Yardlines, March 2014

IN THIS ISSUE Black Engineers Honored at Conference AMSEC and NNS Operating Together Again

Yardlines

Photo by Ricky Thompson

Newly-Designed Anchors Installed on Ford

A Publication of Newport News Shipbuilding

March 2014

F

New Anchors ord’s

Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is awash in new technologies: radar, electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), aircraft arresting gear and increased electrical power. And then there are the anchors.

Why new anchors?

with recycled anchors and anchor chains from older, decommissioned ships. USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) is equipped with the 55-year-old anchors and chains from the former carrier Independence (CV 62). Ford’s anchors, though, aren’t just new, but a new design. The anchor chains are new, too.

Aircraft carriers have used a standard naval anchor design for years. In fact, newer carriers are equipped

“It comes from the Navy’s plan for a greener ship that requires fewer crew,” said Foreman Derek Briggs, who led

the team that installed the starboard anchor aboard the Ford on Dec. 6. “Nimitz–class ships use hydraulics to lift their anchors, an operation that requires six sailors. The Ford uses electricity, which reduces the need for hydraulic fluid and requires only two sailors to weigh an anchor.

new design accommodates its lighter weight and enables it to do the same job of the heavier anchor.

“First, we reduced the weight of the ship forward where the new EMALS catapults are installed. Second, we eliminated the hydraulics. Last, the old chain has not been manufactured in many years and is difficult to get.” said Briggs.

“In total, there are 56,000 pounds of chain per ship’s side. That’s slightly more than one-half the weight of the Nimitz-class chain.”

To make things work without hydraulics, which can lift more weight than electrical systems, the new anchors and chain must weigh less. Each anchor, designed by Lister Chain and Forge of Blaine, Wash., and made by the Bradken Foundry in Texas, weighs 30,000 pounds. That’s one-half the weight of the previous anchor. The anchor’s

Briggs added, “Each new chain link weighs 137 pounds, compared to the 344 pounds that the older links weigh.

The new anchors give the carrier’s bow a distinctive look that enhances the new Ford-class’ design and overall appearance. | By Mike Dillard

Riggers prepare the Gerald R. Ford’s 30,000-pound-starboard anchor for lifting from a barge to the ship on Dec. 6, 2013. Photo By Ricky Thompson

Joe Stout inherited his love of ships from his father.

“I’ve been around ships my whole life,” said Stout, a shipbuilder of 35 years. “My father was a commercial fisherman and managed a marina in Sea Bright, N.J.” His love of ships led him to serve five years in the Coast Guard before enrolling in The Apprentice School in 1979 to work on bigger ships as a pipefitter. “I remember the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower coming in for overhaul work,” recalled Stout. “It was one of the first carriers I worked on.”

In 1991, Stout’s son, Joey, was born. He grew up watching his dad work on engines. “I learned how to change the oil when I was 5 years old,” said Joey. “When I was 10, my dad and I went on USS Enterprise for a short cruise. I knew then that I wanted to be in the Navy.” Ten years later, Joey joined the Navy and was soon assigned to Eisenhower as a 3rd class engineman.

Around the same time his son was assigned to Eisenhower, Joe Stout, now a production engineer, started work on the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), including the overhaul of the emergency diesel generators, a system his son was also working on.

In June 2012, Eisenhower began back-to-back deployments totaling almost 300 days, creating the longest separation father and son had ever experienced.

On July 1, 2013, they reunited in Mayport, Fla., for the 3-day cruise on “Ike” back to the ship’s homeport in Norfolk. As the ship left port, the pair went topside to take in the view.

“Before we knew it, we were out to sea, and it was pitch black except for the lights of the other ships we were passing,” said the elder Stout. “In the darkness, we talked for hours about Joey’s back-to-back deployments,

describing places he had seen, like Portugal, Bahrain and Dubai.”

For the younger Stout, it was like coming full circle. “I couldn’t believe I was there with my dad on a carrier again, except this time, I’m a U.S. Navy sailor. After the Navy, I want to get in to The Apprentice School and work with my dad. I’ve always wanted to be like him.” | By Peter Stern In 2001, Joe Stout and his 10-year-old son Joey went on a short cruise on USS Enterprise (CVN 65) which inspired the younger Stout to join the Navy 10 years later.

