information, slowing down important research by System and Functional Engineers, as well as D87 Design’s Library Parts and Electric teams.

How? The D82 team heard the voice of their Engineering partners and the need to have all Government Furnished Information in one location to reduce time searching for missing data. They spent months identifying, normalizing and formatting information, developing queries and forms, writing code and ensuring accuracy. Engineering now has one database that holds all the pertinent information that relates to GFI, including drawing, revisions, data code, installation control drawing and equipment level, along with tracking all deliverables and providing current status. Job well done!

Way to go, Reilly, Tony and Richie!

They incorporated ‘bump’ instructions into the plans for the doors made by Structural Fabrication, improving first-time quality.

Who? Designers Reilly Egan, Tony Mercier and Richie Bell.

What? Doors are critical structural components of Navy ships, designed to withstand intense water pressure and heat without leaking or failing. In constructing more than 100 different types of doors made for the Navy, Door Shop mechanics have relied on memory or notes in a little black book for the placement of ‘bumps,’ indentations that are pressed into a door to add necessary rigidity. The incorrect placement of those bumps would lead to a door not meeting quality standards and having to be remade at considerable expense. Getting it right the first time improves schedule and cost for our customer.

How? Reilly, Tony and Richie took mechanic suggestions and developed a proposed part sketch enhancement for production that incorporated the precise location and dimensions of the bumps into work plans for the doors. Once confirmed, the group updated each of the sketch plans to include the new information. Nice job working across teams to improve our product!

Nice job, Bezie!

When Pipe Test supervisor and crew were temporarily sent home after contact tracing for potential COVID-19 exposure, Safety Engineer Bezie Starkey helped get a test completed so critical work could continue.

Who? Safety Engineer Bezie Starkey.

What? The Pipe Shop had a critical segment on DDG 120 that needed testing. Then, most of the crew working the test and their supervisor were sent home because of potential COVID-19 exposure. The pressure was on because a vendor was leaving in a couple days and couldn’t reschedule for months.

How? Bezie, a former PDP, volunteered to help out the Pipe Test team and their backup supervisor. When that supervisor was sent home for potential coronavirus exposure, Bezie stepped up and led the team to complete the test so work with the vendor could be completed on time. Great dedication!

Great work, DDG 118’s Insulating Team!

The Insulating Team for Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) quickly replaced damaged insulation in time for Acceptance Trials inspections by the Navy.

Who? Front Line Supervisor Adam Cox, Asst. Foremen Bill Richardson and Danny Card, I02 Shipboard Mechanics and the Pad Shop.

What? On Friday, Jan. 22, crews preparing for INSURV inspections on DDG 118 (Hull 520) intake/uptakes discovered insulation had been damaged on bulkheads, ventilation and pads around the exhaust in four compartments. The situation needed to be addressed before inspections, starting Tuesday, Jan. 26.

How? Adam and Bill led a team of ships completion Insulators through the weekend to rip out and replace the bulkhead and vent insulation while Danny coordinated which pads were needed so the pad shop could start remaking them. At the time of INSURV inspections Jan. 26, they had replaced all but three sets of pads and the remaining were completed the following day. The immediate action and dedication by the team meant intake/uptakes were ready for complete inspection.

Way to go, team of CROF Designers!

The small group from D86 spent several months gathering ship check information in Japan needed to complete design work back in Maine.

Who? A six-member team of CROF-based Designers: Tevirn Ambrose, Ross Anthony, Anthony DuPlayee, Beau Elwell, Bob Schenberger, Nate Spring.

What? Life Cycle Services Designers at BIW needed up-to-date ship check information from 7th Fleet ships based in Yokosuka, Japan to create design packages for ship alterations. Japan’s COVID-19 travel restrictions require mandatory quarantine of U.S. visitors.

How? This summer, the volunteer team of Designers – which was smaller than would normally tackle a job like this – conducted ship checks on a number of DDG 51s in Japan. The team quarantined in a Tokyo hotel for 23 days before they could visit the base. There, working long hours, they were able to gather the needed design information for their colleagues back home. In addition, Nate and Anthony extended their stay and Anthony stayed overseas through the holidays to help the BIW Yokosuka team with new tasking.

Nice job, Ernel, Derek and Kelsey!

They developed a new process helping people exposed to COVID-19 resume working if they have tested negative for the virus.

Who? Information Technology Specialist Ernel Galsim, Application Developer Derek Marshall and Benefits Specialist Kelsey Lekberg.

What? We need all available shipbuilders here at work as we continue to accelerate our pace of construction to meet our shipyard goals. Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 cases across Maine and at BIW has increased significantly. Testing and monitoring can speed up the safe return of employees who have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus, and a new process and tool was needed to make this possible.

