DON'T MISS: CURT HART WORKS TO DRIVE CHANGE AT NNSY
SERVICE TO THE FLEET Norfolk Naval Shipyard
We Are America's Shipyard
November 2019
A CAREER FOUNDED ON EXCELLENCE
Shop 57 Insulating Mechanic Aisha Clark earns 2019 Outstanding Apprentice Award
EMPLOYEES SELECTED IN THE NAVSEA NEXTGEN PROGRAM
Table of Contents
IN THIS ISSUE Features: 4 FROM THE BRIDGE: VADM THOMAS MOORE
5 FROM THE COMMANDER 7 ON THE COVER: A CAREER FOUNDED ON EXCELLENCE
10 EXOSKELETON DEMO 12 HART BREAKS INTO NEW POSITION TO DRIVE CHANGE
10
13 NEXTGEN RECEPIENTS 14 EDP GRADUATION 16 NATIONAL MILITARY YOUTH
12
OF THE YEAR
17 FORCE MULTIPLIERS: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
18
18 SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT: LEAH KAHN
20 OCTOBER BIG ROCKS 22 YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED! 24 STOP THE BLEED 26 CODE 500 2 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
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VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 11 SHIPYARD COMMANDER Capt. Kai Torkelson EXECUTIVE OFFICER Capt. Daniel Rossler
Service to the Fleet
The Hispanic ERG Celebrates its Heritage STORY BY HANNAH BONDOC • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTO BY DANNY DEANGELIS • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
COMMAND MASTER CHIEF CMDCM Gene Garland EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (CODE 1100) Jeff Cunningham PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Terri Davis SERVICE TO THE FLEET EDITOR Kristi Britt PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF Hannah Bondoc, Michael Brayshaw, Allison Conti, Jennie Cooper, Floyd Logan, Troy Miller, Jason Scarborough, Curtis Steward EMAIL THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE nfsh_nnsy_pao@navy.mil EMPLOYEE INFORMATION HOTLINE (757) 396-9551 FRAUD, WASTE & ABUSE HOTLINE (757) 396-7971 SHIPYARD RADIO ADVISORY 1630 AM SERVICE TO THE FLEET is a Department of Defense publication and is authorized for members of the DoD. Contents of Service to the Fleet are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the DoD, or Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Service to the Fleet is published monthly. Submissions are due on the 10th of each month. The public affairs staff reserves the right to edit submissions for content and brevity.
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Everyone knows what identity is, but what is yours founded in? That question was the topic at the Hispanic Employee Resource Group’s (HERG) Hispanic Heritage Month lunch and learn HERG put together. The speaker for this year was Production Facilities and Equipment’s (Code 900F) Al Cuellar. In 1971, Al Cuellar and his maternal family immigrated to the Bailey’s Crossroads area just outside of Washington, D.C. He grew up in a Catholic public school, and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He served 26 years in the United States Navy and retired in 2014. Upon retirement, he worked for Michelin North America Tires in manufacturing and production. He moved to Virginia Beach in 2018, and began working at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for Production Resources (Code 900) that July. “What’s in your family name?” Cuellar asked the audience. “What gives you your black hair or the genetic makeup that you share with 52 million other people in America? There’s about 300 million people in the whole of America, which means that Hispanics make up about 16% of that number—that’s 16 of every 100 who have a name that sounds like Gomez, Fernandez, Cuellar, or Rodriguez.” “It is that 52 million that shares the experience of being different. When someone sees me in office clothes in Virginia, people understand. If someone were to see me in California or Florida in
the same clothes, I would blend right in with the high density of Hispanics. When my daughter went to college in a town outside of Boston, not many people were a shade of color like ours. Because my wife is white, our daughter is a blend of our skin colors. Even though she is mixed, people look at her differently. People look at us differently.” His point was that alongside the modern political/social landscape, the struggles an individual carries with them becomes part of who they are. It is these struggles that people should be proud of as they take the opportunities that present themselves, such as the ones at the shipyard. Opportunities are not given, but earned. Someone saw what they were looking for in each individual at the shipyard. From their drive to their dedication, a person’s capabilities to take on any job is deeply rooted in their identity; Cuellar said that it is for this reason that one must lead by example and own their identity proudly so that others may follow suit. The first step to building trust is having a conversation about our different identities. Like in the scout metaphor that Cuellar used: “You sit around a campfire, you have your s’mores and you start talking and learning about each other.”
NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 3
VADM Thomas Moore: From the Bridge
Since becoming Commander, I have tried to share more information with our workforce – to highlight where Naval Sea Systems Command fits within the Department of the Navy; to outline our top priorities; and to reinforce how we are, day-in and day-out, the Force Behind the Fleet – the women and men who deliver warfighting capability to our Sailors. This forum is designed to communicate directly with you, our naval shipyards, the tradespeople who repair and modernize the Fleet. I want to share some insights from HQ and make sure you know just how important you are to the Navy. In DC, we use the term “Great Power Competition” to describe today’s military climate. Other countries, specifically China
4 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
and Russia, are growing their militaries to improve their political and economic standing in the world. Our Navy is the primary tool the United States has to maintain global order and stability. That’s because of what you do every day. You deliver the ships required to maintain that stability and respond to crises around the world. What you do for the Navy is recognized at the highest levels. From the Secretary of Navy to your local leadership, your contributions are celebrated and supported. Recognizing we needed more capacity to execute the work, we have grown the size of our shipyards. Between 2010 and 2018 we added more than 9,000 jobs across the four naval shipyards so we could better match our
workforce with the projected workload. We also invested heavily in improving our training program for our new employees – combining new technologies and hands-on training into the program. Now we are working to provide you with improved and modern facilities through the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). I’ll write more about this in the future, but SIOP is a 20-year, $21 billion program dedicated to completely refurbishing our shipyards by improving workflow, providing you with modern equipment, and completing needed repairs to our dry docks and facilities. Keep reading this column and the Service to the Fleet for more on SIOP and how it will improve our ability to support the fleet. I already have a number of topics I want to chat about during the coming months, with Great Power Competition and SIOP high among them, but I also want to hear from you. We have a dedicated e-mail account that anyone in NAVSEA can use to ask a question or send a comment. It’s NAVSEA_Feedback. fct@navy.mil or you can always send me a note directly at thomas.j.moore5@navy.mil. If there is something you want answered, send an e-mail, and we will get back to you. If you don’t have reliable access to a computer or email, you can use your smartphone to send a message to the NAVSEA Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/NAVSEA. Thank you for everything you do for our Sailors, our Navy, and the United States. R, Tom.