Photo by John Whalen

C ustomer-Driven Staying Power When Sandy Armstrong finished school, like most people, she needed a job. Her father, William Brock, worked at the shipyard so she applied for a job here, too. She thought she would only stay a couple of years, but nearly 46 years later, she’s still here.

Armstrong spent her first four years working in the Engineering division, but as a non-engineer she didn’t really see a future for herself, so she applied for a job in Purchasing.

“I came over for the interview, got the job and fell head over heels in love with it,” Armstrong said. “It wasn’t anything scientific – I just loved the challenge, and I loved the customer service aspect.”

She totally immersed herself in her job, her customers’ products and their issues. “I sat in meetings and I looked

around the room and I was the only female. I thought, ‘This is a real challenge,’ so I really tried to get to know my customer. I went down to the boat, looked at the jobs, and when somebody asked a question I didn’t know, I would say, ’That’s not my area, but let me find out.’ And I would work on the question until I had an answer.”

During her career, Armstrong said she had some really good mentors who helped her see the possibilities of staying and rising through the ranks of management, and that’s what she did. At age 36, she went back to school and studied at night for eight years to earn her degree in business. She’s purchased multi-million-dollar parts, complex machinery, turbines, reduction gears, big pumps for the belly of the ship, and just about anything that will make the ship stop and go.

“I bought for Los Angeles- and Virginia-class submarines, carrier overhauls and new carrier construction. I worked on every carrier from the Enterprise and all of the Nimitzclass ships and on CVN 78, but I like carriers and carrier overhaul the best,” she added. “I like fast pace and I like hard problems.”

After 40 years of purchasing materials for Newport Newsbuilt ships, Armstrong has found a new passion as the compliance officer for the Purchasing Business System.

Three years ago she developed a Purchasing Business System compliance program to ensure the shipyard continues to have the certification to buy products and services for the government.

“The neat thing about this position is it has given me a chance to pull together almost 46 years of experience and be more of a mentor and instructor on how you approach and think about things,” she said. “You do a lot of negotiating when you are purchasing for the Navy. You have to think about every angle and analyze, is this good

for the Navy and is it good for the yard.”

During her almost five decades at the shipyard, Armstrong has seen a lot of changes, particularly for women. “When I first came here women all wore dresses, they weren’t allowed on the boats, and any women who came here took a typing test regardless of the job they were applying for.“ Armstrong says things have slowly but surely changed.

The job she thought she was going to have for a couple of years turned into a satisfying career. “When I’m training, the advice I like to give is that you have to decide if you want a job or a career. If you want a career here, you have to step out when that opportunity comes and you have to grab it. And if it’s not there, you have to figure out a way to make that opportunity come to you.” | By Gina Chew-Holman

Master Shipbuilder Sandy Armstrong (right) discusses the Purchasing Business System training program with Subcontracts Administrator Holly Milteer. Photo by John Whalen

Business of Building Ships

The

Since arriving at Newport News Shipbuilding less than a year ago, Virginia-class submarine (VCS) shipbuilders Saban Hasan, Carlton Twine Jr. and Ryan Blackburn have taken it upon themselves to learn the business of building ships.

“These three shipbuilders are performing at an astonishing rate,” said Patti Richardson, VCS foreman.

“They’re grateful to be here, have an excellent work ethic and are always ready to learn.”

Hasan, Twine and Blackburn play a vital role in VCS construction – they are responsible for painting and affixing soundproof materials to the interior of submarines.

“When I came to the shipyard, I was surprised at how much I didn’t know,” said Hasan. “Since then, I’ve shadowed older shipbuilders, taken Night School courses and have tried to better understand ‘shipyard lingo’ by learning as many acronyms as I can.”

Blackburn has also taken advantage of the shipyard’s Night School. “I believe that success comes from knowledge,” he said. “I try to take advantage of every learning opportunity I’m afforded, because I know it will help me down the road.”