How? The team identified the requirements, worked through shutdown and deployed the tool and process on the launch date. Thanks to their effort, shipbuilders have a mechanism enabling them to come back to work safely and sooner to help us reach our collective goals.

Great work, Avery and the first shift Outfit Fabrication Machinist backfills!

After temporarily losing the Machine Operations crew from Outfit Fabrication one afternoon to COVID-19 infection and contact tracing, Avery Tavares stepped in to organize backfills and keep this critical facility fed.

Who? Area Supervisor Avery Tavares coordinated with other Fabrication facilities and Machinists Devin Ford, Andrew Bryant, Michael McMahan, Steve Hinson, Ernie Bergeron and Brandon Chickering.

What? Potential COVID-19 exposure led to sending home most of Outfit Fabrication’s first shift MO4 crew one afternoon. Without Machine Operations, the facility would not have enough work to feed the assembly lanes, jeopardizing our efforts to get fabrication lates to zero.

How? When Avery heard we were sending most of the Machine Operators home, he came across the street from Structural Fabrication and offered to help. He identified critical machines and the right crew to backfill to keep Outfit Fabrication fed. Machine Operators showed up the next working day, brushed up on machine skills, and kept the facility functioning through the disruption.

Way to go, Tammy Jawdat, Andrew Rossignol, and Andrew Arnall!

Overcame COVID-19 foreign travel hurdles to get Planning Yard personnel into Spain, which currently prohibits U.S. visitors, for an important ship check.

Who? Project Coordinator, Travel, Tammy Jawdat, Designer Andrew Rossignol and On Site Representative Andrew Arnall.

What? Designers with BIW’s Planning Yard needed to conduct a ship check for a pending maintenance availability for a ship in Rota, Spain, but were challenged by travel restrictions.

How? The team obtained approvals through a US Government Clearance System, a first in connection with Spain, then coordinated COVID-19 testing to meet Spain’s strict guidelines, delivering results just as travelers were leaving.

Nice job, Brandon, Phil, Dan, Matt, Joe, Fred and Jim!

The Hull 520 Decking Crew worked with Engineering, Liaison and SUPSHIP Bath Engineering to reduce the electrical grade matting that will be required for DDG 118 and follow ships.

Who? The DDG 118 Decking Crew including Brandon Gardner and Phil Trott, Area Supervisor Dan Hartsig, Hull Manager Matt Ames, Electrical Engineer Joe Tomm, Corrosion Engineer Fred Denson and Liaison Electrical Designer Jim Fleming.

What? Electrical grade matting is required on the deck at electrical workbenches, and operating and servicing areas of electrical equipment. As the matting installation work was being accomplished on DDG 118, Brandon, Phil and the entire Decking Crew realized the scope of work was not well defined. Over the years, the amount of matting installed per ship had crept up due to different interpretations of Ship Specifications.

How? Dan and Matt asked for Engineering assistance to review requirements and provide clear production information for completion of DDG 118 and follow ships. Joe and Fred researched the requirements. Jim and Production joined in a compartment by compartment walk to understand the scope of the issue. Clarifying requirements and updating production information for follow ships is in process. “This will pay dividends in the future as we try to speed up our ship building,” DDG 118 Hull Manager Matt Ames said. “Great outcome for everyone.”

Great work, Curtis!

Curtis changed the culture around Government Property – BIW-managed equipment, tools and special test equipment – to meet the expectations of our Navy customer.

Who? BIW’s Government Property Administrator, Curtis DeCosta

What? The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Bath recently approved a Property Management System relating to Government owned, BIW-managed equipment, tools and special test equipment following a yearlong effort to establish acceptable Government Property operations. Curtis’ leadership and dedication to getting BIW “back on track” were instrumental, as demonstrated during a successful SSBA follow-up audit in October.

How? Curtis worked directly with all of the Custodians of Government Property to establish standardized records for all movement, use and preventive maintenance. Curtis changed the culture around Government Property, optimized business practices, created a cross-functional team to manage Government Property and standardized work for the BIW Custodians.

Way to go, Lee!

Quickly converted a large number of computer design drawings into files that could be corrected to reflect the actual conditions in production.

Who? Designer Lee Wong  

What? The FEPA Team, which is charged with correcting design drawings based on input from the deckplates, needed to update a large batch of files some of which hadn’t been corrected since 1992 with DDG 83.

How? Lee went the extra mile by using specialized software to convert 124 CADD files for the FEPA team in a single day, so drawings could be updated digitally and not individually by hand.

Nice job, team working the ESAB plate burning machines at Structural Fabrication!

By keeping the area beneath the three ESAB burning machines clean, the team can see maintenance issues earlier, recover small parts that then don’t have to be recut and get waste steel moved to recycling.   

