April 11, 2022 by Newport News Shipbuilding

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A weekly publication of Newport News Shipbuilding

High school students from Newport News and Hampton had hands-on experiences at NNS during spring break.

Students Explore Shipbuilding Careers During Spring Break High school students from Newport News and Hampton spent part of their spring break last week at Newport News Shipbuilding learning about career opportunities at the shipyard and The Apprentice School.

USS Thresher (SSN 593) is shown at sea in July 1961. U.S. Navy photo

Lest We Forget Sunday marked a day no shipbuilder should ever forget – the 59th anniversary of the tragic sinking of USS Thresher (SSN 593). On April 10, 1963, the submarine was executing a deep dive test off the coast of New England during sea trials when it lost communications with the surface and never reemerged, ending the lives of all 129 officers, crew and civilians on board. Although Thresher was not built by Newport News Shipbuilding, the company reflects on the tragedy each year because it demonstrates the importance of first-time quality and learning from mistakes. “From one shipbuilder to another, I ask that you never forget Thresher and always remember the significance of our mission,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin wrote in an email to employees. Shipbuilders are encouraged to watch a video on MyNNS or the NNS to Go app featuring Milton Archila (X42), Carly Cole (E03) and Carvus Hopkins (K46/X33). In the video, the shipbuilders reflect on the Thresher tragedy and how it influences their work.

Keeping Shipbuilders Safe Longtime shipbuilder Bill Berger, an O43 mechanical foreman, leads a crew of shipbuilders tasked with working on equipment across the North Yard at Newport News Shipbuilding. “We work on all the production equipment in the North Yard,” he said. “We’re climbing on presses, climbing in pits, going

into confined spaces and going into blast cabinets. We’re all over everything.” In this line of work, injuries are always a possibility. That’s why Berger – who ruptured two discs in his back as a craftsman in the 1990s – is particularly focused on his crew’s safety. CONTINUED ON PG 2

The event was part of a pilot program to provide experiences for high school students to help bolster the trades workforce pipeline at NNS. “This great opportunity gave our students exposure, including hands-on experiences, to the trades offered within the shipyard,” said Lenise Cowling, program administrator for the Governor’s STEM and University Magnet Program at Heritage High School in Newport News. Students visited the Trades Training Facility for hands-on experiences. The program also included hands-on demos and simulations in the fields of design, laser scanning, painting, welding, electrical, CNC machining, sheet metal, inspection, pipefitting and hydraulics in The Apprentice School gym. Jessica Walker, an Apprentice School craft instructor, was among the shipbuilders leading demos with students. She said events like these are vital because they give students the opportunity to learn about, see and experience the different trades. Many students were surprised to find out how much technology is involved in shipbuilding. “Their mindset prior to coming in here is that there isn’t much technology,” Walker said. “When they come in here and see how much technology we actually use to build these ships, they’re definitely wowed.”

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Keeping Shipbuilders Safe CONTINUED FROM PG 1

“I don’t want anybody getting hurt because I’ve been hurt, and it’s not fun,” he said. “I tell my people if there are any questions at all, just stop the job and come get me or call me. Sometimes, I’ll have a line of people in my office – which is good with me because that means they’re asking questions and they aren’t out there doing something that could cause an injury.” Berger’s system seems to be successful. It has been more than nine years since a shipbuilder on his crew has been injured on the job. He credits good communication among the team and the fact that they all work well together for the achievement. “I just take care of my people,” he said. “Some of them have new babies. My daughter just had our grandson seven months ago, so I know life outside the shipyard is important.”

Bill Berger, right, stands with members of his crew next to a sign that acknowledges the team has gone more than nine years without a reported injury.

Students Explore Shipbuilding Careers During Spring Break CONTINUED FROM PG 1

Christian Shelton, a junior at Hampton High School, was one of the students participating in the event. He is looking forward to working in a trade after high school. “If I were to come here and learn a trade, I could find exactly what I want to do and have a better opportunity to make a career for myself instead of going to college, getting into debt and possibly not even being able to work in that field,” he said. “Today was

great. I got to go around and see all the different stations to give me a grasp of what I can do and what I’d like to do.” Christina Kerby, academy coach at Hampton High School – which includes the Maritime Academy – said she was happy to see students spending their spring break learning about opportunities for future employment. “It was exciting to see students learning what it looks and feels like to work in the shipbuilding industry,” she said.