From the Commander, Capt. Kai O. Torkelson:
Our Behavior as America’s Shipyard Employees
Happy birthday to America’s Shipyard, 252 years old as of Nov. 1! We have had many noteworthy anniversaries this year, including the anniversaries of Dry Docks 2 and 4, and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, which Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) supported in all phases. As I discussed in the Bldg. 163 all-hands ceremony last month, as important as it is to reflect on our history, it is also highly significant to invest in our future. Over the last year and a half, it’s been exciting to see modernization in work processes, new facilities being constructed and dedicated, and improvements in our organizational culture as we use our C.O.R.E. Values to ensure highperforming teams are executing the mission across the shipyard of ensuring superior quality and reliable delivery. Every day we should be challenging ourselves by asking, “what am I doing today that’s different from yesterday, to make my shipyard and team better positioned for the future?” We all share a role in rebuilding America’s Shipyard for its next 250 years of service. The beginning of November will bring two critical key events supporting our Navy’s readiness. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the conversion of USS La Jolla (SSN 701), which was a long and challenging process, but also one important to our growth as an organization and vital to the development of our Navy Sailors. It’s truly a remarkable accomplishment to complete the conversion of a fast-attack submarine into a Moored Training Ship, the closest NNSY has come in more than 60 years in constructing an all-new vessel. Along with USS San Francisco (SSN 711), La Jolla will provide a
modern platform for enabling highly skilled and fully capable 21st century fleet operators. In our work partnering with Electric Boat on the conversion, we also helped build an environment promoting increased levels of innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the shipbuilding, maintenance and repair community, answering the challenge laid out by Vice Admiral Moore in the NAVSEA Campaign Plan. I’d like to also extend a thank you to everyone who has prepared USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) for undocking, moving the boat one step closer to completing its Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO) and providing superior warfighting capability back to the Fleet. This is a critical piece in the country’s nuclear deterrence strategy, as Wyoming and the other Ohio-class submarines make up one leg of the nuclear triad. As Vice Admiral Moore alludes to in his column: “In DC, we use the term “Great Power Competition” to describe today’s military climate. Other countries, specifically China and Russia, are growing their militaries to improve their political and economic standing in the world. Our Navy is the primary tool the United States has to maintain global order and stability. That’s because of what you do every day. You deliver the ships required to maintain that stability and respond to crises around the world. What you do for the Navy is recognized at the highest levels. From the Secretary of Navy to your local leadership, your contributions are celebrated and supported.” I would like to congratulate Al Q. Jones on his recent selection as NNSY’s new Lifting and Handling Director. Bringing more than 33 years of experience to the position, Al began his career at NNSY as an apprentice in 1986. To perform all our necessary work in a heavy industrial environment such as America’s Shipyard, it takes a high-performing Code 700 team to perform all lifting and handling duties safely, reliably and expeditiously. Judging by the outpouring of support and congratulations Al has received, Code 700 is in great hands and we look forward to you taking the Lifting and Handling Department to all new heights of providing superior service! On Nov. 12 at 6 p.m., we will
congratulate the next generation of shipyard leaders at our 2019 Apprentice Graduation and Awards Ceremony. This year’s graduating class includes Shop 57’s Aisha Clarke, who last month was named the Department of Labor’s Outstanding Apprentice for the Commonwealth of Virginia for 2019! Congratulations to Aisha on this significant achievement, and congratulations to the entire 2019 class for completing four challenging years of academics, trade theory and on-the-job training! What you have lived and learned these past several years, you will be able to apply throughout your careers as recognized professionals in ship maintenance and modernization. At NNSY within the past two months, we have had several concerning allegations in regards to sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by some of our employees. You also may have seen or heard about the Facebook sexual harassment post by a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard employee recently. Another employee posted a comment she was harassed by a TAD NNSY employee when she was an apprentice. We should all reflect on the importance of our behavior within the blue federal property lines of America’s Shipyard, as well as outside those lines when we represent the shipyard. Harassment, including sexual harassment, is an affront to America’s Shipyard’s most important asset— its people—and runs directly counter to the organizational C.O.R.E. values we support and practice. This type of behavior will not be tolerated and I will use every method possible to punish offenders. Our work is not only valuable, but vital, to our national defense. I mentioned earlier the “Great Power Competition,” which our shipyard must accept as reality and respond to with urgency. With the stakes being this high and our adversaries being this determined, we cannot risk weakening ourselves with improper behaviors hindering strong morale and effective teamwork. It takes a highperforming team of committed members who not only respect our responsibilities, but respect one another, and treat each other with Continued on Page 9 NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 5
A CAREER FOUNDED ON EXCELLENCE: AISHA CLARK WINS OUTSTANDING APPRENTICE AWARD STORY BY ALLISON CONTI • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER As Shop 57 Insulating Mechanic Aisha Clark walks through the industrial area of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), she's greeted by cheers of congratulations, fist bumps, and high fives from her coworkers. Clark, who recently graduated early from NNSY’s apprentice program, has just been awarded the Outstanding Apprentice Award for 2019 by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry. A local of Portsmouth, Clark has been at the shipyard for four years. She chose to come to the shipyard to provide a better life for herself and her 12-year-old daughter, Eniola. "She's my inspiration,” said Clark “I come to work with her in mind." But coming to work is never a challenge for Clark, who spoke with passion about her job, her supervisor, and her shipyard community. "I like mingling with people and working with my supervisors. I get to meet new people almost every day, depending on what task we have to do." Her supervisor, Shop 57 Nuclear Supervisor William James, describes Clark as "a go-getter, a hard worker, dedicated, reliable, and dependable. She's my lead mechanic. When my work leader isn't there, she steps in, and we don't have any issues or hiccups, and everything keeps going smoothly." James has tried to teach Clark everything he knows, and that training is already paying off. James said, "If I forget something because I'm running around, I have someone right behind me who can fill in the blanks." Clark hopes to become a supervisor at NNSY eventually. She said, "I do the