Twine agreed, “Being involved in as much as you can is essential to mastering a skill,” he said. “I’ve only worked on the submarine side of ship construction, but I’m amazed at how much goes in to it. The challenge of understanding it all is my main driving force.”

The shipbuilders concur that they are also motivated by quality. “I think about quality a lot,” said Twine. “When we’re done building the boat, it will be someone’s home.

People’s lives are on the line – there is absolutely no room for errors.”

Moreover, Hasan, Twine and Blackburn believe that their foreman is one of the strongest driving forces behind their success. “Ms. Richardson pushes us to be the best we can be,” said Blackburn. “She takes time out of her day to come down to the shop floor and make sure we understand everything. If we don’t understand something, she’ll keep working with us until we do.”

Hasan added, “It’s great to know that the person we work for really cares about our development. She’s always checking in with us to make sure we’re on track with our work. She wants us to excel and advance – she wants us to become supervisors and CEOs one day.” | By Lauren Ward

(L to R): VCS shipbuilders Ryan Blackburn, Carlton Twine Jr. and Saban Hasan work together to affix a soundproof tile to one of the inner walls of a submarine. Photo

by Chris Oxley

Tougher Than Steel For Jarrod Davis, a shipfitter at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), tough just goes with the territory.

“The thing I find most challenging about my job,” he said, “is being able to bend and contort the thick pieces of steel that we’re using – getting them to shape and mold and go into the places we need them to go.”

turned out to be a great move. “I love my job,” he said.

“I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do more. What I like most is the constant change. It’s not the same thing over and over and over again. I get to come in and learn something new every day, and I really feed on that. I enjoy that a lot.”

Moving heavy material and working with dangerous tools adds to the toughness. “You have to be fit, both mentally and physically, to be able to do this job,” he said. “You’ve got to make sure that you’re staying safe at the same time. You’ve got to keep yourself on guard, and that’s something that’s tough to do every day, day in and day out.”

As an apprentice, Davis rotated through the shipyard; now, he works full-time in the Modular Outfitting Facility in support of the Virginia-Class Submarine Program.

“It is very rewarding to see these big machines come together,” he said. “I mean, they come to us in pieces. As you see the boat take shape, you stand back and you look at the finished product and really stand proud, knowing that what you built is something that’s going to work, and it’s going to work correctly.”

Davis, who will graduate from NNS’ Apprentice School in March, is the latest Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) employee to be featured in “Tougher Than Steel,” a branding campaign that celebrates shipbuilders as being as tough as the products they build. The campaign kicked off in 2013 and features full-page print ads in local newspapers and defense publications. A “Tougher Than Steel” page on HII’s website also includes a short video of Davis and other shipbuilders, including ones from HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division.

Davis is a third-generation shipbuilder – his father and grandfather both worked at NNS – but it wasn’t his first job. He ran a mobile auto paint company until the economy forced him out of business in 2008. It has

Davis, who will celebrate his five-year service anniversary in April, said he is humbled to work with men and women who have been on the job for decades – especially Master Shipbuilders, those with at least 40 years of continuous service. “To know they’ve been doing it for 30, 40-plus years and they’re still coming in with the same forward-thinking attitude and still on guard for safety, and just the ability they’ve shown over the years, it really shows the true essence of being tougher than steel.”

For more “Tougher Than Steel” profiles, visit: www.huntingtoningalls.com/tougherthansteel.

Brionne Birchette (left) manages the hose for Gene Washington as they prepare Dry Dock 12 for ooding. Photo by John Whalen

THE

OF ENGINE EER RING G, SCIEN NCE AND TECHNOL LOGY Newport News Shipbuilding congratulated six of its engineers who were honored with 2014 Modern Day Technology Awards Feb. 6–8 at a national conference in Washington, D.C. The engineers were recognized for shaping the future of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

during the 28th Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Global Competitiveness Conference.

Receiving awards were Mechanical Engineer Allen Cason, Electrical Engineer Fernando Gaines, Engineering Manager Kimberly Grubb, Design Engineering Manager Kevin Martin, Modeling and Simulation Engineer

Benjamin Price and Engineering Manager Vaughn Walston.