Stairs Replaced at 46th Street Gate

Relay For Life is May 1

Just inside the turnstiles at Newport News Shipbuilding’s 46th Street gate, a new set of stairs leads down into the shipyard. It’s a welcome improvement for the 9,500 people who use the gate every day.

Newport News Shipbuilding is a sponsor of the 2022 Relay For Life event from 3 until 9 p.m. May 1 at the Hampton Coliseum. Shipbuilders are needed to volunteer in time slots between noon and 10 p.m. Contact Heather Slaughter (O53) to register to volunteer.

The old set of stairs – constructed between 1919 and 1920 – had exceeded its serviceable lifespan. Maintaining the stairs to prevent safety issues had become a constant issue. Shipbuilders from Buildings and Grounds (O41) executed the replacement project with support from O43, O46 and O15. The stairs were replaced in two phases. The first phase began in October 2021 and was completed the following month. The second phase started in November 2021 and was completed in December. “The new stairs are a great improvement to safety and quality of life for those who use that gate daily, and we have received very positive feedback,” said Facilities Engineer Matt Yancer.

WISE WOMAN AWARDEES ANNOUNCED

Women in Shipbuilding Enterprise (WiSE) presented “WiSE Woman” awards to the following employees during the first quarter of 2022: •

Kori Searles (O68) was recognized for commendable and sustained performance in January.

•

Joenell Beaty (O14) was recognized for employee engagement in February.

•

TrangThao Nguyen (O14) was recognized for proactive behavior regarding safety in March.

WiSE presents this award each month, and award winners are published in Currents on a quarterly basis. For more information about the program, visit the WiSE Woman website on MyNNS or contact Lindsey Tate (E68). Submit a nomination by completing a WiSE Woman nomination form.

Shipbuilders who have a short story about their experience with cancer – or that of a family member – that they do not mind sharing are encouraged to contact Jenn Cherry (O22) via email to have their story featured in Currents. Visit the Relay For Life website on MyNNS or RelayForLife. org/nns to donate, register or join the team. NNS Relay For Life T-shirts are available for a $10 donation, face masks are a $5 donation and luminarias are $10 each or three for $25. For more information about registration and donation, contact Jenn Cherry (O22), Heather Slaughter (O53) or Adam Krininger (X02). Relay For Life donations help the American Cancer Society fund a range of services, including research.

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AROUND THE YARD Shipbuilders Support Science Fair Newport News Shipbuilding employees participated in Norfolk Public Schools’ 18th annual district science fair. This year’s theme was “Igniting Curiosity.” The fair, held at Old Dominion University, contained over 60 science projects from elementary and middle school students. The competition was fierce and difficult to judge because of the obvious time and effort students put into their projects.

Intersectionality: Building Inclusion Together Newport News Shipbuilding’s STRIDE employee resource group and the Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) office hosted HII’s first of four courageous conversations themed “Today’s Decisions Set the Stage for Tomorrow’s Realities” on March 14. The discussion featured panelists from NNS – Julia Jones, vice president of Manufacturing and Industrial Manufacturing and Systems Engineering, and Amanda Riley-Gross, lead EEO and Diversity representative; Ingalls Shipbuilding – Michael Weems, senior counsel; Mission Technologies – Miranda Williams, manager of EEO and Diversity; and HII’s Corporate Office – Robert Brauchle, HII News Bureau manager. Panelists explored an approach that doesn’t focus on or stop at a single dimension such as gender, race, ethnicity, etc. but considers to what extent the overlapping of this combination produces systems of oppression and discrimination at various levels. View the event on MyNNS. Shipbuilders can provide feedback for continuous improvement. The next discussion, “Future of Work: Digital Transformation,” is May 9 and will be hosted by the Mission Technologies division.

Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Active cases: 3 NNS employees vaccinated: 79% See case details at nns.huntingtoningalls.com/411.

NNS employee participants James Young (E81), pictured from left, Olivia Comer (X57), Lewis Fisher (X46), Janice Boone (E68) and Bill Docalovich (K72). Not pictured: Emmanuel Onafeko (E92) and Melvin Ford (E18).