best I can and keep up my qualifications and my responsibilities so that I can get to that step one day." As she reflects on her accomplishments and her time as an apprentice, Clark shares some advice for those entering the program. "Stay humble, stay true to yourself. Your character is most important, so never let anyone jeopardize it. Always ask for help if you don't understand. That's the only way you grow. If you want to move up, never be afraid to ask. I see a lot of people who are afraid to ask, and that hinders them. If you don't speak on it, you never know where you can go." Watching Clark interact with her colleagues on the waterfront; it is clear that she is well-liked, respected, and embodies NNSY’s C.O.R.E. values of care, ownership, respect, and excellence. Clark greets every person who passes by with a friendly smile and speaks with pride about her work. As a proud member of the NNSY team and the apprentice program, she is committed to the mission. When asked what she likes to do in her free-time, Clark said that she enjoys working out, cooking, going shopping, and relaxing with her daughter. Then she added, "I like working. Sometimes I prefer working because I like what I do." The Virginia Apprentice Council, in association with Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, honors outstanding apprentices who have completed their training program and are nominated by their sponsoring organizations. Clark will be honored by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry on November 15, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia. She is the second NNSY apprentice in two years to win the Outstanding Apprentice Award.
LEFT: Shop 57 Insulating Mechanic Aisha Clark stands in front of the USS La Jolla (SSN 701), which is finishing conversion to a Moored Training Ship (MTS) at NNSY.
VPP Managers Brian Olson and Douglas Vick share the new VPP banner as part of the Shooting for the Star campaign.
As you may be aware, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) is no longer a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Site. You may have noticed that signs of our VPP Star status have been removed and are no longer visible. In late 2018, NNSY voluntarily withdrew from VPP as a result of discussions with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). What you may not be aware of are the reasons behind this decision. NNSY is committed to a safe and healthy work environment. Our successes (recipient of the Ashore Safety Excellence Award by both the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of the Navy, and recognition of our positive trends in reducing injuries), were reduced by weaknesses identified in our safety and health program. These weaknesses involved poor risk communication of occupational health issues to our employees and late injury reporting to OSHA. The late reporting led to our temporary suspension by OSHA from the VPP. Although we have achieved success in our accomplishments and are actively addressing our safety and health issues, the concern of the lack of perceived excellence as an OSHA VPP Star Site was taken seriously by NNSY. Therefore, we submitted a letter to OSHA on 20 Dec 2018 to voluntarily withdraw from VPP. Being a VPP Star Site provides many benefits to the safety and health of our NNSY workforce. Involvement from everyone in their own safety through the VPP program has resulted in VPP Star Sites having greatly reduced accident rates. NNSY began pursuing VPP in 2004, and achieved VPP Star Site status in 2006. From 2004 to 2018 NNSY’s injury rate was reduced by 54 percent which puts us well below the injury rates for other general industry. VPP works because it is a cooperative relationship between union (employees), management and OSHA. Union involvement gives employees a voice in all things safety. This relationship provides employees a greater opportunity for employee-driven safety programs, including employee led safety committees. In VPP, the sky is the limit when it comes to employee involvement. With management support, employees can develop a safety culture that meets the needs of each code. OSHA evaluates VPP Star Sites every 3 to 5 years. This independent review includes employee interviews, which are used by OSHA to evaluate the organization’s safety culture. Since NNSY voluntarily withdrew from VPP, we are allowed to reapply after one year. It is in NNSY’s best interest to reapply as soon
SHOOTING FOR THE STAR -THE VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAM AT NNSY as possible in order to gain the benefits discussed above. Reapplying for VPP is no simple task. We need your support in order to make this happen. Our goal will be to reapply for OSHA VPP Star status in 2020 but again this will not happen without your support! Although NNSY withdrew from VPP, our safety and health management system is still intact and mirrors the VPP model. We may have lost focus last year but NNSY’s management and labor representatives have never lost their commitment to the safety and health of our employees. During the past year, we have worked on many of those fundamental areas and processes that provide a solid base for keeping people safe in their work, including improvements to several of our higher risk areas such as fall protection and fall hazard awareness, electrical safety, confined space and hazardous energy controls. We also continue to thoroughly investigate every injury and mishap to learn and make changes to prevent it from happening in the future. In addition, we know that our employees are committed to their own safety and the safety of their coworkers! The commitment from each forms the basis for a strong partnership in our safety. This continued commitment will also reestablish NNSY as an industry leader in safety and health! An important fact to remember: VPP is not for those who view safety as “additional work.” If we are to be successful with VPP, safety must become second nature to everyone throughout the organization. Every person must accept responsibility for his or her own personal safety and for those working nearby. VPP is about changing the way managers and employees view safety. Managers must be willing to devote time and resources, and employees must be willing to put safety first, both at work and at home. In the coming months, you will start to see and hear more information related to VPP and how it supports the shipyard achieving excellence in keeping people safe. Everyone has a part in making sure we are the best we can be when it comes to safety so please get involved with your own safety, and the safety of those who work with us, in achieving the important mission of NNSY. Nobody Gets Hurt Today! For questions about this announcement, contact NNSY VPP Managers Douglas Vick at douglas.vick@navy.mil or Brian Olson at brian.s.olson@navy.mil
NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 7
Shipyard Insider: BUZZ & BYTES
CODE 2340 VOLUNTEERS AT THE FOODBANK OF SOUTHEASTERN HAMPTON ROADS Several employees from NNSY’s Nuclear Engineering Test Division (Code 2340) spent several hours on Saturday, Oct. 19 volunteering at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore’s Norfolk location. These volunteers packed 830 backpacks of nutritious food as part of the Foodbank’s BackPack Program, a nationally recognized effort distributing non-perishable, easily consumable food for schoolchildren in need to eat after school or during the weekends. The Foodbank has been supporting the BackPack Program since 2008 and currently serves 53 elementary schools throughout the region. “Everyone who volunteered all thought it was a great success; it was an awesome opportunity to give back to our Hampton Roads community and exemplify our NNSY C.O.R.E values,” said Code 2340’s Morgan Cunningham.