The engineers, whose work includes maintaining and modernizing Seawolf- and Los Angeles-class submarines, supervising propulsion plant auxiliary systems, shaping the way aircraft carriers are designed, developing and implementing tools that improve efficiency, reducing cost and supporting on-schedule performance, and developing plans for the way radiological waste is handled and shipped, said they enjoyed being part of an inspirational event.

“Being honored as a Modern Day Technology Leader was an awesome experience,” said Gaines. “One of the most significant events of the conference was the mentoring session with Huntington Ingalls Industries President Mike Petters. I’m thankful to receive such a prestigious award and share this honor with my colleagues.”

Recipients of the 2014 Modern Day Technology Award (L–R) Benjamin Price, Allen Cason, Kimberly Grubb, Vaughn Walston and Kevin Martin. Not pictured: Fernando Gaines. Photo by Ricky Thompson

Back Together Again AMSEC operating under Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) again is like reconnecting with an old friend and picking up right where you left off. Many of AMSEC’s 2,043 employees started at the shipyard and have continued working on projects with NNS. “We share a common heritage – same ethics, quality, safety standards, performance standards,” said Carol Davis, a strategic manager at AMSEC who helps to identify new growth opportunities for AMSEC. Davis started at NNS in 1985 as customer support to NAVSEA and, after a six-year career as a nuclear machinist mate with the Navy, she started working for the subsidiary in 1999.

Since the company was founded in 1981 to deliver technical services to the Navy’s fleet, AMSEC has expanded its opportunities and widened its footprint to 33 locations, including Japan and Hawaii, and nearly every place where there’s a maritime concentration.

On any given day, 600 AMSEC employees are on board military and commercial ships around the world, assessing equipment conditions, modernizing systems and training sailors. Others are designing and installing security systems in airports or helping to upgrade ships that have been transformed into museums like the USS Intrepid in New York, and providing information system solutions to the digital Navy. And at NNS, another 400 AMSEC employees are working on SUPSHIP contracts that include the inactivation of USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and the refueling and complex overhaul of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

William La Salle, a former Navy nuclear mechanic working for an independent power producer in Pennsylvania, was hired in 2012 by AMSEC as an inactivation test engineer for Enterprise. “Supporting the shipyard with this specific project like we do with the nonnuclear work, gives AMSEC a lot more visibility within the yard,” he said.

Shift Test Engineering Students Danyale Bennett served in the Navy as a steam plant tester on board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2008 when it was in the shipyard before she began working at AMSEC. Now she helps to test the operability of new components and integrate new technologies with older technology that’s already in the ship.

“Even though shipbuilding is something that’s been done here for over a hundred years, there are always ways to do things better that can lead to a more efficient construction process or to cost savings,” she said. | By Jeremy Bustin

AMSEC’s Malcolm Evans grinds a weld. Photo by Chris Oxley

First Lady Michelle Obama christening the USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752).

Susan B. Anthony

First class of women welders trained at the Shipyard in 1945.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Amelia Earhart

MARCH 2014

Women’s History Month

This observance is endorsed by the Newport News Shipbuilding Diversity Council.

Making a Difference

Great Strides for Chris

For Health and Safety Analyst Chris Maxwell, being an active participant with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is personal.

“I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) when I was seven,” said Maxwell. “Since then, my family has used the CFF to educate themselves on the disease, its effects and current treatment.”

CF is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. “According to statistics, more than 30,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the disease – currently there is no cure,” said Maxwell.

The CFF holds many events throughout the year to raise funds and increase awareness about CF. “The CFF’s largest annual fundraising event is the ‘Great Strides’ walk,” said Maxwell, who has been participating in the walks since his diagnosis. “All of the proceeds from the ‘Great Strides’

walks go to funding research and pharmaceuticals in the search for a cure.”

In 2013, Maxwell’s team raised nearly $3,000 for the local “Great Strides” walk and was one of the top fundraising teams on the Peninsula. This year Maxwell’s team has set their goal at $5,000.