EAS Fundamentals

Learning terminology on any new project can be challenging. This month’s Enterprise Agility System (EAS) informational series article features key terms and phrases that are commonly used within the model. Understanding the terminology below will enable our business partners to navigate through the system of delivery more easily. Agile is a work method and mindset that values flexibility and acceptance/ management of change as part of a system of continuous improvement. Adopting agile is about delivering better business outcomes. An expedition is a grouping of teams (portfolio, product, and delivery teams) that make the EAS transformation journey together. It contains all the structural elements necessary to deliver business capabilities, coordinate and overcome dependencies, and make prioritization decisions and economic tradeoffs. A basecamp is an intermediate state (unit of progress towards EAS maturity) in the model that allows the organization to measure progress against defined transformation and business outcomes, claim an intermediate victory, and set the stage for the next leg of our EAS journey. A trek is a leg of the overall expedition journey from one basecamp to the next. An epic is a business problem that needs a solution and contains products to be consumed by one or more business areas

that cannot be completed in one iteration, usually measured in months. Epics are broken down into features (a segment of functionality measured in weeks), and features are further broken down into user stories (a small, self-contained unit of work), which maximizes delivery flow while addressing cross-cutting concerns and dependencies. Value is the worth that an epic delivers to the business. In EAS, the quest to add value drives most team decisions. This valuebased prioritization means the customer (the business) helps determine the business value their request delivers, and, when compared to other epics, drives the prioritization of the work. Weighted shortest job first (WSJF) is a prioritization model used to sequence work in order to produce maximum value for the business. The measure for WSJF is estimated as the cost of delay (CoD) divided by job size. WSJF aligns to a central premise that prioritizing epics and sequencing work helps minimize the cost of delay to value being deployed. For more information, visit the EAS website and lexicon on MyNNS. Previous articles published in Currents (Introducing EAS and EAS Team Structure) also provide addional detail.

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DATEBOOK APRIL 13

The Professional Enhancement and Enrichment Rotation (PEER) Program is hosting a learn at lunch WebEx event for potential candidates from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The program is open to salaried individual contributors. To sign up, visit the PEER Program website on MyNNS. For more information, contact Gary Figg at 688-4495.

APRIL 19

APRIL 13

We’ve Got Your Back is a quarterly program designed to help prevent and manage acute and chronic lower back pain. This quarter, you’ll learn about proper ergonomics, workplace risk factors and how to evaluate and correct your workstation to prevent injuries and boost productivity. A virtual session will be held at noon April 19. In-person sessions will be held noon May 3 and 17. Register at myquadmed.com/BeWell.

APRIL 13

Join HERO counselor April Krieger at noon as she discusses promoting good mental health in the workplace. You’ll learn how to identify signs and symptoms and receive tips for becoming more self-aware, helping to boost job performance and productivity. Register at myquadmed.com/BeWell. The Learning Organization and Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) offices are hosting a leadership lunch and learn at noon. Danyelle Saunders will explore the ways leaders can ensure team members feel valued and are able to contribute their very best every day. Register on MyNNS. For more information, contact Vickie Robinson via email.

APRIL 20

APRIL 21

APRIL 13

Volunteers are needed for Newport News Shipbuilding’s annual Earth Day Cleanup. NNS employees will help celebrate Earth Day by volunteering to clean up and spread mulch around trees and shrubs at Christopher Newport Park and the Victory Arch area in downtown Newport News. Volunteers also will cleanup the Huntington Park beachfront and Oakland Industrial Park. For more information, visit the 2022 Earth Day website on MyNNS or contact Kristen Scarsdale at 688-2582 or via email. The rain date is April 22. Information regarding the annual Earth Day Coloring Contest for kids (ages 4-17) also is available on the website.

APRIL 14

The L.E.A.R.N. Program and the Lean Community of Practice (CoP) will host an after-work presentation with Karey Malyszko, vice president of Plant Operations, from 4 to 5 p.m. via WebEx. The event is open to all employees by reservation only. Sign up on MyNNS. No charge is provided. For more information, contact Christina Hayden (K51) at 534-1612 or email LEARN@hii-nns.com.