» GOOD-TO-KNOW Open Season The Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Nov. 11 through Dec. 9, 2019. Open Season is the time for you to think about your health, dental, vision, and tax-savings needs. During Open Season you can make elections that you usually cannot make at any other time of the year. You can enroll or make changes to your Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) enrollment. Contact the Benefits Line at 888-320-2917. Shipyard Curtailment 2019 NNSY will curtail all but essential operations on Dec. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31, 2018 and Jan. 1, 2020. Official government holidays are Dec. 25, 2019 and Jan. 1, 8 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
2020. Curtailing all but essential operations during this time will achieve maximum economy for a holiday period when significant numbers of employees are absent from work, thus reducing the normal productive effort. All three shifts will work on Dec. 23, 2019, ending with the third shift at 7:40 a.m. Dec. 24, 2019. Employees will return to work Jan. 2, 2020, starting with the first (or day) shift. This year, 40 hours of annual leave will be needed. Employees with sufficient annual leave will take leave during the curtailment period. New employees starting work after June 1, 2019 will take Leave Without Pay (LWOP) as an employment condition if they do not have sufficient leave to cover the curtailment period; or they may be furloughed (FWOP) per applicable negotiated agreements or other regulations.
Service Only Weekends In accordance with the NNSY Overtime Management Policy, several weekends in FY-20 will be designated as services only weekends in order to give our combined workforce (including our Ship's Force teammates) a chance to rest and revitalize. Upcoming services only weekends: 2019 • Nov. 9-11, Nov. 28Dec. 1, Dec. 24-Jan. 1 Drug-Free Workplace Program The DFWP is a drug-testing program balanced between assisting employees who are using drugs illegally while making it clear that illegal drug use will not be tolerated. Executive Order 12564 established the goal of achieving a Drug-Free Federal Workplace and made it a condition of employment for all federal
employees to refrain from using illegal drugs on or off duty. All federal employees are subject to drug testing in instances below: accident or unsafe practice testing: authorized test of any employee involved in an on-the-job accident, or who engages in unsafe, on duty, jobrelated activity. For example, an accident that results in death or personal injury and/or damage to government or private property estimated in excess of $10,000. Before a test is conducted based on an accident or unsafe practice, at least a second level supervisor must approve the request. Reasonable Suspicion Testing: Testing conducted when management has reason to believe that an employee may be using illegal drugs. The suspicion must be based on specific objective facts and reasonable inferences drawn from these
DISCIPLINE CORNER Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Quarterly Discipline Cases: 157
Quarterly Discipline Cases: 169
The types of disciplinary cases are: -47 attendance cases -46 conduct cases -1 safety case -25 security cases -48 other cases
The types of disciplinary cases are: -51 attendance cases -50 conduct cases -1 safety case -26 security cases -41 other cases
Of the 157 cases, 98 have received formal discipline: -29 have lost employment -38 were suspended (5 indefinitely) -21 got letters of reprimand
Of the 169 cases, 104 have received formal discipline: -30 have lost employment -52 were suspended (5 indefinitely) -22 got letters of reprimand
ERG MEMBER OF THE MONTH: CAMILLE BROWNELL-SORENSON BY TROY MILLER • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST Business Operation Division’s (Code 1223) Management Analyst Camille Brownell-Sorenson leapt at the opportunity of heading Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Native American Employee Resource Group (ERG) three-and-a-half years ago. She originally hails from Waverly, La., which has a population of approximately 50 people. Although she’s been at the shipyard for five years, she has accumulated a total of 30 years of government service to a variety of federal agencies. She served eight years as a radio operator in the U.S. Air Force. Brownell-Sorenson’s grandmother was a member of the Choctaw tribe, originating in Mississippi. She’s been married for 38 years to Randolph Sorenson. Together they have one daughter and one son, and three grandchildren. She enjoys being the chairperson of the Native American ERG because it gives her a chance to help others and make the workplace a better place. facts, and be documented. Approval for such testing must be received from a higher-level supervisor. Reasonable suspicion testing could be based on such factors as observed drug use or possession, physical evidence of an employee being under the influence of drugs, or evidence of tampering with a drug test urine sample. For quesetions, contact DFWP Coordinator Jason Hara at 396-9023.