The CFF will hold more than 10 “Great Strides” walks in Virginia in 2014. Maxwell and his team plan to participate in the Newport News walk in City Center in May. “The walks have given me an opportunity to be a sign of hope for younger individuals with CF and their families,” said Maxwell. “I’m going to continue to walk and be that sign of hope until a cure for CF is found.” | By Lauren Ward (L to R): Fred Bowers, Chris Maxwell, Ashley Walker and Natalie Bowers were part of the Maxwell team during last year’s Great Strides walk in Newport News.

Long Service MASTER SHIPBUILDERS

FEBRUARY

Stanley Bell 40 years

Bill Eaton 45 years

George Marble 45 years

James Moody 40 years

Nick Nicholson 45 years

Wayne Rammell 45 years

Gene Roarty 45 years

Byron St. John IV 40 years

Ivery L. Steele 45 years

Harold Tynes 45 years

Lynn Walker 40 years

Rosie Todd Yourish 40 years

45 YEARS William G. Eaton Jr. E13 George E. Marble E45 James T. Nicholson X42 Wayne B. Rammell X36 Eugene H. Roarty O31 Ivery L. Steele X87 Harold D. Tynes X11

Byron E. St John IV X32 Roselyn F. Todd Yourish O79 Linda H. Walker E41 Raymond C. Wallace Jr. X42

30 YEARS Christine W. Amos E80 Ney C. Austin O43 Eric B. Benns M40 Kevin M. Blanton E83 Jeffery L. Bordeaux X88 George H. Bowers III X32 Douglas K. Bristow X36 Timothy W. Bulles T54 Robert F. Callis X70 Gary A. Chadwick X32 John S. Coats A572 Kevin L. Combs X87

Craig E. Dunaway M40 Michael B. Hailey X10 David L. Hamm X88 Teresa R. Harris O46 Anthony M. Higgins CMSD Cynthia B. Ingram X88 Dennis S. Jarabak O83 John W. Little X33 Rosemary Lovering O46 Paige L. Luster O28 Christopher D. Markatos X89 Donald H. Miller X73 John A. Nagy E83

Sandra O’Brien AMSEC Timothy M. Pruitt M71 Kenneth L. Quinn Jr. M30 Bernadette T. Reid K71 Robert C. Root X32 William E. Smith Jr. O19 Greggory S. Vick X88 Matt B. Voorhees X43 Brenton O. Ward Jr. X89 Belinda R. Washington X74 Wade E. Welch Jr. E81 John A. Williams O46 Ronnie M. Williams O43

James E. Wright O04 Judith M. Wright O53

40 YEARS Stanley T. Bell O46 Jackie W. Fields M20 James J. Moody X11

35 YEARS Donald E. Harris O41 Vera D. Hinton E25 Bettina L. McGuigan E89 Barbara A. Melvin O48 Ronnie L. Triplett E72 Wayne R. Urban E82 Michele A. Welch X89

25 YEARS Janice Kordahl AMSEC Russell E. Grimm E34 20 YEARS Kenneth G. Hill Jr. M71 Basil E. Santos E07 Joseph C. Sult O19 David J. Vincent O93

Retirements JANUARY David M. Ahearn Jr. E70 Cleo B. Badgett O14 Raffaela Balson E42 Dorothy J. Barnes O46 Thomas W. Batten O53 William H. Bazemore Jr. X67 Rose D. Bousquet O53 Osen F. Bowser X11 James T. Brown X89 Cecil W. Bryant X18 Cecil R. Bunch X33

Roger Cherry X32 Roger S. Crandall E86 Conrad C. Dellinger Jr. X10 James H. Dillard X42 Charles W. Dixon X18 Charles B. Dixon O39 Deborah J. Edmonds O15 Floyd E. Eure X31 Joe M. Eure X33 Larry D. Freeman X33 Joseph S. Fronda E56

Harold W. Gowers O15 Raleigh H. Grant O43 Willis A. Griffin O46 Leon R. Harris X18 Winston Harris X36 Leogie Hicks X42 Leon Holloman O15 Charles H. Hundley Jr. X10 Charlie S. Hunter X36 David A. Jackson O43 Gerald R. Jensen X31