Join the Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Alliance (HOLA) from 3 until 4:30 p.m. at VASCIC (Room 220) for a “Let’s Grow!” professional development session. This is a chance to sharpen important career advancement skills such as interviewing, resume writing or networking, and get awareness of where your resources are at NNS. All are welcome. For more information, contact Alejandro Nava Moncada at 380-7931. Sign up on the HOLA website on MyNNS. The Spear and Gear Toastmasters Club will host a new member interest meeting for shipbuilders interested in becoming members from 5 until 6 p.m. at The Apprentice School (Room 249). The club will provide general information about the organization and membership, along with the Presentation Mastery Path program. Becoming a member will allow shipbuilders to embark on the Presentation Mastery program. There will be on-site signups at the event. Those interested in joining should contact Jamar Skyles (E03), Tammy Smith (N358) or Paul Gee Jr. (O52) for more information.

APRIL 26

APRIL 27

The Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) and the Department of Veterans Affairs will host an overview of the Women Veterans Health Care program event from noon until 12:30 p.m. Catherine MacDonald, Women Veterans Program manager, and Lisa Riha, deputy Women Veterans Program manager, will share information. This will be a WebEx event and is open to all NNS employees. No charge will be provided. Register on MyNNS. For more information, email VERG@hii-nns.com.

SEEKING SHIPBUILDERS Job Title Req Number Dept. Engineer Systems 2 8907 X44 (Modeling & Simulation) Welder (Trainee, Entry-level & 18846, 18845, X18 Experienced) 18844, 18841

Visit www.buildyourcareer.com to search for the latest NNS job openings.

Employee Referral Cash Bonus Not Eligible

Remote Work Considered No

Eligible

All positions are located in Newport News unless otherwise noted.

Employees are encouraged to use MyHR or the "Current HII Employees Job Search" button at www.buildyourcareer.com to apply. Visit www.huntingtoningalls.com/careers/refer-a-friend to learn more about the cash bonus awards for referrals to select positions.

APRIL 27

ManPower is a virtual program designed to empower men to achieve their best selves. Join the session at noon to learn about the most common causes of lower back pain such as overuse, straining and sitting and what to do about them. Learn how to prevent lower back pain through core strength building, proper ergonomics, increasing flexibility and improved posture. Register at myquadmed.com/BeWell.

APRIL 28

Join the Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Alliance (HOLA) from 5 until 6 p.m. for the monthly virtual book club. The club will discuss “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek. Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a “Circle of Safety” that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside. He illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking. Contact Samuel Byrne via email for additional information.

MAY 12

The Project Management Shipbuilder Association (PMSA) will host a lunchtime presentation on Earned Value Management with Jennifer Miller, director of Business Management (O79), from noon until 1 p.m. via WebEx. The event is open to all employees by reservation only. Sign up on the PMSA website. For questions, contact Sandra Valentine or email PMSA@hii-nns.com. No charge is provided.

MAY 14 AND 15

The BeWell for Life 5K, formerly the NNS 5K, is a fun 3.1mile walk, jog or run to the finish line. The in-person race is scheduled for May 14, at 9 a.m. at Victory Landing Park. A virtual event will be held May 14 and 15. To sign up or to learn more, visit myquadmed.com/2022-bewell-for-life-5k. Those interested in volunteering during the race should contact Topaz Artis via email. Volunteers will receive free entry and a free T-shirt.

JUNE 10

The 17th annual F. Farrell Sanders Apprentice Athletic Club Golf Tournament will be held at Ford’s Colony Country Club. Look for more information about costs and how to register in upcoming editions of Currents.

PMSA HOSTING AGILE PRESENTATIONS

The Project Management Shipbuilder Association (PMSA) is hosting after-hours presentations on agile with Karen Holloway, PMSA chairperson, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 13, 20 and 27 via WebEx. The events are open to all employees by reservation only. Sign up on the PMSA website. For questions, contact Sandra Valentine or email PMSA@hii-nns.com. No charge is provided. Event details are below: April 13 – Agile: What is it and How Does it Impact Me? April 20 – Scrum: What is it and do I Need it? April 27 – Scrum, XP & Kanban: The Product Owner Accountability