From the Commander, Continued from Page 5
are safe to speak up. If you are a supervisor and receive a report of sexual harassment, call the office courtesy and consideration of General Counsel at 396-8625. in every aspect of our duties. In recent weeks, the Harassing and offensive Shipyard Leadership Team behavior erodes an individual’s (SLT) has identified workforce morale and well-being, shakes questions and concerns about a the very foundation of our number of topics—these range high-performing teams, and from work to restore the Borum undermines our ability to Overpass to two lanes to why we provide superior quality and now have to scan out to exit the reliable delivery back to the Fleet. industrial area. I want to start a When one of us is hurt in such new feedback forum to address a manner, it ultimately hurts us these types of questions and all. If you are subjected to any concerns. We are working to set harassment, report it. Go to up a functional NNSY feedback a supervisor or call the NNSY account where you will be able to Hotline at (757) 396-7888. You send questions in the future. If
you have questions now, or even after the account is set up, don’t hesitate in sending your question directly to me at kai.torkelson@ navy.mil. I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones and friends! Norfolk Naval Shipyard, committed to our C.O.R.E.!
Capt. Kai Torkelson Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s 108th Commander NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 9
EYE ON INNOVATION
EXOSKELETON TECHNOLOGY FITS NNSY WITH SUITS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE AVENGERS STORY BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
10 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
Have you ever imagined yourself as the titular character Iron Man - having a metal suit to aid you in saving the world? Well, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) has become a champion in utilizing innovative exoskeleton suit technology. Similar to Iron Man, employees are able to use these flexible pieces of equipment to perform better at their jobs ergonomically. The Robotics Subcommittee (RSC), a section of the NNSY Technology and Innovation Community of Practice (T&I COP), has been researching this new innovative technology for years, determining what would best be able to improve the health, safety, and efficiency of the shipyard worker. Together with safety representatives, the team has purchased and introduced the shipyard to the Levitate Airframe exoskeleton suit. This flexible power suit or limb accessory technology is able to reduce force on important joints in the body and make it easier for the user to be versatile and safe while lifting, lowering, or performing extensive labor. It’s lightweight and once an employee is trained to utilize the suit, they can fit themselves and get to work in less than a minute. “Our team with the RSC is determined to find the most promising technology that could make a huge impact on our workers who put in the time and energy on a daily basis,” said RSC Lead Edwin Guerra. “Our main focus in the T&I COP is to improve the health and safety of our waterfront workers
Robotics Subcommittee Lead Edwin Guerra and Ergonomics Program Manager James Musgrove lead the demonstration of the Levitate Airframe exoskeleton suit during the Temporary Facilities and Tool Control (Code 900F) Safety Committee meeting.
LEFT: Ergonomics Program Manager James Musgrove fits a Code 900F employee with the Levitate Airframe exoskeleton suit. RIGHT: Code 900F.12 Safety Repair Work Leader Daniel Freeney Sr. and his team test the weight and design of the Levitate Airframe exoskeleton suit.
and increase their quality of life. They are doing the day-to-day operations and straining their bodies to get the job done. But with technologies like the exoskeleton suit, we are able to certify and fit our workforce with something that can reduce the risk of injury and also be comfortable to use.” During a recent Temporary Facilities and Tool Control (Code 900F) Safety Committee meeting, Guerra and Ergonomics Program Manager James Musgrove provided a demonstration on the ease of use of the exoskeleton and provided examples of how the suits could be used in daily operations. “Our team has put in the legwork to test out these suits and get them certified for shipyard use,” said Musgrove. “We do these demonstrations and briefs to bring it directly to the codes and shops who we think would best benefit from them. Each interested user would need to be briefed and complete the training provided by the Production Training Division (Code 900T). We work with them to know how to put on the suit, how it works, and in time we want these suits to be used widespread across the waterfront. It’s a tool that we want to ensure everyone knows is out there and available to them.” “We also listen to the feedback from the workforce who tests the suits during these demonstrations,” said Guerra. “Are there versions that are non-conductive for electricians to use? Are they
flame resistant for welders? We take the feedback given and we look towards what options we have with the technology so we can get them into their hands to see if it works for them. We want to do everything with the worker in mind.” Code 900F Tool Control Manager James Panikowsky said, “Right now we only have four suits and we’re going to be checking them out for a 30-day period. We want our people to get briefed and trained to use this technology. It’s a tool that could truly make the difference in their day-to-day operations.” Guerra added, “It comes down to participation in utilizing what technologies we have available. We are leading the charge at NNSY in exoskeleton suit technology for the command and being able to show Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) that this technology is able to improve our shipyard as a whole and the demand is there, we can see more and more technologies similar to it coming through the gates for us to utilize. This is a huge win for the shipyard and we want to keep that momentum going. We saw a need to help our workers on the job and we were able to take the steps to make changes happen. That’s what innovation is all about: bringing change for the better.” For more information about the exoskeleton suit and to express interest in certification, contact the NNSY T&I Lab at 396-7180 or email the REAL Ideas program at NNSY_REALIdeas@navy.mil.
NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 11
Hart Breaks Into New Position to Drive Change STORY BY TROY MILLER • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTO BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER June 28, 1982, a group of young college graduates became a part of Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) team. One of them came from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. starting as a GS-5. Born in Manhattan and raised in White Plains, New York, NNSY’s Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department Manager (Code 2300) Curtis Hart started his 37-year journey that would eventually take him to the office of the most senior civilian position in America’s shipyard. “I started my shipyard career in the Nuclear Test Engineering Division,” said Hart. “I spent 17 years there before heading to the Operations Department.” Making the move to the Operations Department was something that Hart didn’t foresee. He was content working in the Test Engineering Division until the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department Manager at the time gave him a nudge. “Bill Harman encouraged me to go outside my comfort zone. Once I got there, I enjoyed my job and the people I worked with.” Hart spent 14 years in operations until in 2013 when
"It's about making a difference. What we do matters." he made the move back to the Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department as the Assistant Nuclear and Planning Manager. A year later he became the director of radiological controls. When James Kenney, the nuclear engineering and planning department manager at the time, left NNSY in 2018, Hart took on the position as a temporary assignment. A year later the job became permanent. “One of the first things I did after taking on this position was sitting down with the then shipyard commander Capt. [Scott] Brown to discuss what changes were needed,” said Hart. Selection panels for promotions became one of their first targeted areas for change. “The shipyard is a very diverse environment,” said Hart. “However, management level is not. One of the potential reasons is that the selection panels were not diverse. Because of this, people were not applying for positions, thinking they had no chance since they didn’t fit the mold of the selection panel. When the panel became more diverse, so did the applications.” To assist with making changes, Hart help chartered the cultural team, a group made of deckplate workers. “The cultural team members are the ones who came up with the Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence (C.O.R.E.) concept,” said Hart. “Since the introduction of C.O.R.E. we have seen changes in behavior, especially in the trust arena. We noticed there was shift from anonymous hot line calls to interaction with senior managers. We feel this is because people are starting to trust their supervisors more to
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ABOVE: NNSY’s Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department Manager (Code 2300) Curtis Hart was recognized for becoming a member of the Department of the Navy Senior Executive Service.
address their concerns.” Hart is a firm believer in leading by example and that C.O.R.E. is a great tool to use to enhance one’s behavior. “We are holding people accountable for their actions regardless if they are a WG-1 or a GS-15. This hasn’t always been the case,” said Hart. One of the biggest changes on Hart’s list is to get back to the standard of delivering ships on time like the shipyard did when he first joined the workforce in 1982. “Due to the age of the fleet, the increase of work, and other factors, getting the carriers and submarines out on time isn’t easily done. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done,” said Hart. “I had the opportunity to see the carriers in action firsthand. When you see those Sailors working around the clock and performing flight operations both day and night, it is a hardened reminder that NNSY’s mission is essential to our nation.” Hart stated that in the beginning of his career, it was all about earning the dollar. 37 years later, his attitude changed. “It’s about making a difference. What we do matters,” he said. With the support of his wife of 32 years, Donna, his two daughters, Jessica and Taylor, and the support of those he works with, he will continue to make changes to better America’s Shipyard and its people.
NAVSEA WELCOMES THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS STORY BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
Two developing leaders from Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center (NFPC) were honored with their selection into the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Next Generation (NextGen) Leadership Program. "The NextGen Program is the first of three leadership programs in our corporation which allow people to continue to grow professionally," said Nuclear Engineering and Planning Manager Curt Hart. "Participants get to experience leadership concepts through reading, exercises, mentoring, and shadowing leaders at their activity. In addition, they also get to participate in activities that spur innovation across NAVSEA." Among those selected for Cadre III were NNSY Waterfront Engineer Jake McGeehan and NFPC Administrative Assistant Shelia Stokes, each bringing their own wealth of experience to the command as well as their own goals for the future. "I have 20 years of experience in project management, training and development, and accounting," said Stokes. "I've had such a positive experience at NFPC and would love to continue to provide the same experience to others as a leader. I see so much potential and growth within my department. What better way to serve the department and the command than to start from the bottom, learn the ins-and-outs of every area, and grow within so that I can continue to do what I love, which is leading, mentoring, training, and development. This program will give me the tools and a pathway to grow over time and become a good leader for the organization." Stokes continued, "This leadership program will help me learn more about others and myself. We are all leaders in some shape or form and this program will allow me to determine better ways and ideas of
becoming a more effective leader. I will also have the opportunity to learn more about other styles of management and the areas NAVSEA supports. I recently finished Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training and intend to incorporate that with the training I receive from the NextGen Program to develop my coaching skills, project management skills, and streamline processes for more efficient production practices within NAVSEA." McGeehan graduated in May 2018 from Penn State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, before moving to Norfolk to begin his career at NNSY. "When I became part of Code 267, I was immediately taken in by many code members to be mentored and trained on the many ship systems we were responsible for," he said. "When I first heard about this program, I was curious to find out more. I spoke with a former code member who had participated in the Journey Level Leadership Program (the program a step above the NextGen Program) and he shared how great his experience had been in the program and highly recommended it. I knew that this program would give me a different opportunity to see how we as a shipyard operate and better my understanding of why we do what we do everyday." McGeehan continued, "What I am looking forward to the most with the NextGen Program is the opportunity to connect and network with NAVSEA employees from different locations and jobs around the country and gain insights from their different perspectives. This program will allow me to expand my knowledge of why we do what we do here at NNSY, but I am also looking forward to learning about all the different things NAVSEA does to support the Navy's mission."