King E. Jones X15 Timothy L. Jones E86 Michael D. Lane X88 Clement J. Lindsay X43 David E. Long X36 Arthur V. Martin Jr. X43 Clyde A. Moore X18 Samuel E. Morgan O57 Pernell Newby X36 Regis E. Oliver E44 Patrick M. Painter X32

Archie Parker X33 Walter L. Peele X42 Clifton R. Perry X33 Ernest T. Peterson III X11 Calvin C. Polk X36 Brian E. Ribblett X18 Harvey M. Ross X43 Paul H. Schulte E82 Barry L. Seay O39 Larry D. Snowden X11 Jesse R. Stallings X36

Martha A. Stevens O67 Randolph N. Stewart O61 James K. Thornton O43 Samuel Ward Jr. X36 Paul B. Watson X11 Gordon R. Weaver X88 Stephen R. White E24 Darrell K. Whitfield X43 John T. Wiggins Jr. X33 Lynn P. Williams X33 Herman L. Wilson X43

Yardlines is published 10 times a year for the employees of Newport News Shipbuilding.

This issue of Yardlines was produced by: Jeremy Bustin, Dar Deerfield-Mook, Gina Chew-Holman, Troy Cooper, Mike Dillard, Christie Miller, Eugene Phillips, LaMar Smith, Peter Stern, Susan Sumner, Lauren Ward and Kimberly Zayakosky. Photographs by: Chris Oxley, Ricky Thompson and John Whalen. Editor: Gina Chew-Holman Send comments, questions and story ideas to gina.chewholman@hii-nns.com or call 757-380-2627.

To stop receiving Yardlines, go to nns.huntingtoningalls.com/Yardlines to unsubscribe.

Look for more news at nns.huntingtoningalls.com.

Benefits & Wellness

Help is Just a Phone Call Away “My mom just doesn’t seem like herself anymore, I’m worried about leaving her home alone all day.”

“Every month it feels like there are more and more bills. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I feel like we never talk anymore.”

Every day, people deal with personal stress. Maybe it’s an aging parent, worries about money, or even changes in a relationship with a loved one. These personal matters are distracting and, when you don’t know how to handle them, they can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, for employees at Newport News Shipbuilding and their family members, there is a place to turn for help.

The Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, is available to employees and their eligible dependents as part of the benefits provided by Huntington Ingalls Industries. The EAP provides free and confidential solutions and referrals for everyday issues, as well as one-on-one support or counseling for personal matters. EAP counselors can quickly access helpful information about resources and community programs, and often turn what could be an overwhelming search into a brief and successful phone conversation.

Some cases may need more than a phone call. The EAP

NNS Safety Report

Year-to-Date Injuries

69

-44

“Many people struggle with an issue for years because they aren’t aware that help is available. Very often, it’s something that can be resolved with assistance through EAP,” said Ron Grett, a licensed, on-site EAP counselor for Newport News Shipbuilding.

The EAP provides specific information, referrals and assistance based on the caller’s needs at no cost, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling 1-855-400-9185. All information provided to the EAP, and any details about assistance received, is private. No information is shared without permission.

Face-to-face counseling is available by contacting Ron Grett at 757-251-3760.

People often turn to the EAP for help when dealing with: • • • • • • • •

Child care and elder care issues Depression and/or anxiety Legal concerns Relationship issues Work and career Drug and alcohol issues Stress from money matters Loss of a loved one

Year-to-Date Injuries with Lost Time

9%

27

*Compared to figures from January 2013

also provides free, confidential, personal counseling sessions with a licensed counselor. Employees and their family members can each receive up to eight free sessions per issue. Licensed counselors offer support for a variety of issues, such as the loss of a loved one, anxiety or depression.

%

-18

%

Year-to-Date Lost Work Days

302

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EAU CLAIRE WI PERMIT NO. 366

March 2014

Newport News Shipbuilding’s floating dry dock (FDD) rests in Dry Dock 12 as it is being overhauled. The FDD has been docked only twice since it was acquired in June 1987 to launch modular-built submarines. The FDD will be blasted and completely repainted. Work is scheduled to be completed by mid-April. Photo by Ricky Thompson