PHOTO BY LUKE BEASLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
NNSY Completes Helena DCMAV Early BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST USS Helena (SSN-725), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was oversight, review, and detailed certification. certified Nov. 12 after completing a high-priority Docking Continuous “A day is a week. In this availability, you’re going at such a Maintenance Availability (DCMAV) one day early. Helena spent fast pace that if you lose a day, you lose a week,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joe less than four months at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) receiving Klopfer, Helena’s Deputy Project Superintendent. “I can't overstate required maintenance and a technical insertion upgrade. the dedication on the deck plate from the mechanics, supervisors, and Helena’s early undocking was a strategic decision to allow for zone managers. One of the keys to success was how hard the guys additional unplanned work and testing to be completed at Naval worked and committed to getting the job done right the first time." Station Norfolk. Both Ensley and Klopfer agree communication between the “We certified USS Helena one day early, but there were complicated deckplates and chain of command was crucial during the availability issues that had to be resolved with intensified planning by the team because of resource constraints and quantity of repairs that were not to accomplish our mission,” explained Pat in the initial work package. “I think that Ensley, Helena Project Superintendent. is what this project did better than any "Most of all, I would like to “During major availabilities, there is more project I’ve been on,” said Klopfer. “If we time for projects in pre-planning to allow needed something all we had to do was ask personally thank you for doing teams to cohesively develop. We really didn’t for support and the shipyard responded.” what most said could not be have the time for that in this availability, so Completing the DCMAV early was a we had to find other methods to quickly major accomplishment for NNSY and the done. Good on you. I am close those gaps. Great daily interaction project team, and the achievement did not looking forward to working with go unnoticed. and establishing good relationships with all of you again in the future." the crew of Helena was a major key to our "The early completion of Helena's success.” DCMAV has given the Submarine - Pat Ensley, Project This meant continuous execution Squadron Six Commander a vital asset Superintendent planning with the entire project team, by back that is immediately able to support the clearly identifying the scope of work to be fleet,” said Helena Commanding Officer, accomplished, and validation of the plan daily with ship’s force in an Cmdr. Jason Pittman. “Helena will also deploy next year, and the effort to keep the availability on track. key to successful preparation for deployment is time at sea. Getting “We had to make sure that every day we aggressively worked on that valuable time at sea is a fight that is won by the daily battles getting the negative float out of our schedule,” explained Ensley. “I to complete maintenance effectively and on time. Norfolk Naval always wanted to remain predictable, so it was important that daily Shipyard's tremendous work getting us back to sea early ensures that updates to the schedule were accurate and reliable. By maintaining our preparations are getting started on the right foot." an accurate daily schedule I was better at making proper decisions and “The team’s efforts were recognized at the highest levels, which is adjustments to get the boat back to the fleet on-time.” a direct reflection of their dedication and commitment to America's The project encountered several hurdles along the way, including Shipyard,” added Ensley. “It was amazing to see such a diverse a large volume of unplanned Submarine Safety Program (SUBSAFE) background of personnel come together so quickly and work so work, which had to be tightly controlled and required a high-level of effectively.” 26 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016
◄ Top Left: Helena in the dry dock during the flooding process. Photo by Shayne Hensley, NNSY Photographer. Bottom Left: Pat Ensley, Helena Project Superintendent (left) and Lt. Cmdr. Joe Klopfer, Deputy Project Superintendent, stand beneath Helena in the dry dock. Photo by Tony Anderson, NNSY Photographer.
"In the case of the Helena project, there were two strong watch teams, coupled with strong engineering, production, and radiological controls teams, and the result was an exceptional performance.” Timothy Ribble, Code 2340 Nuclear Chief Test Engineer PHOTO BY SHAYNE HENSLEY • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
"I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with this exceptional team and undoubtedly one of the finest crews in the fleet." Richard Thomas; Code 246 Non-Nuclear Hull, Mechanical, & Electrical Chief Test Engineer