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Norfolk Naval Shipyard Graduates Executive Development Program Participants of 2019 STORY BY HANNAH BONDOC • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST | PHOTOS BY DANNY DEANGELIS • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) gained new leaders recently when three employees graduated from the Executive Development Program (EDP) on Sept. 20. The graduates included Martrail Parker from Process Improvement Department (Code 900P), Jason Rossman from Project Management (Code 244A), and Michael Williams from Radiological Control Technician Qualification School (Code 105.7). After 68 days away from home within the last six months, each provided one last speech: “I’ve learned that it’s important as leaders to lean on one another because no one has all the answers,” said Parker. “I’ve also learned that we have to develop everyone because the people we influence could become leaders for NNSY.” He explained that when he makes a decision, he now understands that he not only has to think about who it will affect individually, but also how it will affect the corporation. “Lastly,” he added, “the EDP was a great experience that I was able to share with my newfound brothers from Cadre #8. I will continue to lean on them when needed and I hope they will do the same.” “For me, the EDP is the ultimate culmination of workforce development, high velocity learning, and the culture of affordability,” said Rossman. “Not only did we tour around and picked up a ton of leadership insight, but we also learned a lot about the ins-and-outs of NAVSEA. I believe that it is those three aspects that make up the foundations of strategic framework. “The perspective we gained in all the places we visited has truly been a valuable experience, and one I’ll never forget. We built a lot of great relationships during our travels, such as the ones we built with our cadres at Pearl Harbor, and I appreciate that.” “The EDP taught me that sometimes it is just about being in the room,” Williams added. “When I sat down with these senior managers and they wanted to hear what I had to say, it blew my mind. Going to 14 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
the waterfront with Shipyard Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson and seeing how he knew the mechanics by name really empowered me with the desire to come to work, and do my best every single day. I think more people need to know that the senior managers care in the way that they do. “This is not just a job, but a mission. Our mission is to deliver ships back to the fleet early, if not just on time. We work in order to provide global security because our enemies never take a day off. We have to do all that we can individually so that our brothers and sisters can go all the way with us with excellence.” Each year, participants are given free reign over a final class project they have to develop that will help the shipyard. This year’s class took a push towards the future and created a Sharepoint drive that makes information about leadership development opportunities accessible to the workforce. Employees can access this drive at https://webcentral. nnsy.navy.mil/departments/c900/C900CU/default.aspx. Following graduation, Parker will be taking over the New Employee Orientation Program with Alise Skinner and the Code 1102 Awards Division. Rossman will be transferring from Project Support (Code 530) to the Deputy for Job Readiness Cells, and Williams will be transferring to Nuclear Operations (Code 300N) as Zone Manager.
TOP OF PAGE (LEFT TO RIGHT): Code 244A Jason Rossman speaks on his time in the Executive Development Program; Shipyard Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson places Code 900P Martrail Parker's hardhat upon him in honor of his completion of the Executive Development Program; Code 105.7 Michael Williams and family celebrate his completion of the Executive Development Program.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND -
FRED SALANITRO
The Executive Development Program (EDP) has been pushing employees to be better every year, but it would not have been possible without Fred Salanitro, the man who started the EDP at NNSY. In honor of his retirement, the EDP presented him with a framed group picture of the members that they all signed. “We really wanted to thank Fred,” his successor Danielle Larrew said, “for all his vision, guidance, persistence, and not taking no for an answer at any time during the program. We have had great growth in the program and it is because of him.” Salanitro spoke about how excited he was for his successor. “I wanted to make sure that the person who would follow me would take hold of this program and improve it. I talked to Danielle about five years ago about taking over the program when I first said I was going to retire. She was all for it then and she is even more ready now. I am proud of her.” Now, Larrew is raring to go for her new position. “There are two parts to why I wanted to be the program manager for the EDP: the first is that what I got out of the program when I went in was great. The second, is that I want to serve. This is my way of giving back to the shipyard for what they gave me.”
ABOVE: Capt. Torkelson, Danielle Larrew (Code 902.2), and Michael Zydron (Code 200) congratulate newly retired EDP Manager Fred Salanitro; BOTTOM LEFT: Newly retired EDP Manager Fred Salanitro hands off the torch to Code 902.2 Danielle Larrew; BOTTOM RIGHT: Fred Salanitro says farewell to the EDP Program and NNSY.
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DASIA BANDY NATIONAL MILITARY YOUTH OF THE YEAR
STORY BY TROY MILLER • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
Champion. Courageous. Passionate. These are just a few words people use to describe Dasia Bandy, the 2019 National Military Youth of the Year winner, a first for Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). “When the Boys and Girls Clubs of America announced Dasia’s name as National Military Youth of the Year, I was amazed. Not surprised, but amazed,” said NNSY’s Child and Youth Program Assistant Dyra Babine. Bandy, a senior at Grassfield High School, in Chesapeake, Va., won the Virginia Military Youth of the Year award this past spring. This gave her the opportunity to compete against the other state winners from the Southeast Region. NNSY’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Director Chad Rickner said Bandy followed Janasia Underwood, a 2018 participant NNSY’s youth programs, by winning the Southeast Region Military Youth of the Year competition. This win advanced her to nationals to compete against other regional winners. “Going to nationals gave her a chance to use her voice and give her message to people from around the world,” said Joshua Kester, NNSY’s Team Coordinator of the Youth Center. “This is what I’m supposed to be doing,” said Bandy. “I am supposed to be speaking on behalf of others, being the amplifier for those that can’t say it loud enough and for those who are scared to say it at all.” The National Military Youth of the Year competition took place in Washington D.C. Bandy competed for the title against the winners of the other five regions. Through stiff competition, Bandy earned the title of National Military Youth of the Year. “Not only did she represent Norfolk Naval Shipyard and its youth, but she represented the U.S. Navy and its youth as well, being the only finalist from a naval institution,” said Deputy Shipyard Commander Capt. Dan Rossler. “We are proud of her and she will go a long ways serving her community and her country.” The National Youth of the Year of Boys and Girls Clubs of America began in 1947, but it wasn’t until 2013 when the National Military Youth of the Year competed in the program as its own separate region. Although Bandy did not win the National Youth of the Year, she still plays an important role not only for her peers but all those around her. “The best way to lead and teach people is to live, lead, and love by example,” said Bandy. “My youth center has taught me to be a leader that loves beyond gender, ethnicity, and demographics to bring out the best in every person I connect with.” Dasia aspires to create a conference centered around self-love. Upon high school graduation in 2020, she plans to attend at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and to become an orthopedic surgeon.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE MISSION: FORCE MULTIPLIER EVENT
"WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO" STORY BY HANNAH BONDOC • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY TONY ANDERSON • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER
Firefighters put out fires to save people from injury. Doctors cure patients of illnesses so they can live healthy lives. Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) fixes ships, but the answer to why was broken down and discussed at the Force Multiplier event “Why We Do What We Do.” The presentation was developed by Engineering and Planning Department (Code 200) Branch Head Melinda Matthews and was based on information from a shipyardwide Force Multiplier training last May. Department Head Mike Zydron (Code 200), Chief Engineer Mark Everett from the Chief Engineer Division (Code 240), and Division Head Steve Gogniat from Mechanical Engineering Division (Code 260) led the presentation. According to the presenters, the shipyard mission is more than just a job, it is a service of protecting the United States as rising political tensions cast a global shadow over the nation’s security. As underlined in the presentation, “our ships need to be ready on day one.” The only way to accomplish this is with a strong team. To create a strong team, one must develop the workforce with team-centered values. As Matthews shared from the NNSY Command Philosophy, “We develop individuals and teams of increasing competence and character to uphold high levels of trust and confidence, and to treat one another exceptionally well.” The Force Multiplier recipe for developing the workforce is 70 percent experience, 20 percent exposure, and 10 present education. Experience entails of assignments that push employees to work with a team and stretch their capabilities. Exposure consists of learning through others. Last but not least, NNSY offers formalized training with teachers in classroom settings, and the choice to learn on one’s own. By grooming NNSY employees, the Force Multipliers hope to instill the workforce with more than just a positive attitude, but with the capability for emotional intelligence. They define this trait as, “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” Through developing emotional intelligence, they also seek to help the workforce embrace its diversity in background and personality that enables it to live up to the expectations of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Teaching the workforce these skills will support employees to “faithfully discharge the duties of the office,” as Shipyard Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson told attendees.
