Rhode Island team completes refueling in record time

Waterfront Watch: ALL HANDS ON DECK

Rhode Island arrived in December 2015 for its 27-month overhaul.

Rhode Island sits in Dry Dock #4 prior to the start of its availability.

Rhode Island team completes refueling in record time

BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Some of the most technical and demanding work on the USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) project was completed three days ahead of schedule, surpassing a major milestone for the availability.

The Rhode Island’s refueling package is a critical part of the submarine’s 27-month Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO), during which the submarine is refueled and upgraded before returning to support the country’s nuclear deterrence strategy.

The project team’s goal was to complete the work, from start to finish, in 220 days, and despite suffering some initial setbacks, they met the mark in just 217 days – the fastest ever at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).

“Coming in at 217 days on Rhode Island, not only did we have what constitutes a more than 120-day improvement over the last execution [on USS Maryland (SSBN 738)], which took 342 days, we also had some pretty unique challenges,” said Bob Hansen, the project’s chief refueling engineer. “It was an incredible effort.”

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Among the challenges faced by the team was the failure of a crane that provided the in-house lifting and handling. The crane broke less than a week into the project in June 2016 and had to be entirely replaced while execution of the refueling was ongoing. A new crane was installed and tested, and the team was back to work within 11 days.

On top of that, a severe rainstorm flooded several areas of the shipyard, which cost the team two days. And later that year, preparations for a hurricane threatening the Hampton Roads area cost the team another three days.

Uncontrollable acts of nature aside, the greatest hurdle faced by the refueling team was the experience level of its deckplate mechanics.

“Years ago, you would look at your workforce and you’d have an average of seven or eight years of experience. Turnover wasn’t such a problem,” explained Production Department Refueling Manager Al

Q. Jones. “On Rhode Island, we recognized the lack of training. We had to adjust our plan and couldn’t assume anyone had the required experience.”

According to Lead Refueling General Foreman John Rowe, who served as the assistance project superintendent during the refueling, the Rhode Island team completed the work package with an experience level of one-and-a-half years.

“Our experience level, compared to previous boats, was very low. We really focused on our continuous training and development program to provide a lot of hands on training.”

Hansen lauded the project team’s preparation and credited much of the boat’s success to the efforts made by the mechanics to learn new skills and maintain a positive attitude.

“Being new to the program, they came with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. The attitude and the approach of the engineers, the mechanics, the deckplate supervisors, they continuously worked.

They never gave up,” he said. “We focused on the fundamentals, on the shipyard initiative of Brilliant on the Basics. There’s nothing glamorous about reactor servicing, you just have to do it right every day. If you’re not stopping work because of quality problems, you just keep doing what you’re supposed to do.”

To Jones, success is about more than just his project team. It’s about Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

“The shipyard really rallied around us, and the Production Resources Department recognized our resource demands,” said Jones. “Everyone wanted us to win this one. It hasn’t been a cake walk, but I will tell you we did not let ourselves get defeated. We kept our heads up. We didn’t meet the mark, we exceeded the mark.

We had to believe 220 days was achievable. It’s a big win for the shipyard.”

Critical though it may be, the refueling is one part of a much larger job, and once Jones and his team are finished, the submarine is handed back over for the remaining work.

“If we are able to make the pre-selected dates for key events, we have a much higher probability of delivering the ship back to the Navy on time,” said Deputy Project Superintendent Douglas Poynter. “The Rhode Island team is fighting every day to deliver the ship back to the Navy in 27 months and the refueling team played a major part in allowing NNSY to do just that.”

For next time, Jones and his team know now what they are capable of, and they have an impressive new goal to beat.

“We have a great project team,” he said. “I’m proud of them.”

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