Who? Yard Rigger Darren Jones, Structural Fitters Brad Hoskins and Stu Hull and Supervisor Ryan Bisson

What? Finished plates at the south elevators need to have remnant steel cut up to be scrapped. The cutting process generates slag and dross. Smaller parts also can fall between pallet slats and onto the floor and get mixed with scrap. Cleaning this area on a regular basis means fewer remade parts, and better visibility to identify machine issues like hydraulic leaks.

How? Bisson’s team developed a safe and efficient process for moving pallets off the south elevator into the cutting cell and cleaning the area under the elevator with a crane-mounted magnet. The small parts can be picked out and the waste moved to a scrap container.

Great work, Chris and Chad!

A leaking valve between the Distributive Seawater system and the ocean intake beneath Lyndon B. Johnson, Hull 604, needed to be repaired in cooperation with a dive team, which had to seal the intake from outside the hull.   

Who? Pipefitters Chris Potter and Chad Burwood

What? Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) had a persistent leak in a sea chest valve which regulates water intake from the ocean into the DSW system. To fix the outstanding issue the valve would need to be removed and affected parts replaced.

How? A dive team installed a cover plate over the hull opening underwater to block the flow of water into the DSW system in Main Machinery Room 2. Work had to be at a point in the tide cycle when current was reduced. At that point, the system was pumped down and Chris and Chad disassembled the isolation valve following a detailed job/safety plan. The valve was safely removed, inspected, cleaned, and reinstalled with new gaskets and hardware. The system was safely returned to a watertight state in only a matter of hours.

Way to go, Jim!

Following a sudden problem with the storage system housing our Linux computer servers, Jim stayed calm under pressure and worked methodically to restore all computers on the system.

Who? Server Administrator Jim Rochette

What? After an issue developed with the storage array housing Linux servers, we needed to systematically shut down and turn on all Linux computer systems on this array, which is relied on by everything from the Catia design platform to all the Oracle databases.

How? Each BIW Linux server had to be shut down in a specific order, then restarted in a set order, all while users needed access to parts of the system. Jim knew what needed to happen and how to organize the response which started early in the day and ran into the evening. Orderly and logical execution of the plan reduced the impact on users who depend on the system.

Nice job, Dave, Steve, Alicia, Ross, Colby, Shawn and Owen!

Nesting and Lofting teams have maintained zero late nests – the pattern of shapes to be cut from each plate of steel – in support of Structural Fabrication.

Who? Work Leaders Dave Gagne and Ross Cantara, Designers Steve Kittle, Alicia Tilsley, Colby Malia, Shawn Lafferty and Sr. Project Engineer Owen Van Benthuysen

What? Monitor scheduled need for different parts, ensure proper geometry, and validate material requirements while reacting to late-breaking, urgent shop floor requests. On-time nesting is essential so Structural Fabrication has zero lates, a prerequisite for the shipyard to build two ships per year.

How? The team takes schedule and part data, including drop-ins, and ensures all work orders due to be cut have a cutting plan or “nest” before the end of shift. The team gets help from the lofters who clear potential sketch issues that need to be addressed to suit the nesting software.

Great work, Preservation Techs on Carl M. Levin (DDG 120)!

Painters on Hull 521 have made significant strides on a tight schedule in preparing combat compartments for loadout and the ship’s freeboard while the weather holds.

Who? Preservation technicians Casey Leveille, Travis Marcia, Dave Gemmecke, Aidan Cannon, Ken Hughes, Matt Wooten, Derek Ripley, Jake Faulkner and others on the P10 team

What? Carl Levin (DDG 120) has a few final combat compartments that need to be sprayed and loaded out. The freeboard portions of the hull exterior must be painted before the weather turns so the underwater hull blast tent can be attached.

How? A P10 team has been working together to mask/prep/spray as well as do training during the same period. Recently, four sprayed final paint in the Communications/Radio area which allowed the ship to meet the 10/29 loadout date. Completion of the Combat Systems Equipment Room-3 meant equipment loadout happened a week earlier than planned. Four others finished spraying the freeboard from Frame 338 to the stern and are now focused on the bow.

Way to go, Maintenance Mechanics Working #15 Crane!

The team replaced the 5,500-foot wire rope hoist on the #15 Crane in a weekend, freeing it up for a crucial lift right afterward.

Who? Eight Maintenance Mechanics, most from the Crane Crew

What? The inch and a half diameter wire rope that holds the 300-ton crane’s boom aloft – steel wire weighing four pounds per foot – needed replacing soon. It’s a chore that can take five days and ties up a critical production asset.

How? Facilities planned the work for the weekend of Oct. 9. Crews staged the necessary material and starting at 4 a.m. Friday, the group worked three 12-hour shifts to lower the boom into a cradle, remove the mile of old wire rope and then thread in the new – finishing at 5:45 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 11.

Nice job, Bill, Dave, Joe and Clint!

The team was instrumental in saving us from the very big problem of not having a generator to run critical systems on DDG 1002 during Sunday’s power outage.

Who? Engineering Principal Bill Burtt along with Electricians Dave Beaulieu and Joe Ruzyckij, and Test Supervisor Clint Martz

What? Auxiliary Turbine Generator (ATG) 1 was not able to run and ATG 2 had a failure during tests at low power. It was Thursday afternoon, 10/22, and the ship needed an operational generator to run firefighting and dewatering systems and lights for that Sunday’s planned CMP power outage. Renting the necessary generator costs $50,000.

How? Bill recalled a similar issue on DDG 1000.  He reviewed the drawings and determined the problem. Bill, Dave, Joe and Clint came in at 5 a.m. Friday and together they found the loose wire that Bill suspected and were able to fix the problem. The operations team came in at 6 a.m. and the generator was running by 7:15 a.m. and good to go for Sunday.

Great work, Dept. 09 Label Plates on DDG 118!

The past month, Dept. 09 Label Plates has been completing 10 to 15 compartments a week for General Inspection on Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) and also helped get the Vertical Launch System (VLS) to certification with just 8 trial cards compared to 34 for the previous hull.

Who? Label Plate Fabricators and Installers for DDG 118

What? DDG 118 has an aggressive schedule for getting General Inspection approval for compartments to make sure the ship is ready for sea trials by mid-December, which depends on Label Plates completing their work on time. The Navy also inspected the ship’s VLS for the necessary certification, which required D09 to work through 34 trial cards rolled over from DDG 116.

How? The Label Plates team has been working weekends and installing label plates in compartments even before they are handed over to them as long as the labels won’t be damaged by work finishing the spaces. Team members also researched solutions to the more difficult held over VLS trial cards and corrected them.

Way to go, Mike and Bill!

Electricians followed cables through several decks and spaces on DDG 118 so they could install missing tags identifying each cable.

Who? Electricians Mike Elwell and Bill Seavey

What? On Daniel Inouye, Hull 520, a cable trunk line was missing several cable tags indicating what the wires led to because earlier crews had not installed the tags when the cables were pulled. The government was due to inspect them soon.

How? Mike and Bill worked together to identify the cables by tracing them hand over hand to existing tags. This meant following the cables through several decks and even under false deck panels.

Nice job, Alex, Brendan and Scott!

Machine Shop corrected DDG 118 thrust bearing to a tolerance of one one-thousandth of an inch through innovative use of machining tools and precision hand grinding.

Who? Machinists Alex Artea, Brendan Moore and Scott Peaslee

What? The thrust bearing, which pushes power to the ship’s propeller, was delivered out of tolerance. Two sections totaling six feet across needed to be corrected quickly so Outside Machinists could continue installation work in preparation for sea trials.

How? Using a table rotary grinder, a vertical milling center and finally meticulous hand grinding, the Machinists made both sides of the bearing flat and parallel within .001 of an inch to meet our Navy customer’s requirements.

Great work, Brian!

Tinsmith on DDG 118 (Hull 520) develops improved serving line cover guards

Who? Brian Rancourt, Tinsmith, Hull 520

What? Galley serving line on DDG 51s are made up of a patchwork of metal plates and many exposed rivets, interfering with sailors sliding trays as they’re being served.

How? Brian designed and installed new serving line cover guards on Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), creating a visually appealing smooth surface for the crew to slide their trays on and making it easier for the galley crew to clean.

Way to go, Abbie!

Hook Up Electrician goes above and beyond (literally) to help keep schedule

Who? Abigail Fogg, Hook Up Electrician, 2nd Shift

What? Overhead sheathing installed in galley of Daniel Inouye, Hull 520, before damper circuits were complete.

How? Abbie crawled above the ceiling – over pipes, vents, cable runs and structure – to finish hooking up the circuits, allowing work orders and tests to complete, keeping the project on schedule.

Nice job, Kim and Joe!

Label Plates and Electrical Design teams work design changes concurrently to increase efficiency and speed of execution

Who? Kimberly Keller, D87 Label Plates Work Leader, and Joe Kelly, Electrical Design Sr. Supervisor

What? Late breaking functional electrical changes causing design churn and risk to FY18 scheduled completion.

How? Instead of Label Plates awaiting final design delivery, having access to design data earlier allowed concurrent design and supported the FY18 completion schedule.

Want to nominate somebody?

Do you know a BIW employee who deserves some recognition for improving a process, beating a key deadline or otherwise going the extra mile? Then nominate that person for a BIW Fist Bump.

Email fistbump@gdbiw.com to recognize a fellow employee’s outstanding work.