TOP TO BOTTOM: Attendees from different codes listen to the presentation. Mike Zydron (Code 200) talks to the attendees about the value of the work they do at NNSY. A picture of security liabilities are featured in the slideshow. NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 17
SHIPYARD SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT: LEAH KAHN STORY BY MICHAEL BRAYSHAW • LEAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHERS
You might say Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Emergency Management Specialist Leah Kahn has always been prepared for a crisis. A self-professed “very cautious person,” her first brush with crisis management came at six years old seeing heavy smoke billowing from a neighbor’s garage that had caught fire. Scampering out of the swimming pool, she quickly arranged for evacuation loading up the family car with her menagerie of stuffed animals. The elementary school girl who decorated her binders with photos of Sept. 11 first responders cemented her appreciation for emergency management at 16 years old taking a school trip to assist in New Orleans after it had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. “I like helping people, so why not?” Kahn recalled reasoning. “It changed my whole life.” After gutting a flooded house to the studs to be bleached and rebuilt, Kahn also spent the week in a distribution center providing water, food, diapers and hand sanitizer to city residents. “This was in the United States, months after the storm hit, and people were still reliant on these services. It really opened my eyes to the level of need that could happen following these events,” 18 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
she said. “I never felt so tired, or felt that my time was so valuable, being able to help people during the most desperate time in their lives.” This California native earned her bachelor’s degree at Santa Barbara’s Westmont College before working there two years as a Risk Management Coordinator. Years after having seen Katrina’s impact, Kahn learned about the response attending New Orleans’ Tulane University for a master’s degree in Disaster Resilience Leadership. Before joining NNSY’s emergency planning team, Kahn worked from home for a Chicagobased consulting firm focused on emergency management for local, county, state, tribal, and federal government organizations, including coordinating federal deployments for Hurricane Harvey and other largescale disasters. “It was great experience,” said Kahn. “I was working with clients literally from coast to coast, San Diego to Miami, focused on all hazards. From hazard mitigation to continuity of operations plans, it spanned the gamut for whatever clients needed.” In coordinating employment through the military spouse preference program last year, Kahn had little idea where she might work, until she received a notice last summer.
“I got an e-mail that there was an opening here and I had 48 hours to say yes or no,” Kahn recalled. NNSY’s Emergency Planning Director subsequently talked to Kahn about working in a high-stress environment and assisting in writing drill packages longer than an average novel. Undaunted, Kahn accepted the challenge. “I was really happy to find a community,” she said. She now serves as the Outreach Subject Matter Expert (SME) and coordinates with state and local agencies on NNSY emergency planning and response actions. This past September, NNSY held a daylong workshop with its civil authority partners, featuring a waterfront tour. “It went really well, I think our guests learned a lot,” reflected Kahn. “We were able to smooth out some questions, nail down some processes, and as any good discussion does, it provided us further questions to follow up on.” Reflecting on the importance of strong partnerships with civil authorities, Kahn said, “Being an emergency manager is all about facilitating relationships, and having people trust you. During an emergency, people look to you as a leader, and they’re going to react based on how you react.” Quick to laugh but even faster to smile, Kahn radiates a sunny spirit of kindness and courtesy in all her interactions. At the same time, she demonstrates an unyielding attention to detail and perseverance in her job. While her co-workers good-naturedly rib her for being a proud member of the Hogwarts Hufflepuff House, Kahn embodies
NNSY Emergency Management Specialist Leah Kahn visits the Great Smoky Mountains for a halfmarathon.
the house’s characteristic qualities of kindness, loyalty, and being hardworking. “Leah is an amazing employee and person,” said NNSY Emergency Planning Director Alexis Miller. “She has this incredible work ethic that is truly unrivaled. As we prepared for a major event including over 100 people from the shipyard, SUBLANT, the States of Virginia and North Carolina, and our local civil authorities, she did whatever it took to get the job done, and she made it look easy. She manages to find the positive in even the most challenging of situations and as a result everyone enjoys working with her. Her attention to detail and eye for making our events both enjoyable and productive has already resulted in stronger relationships with our state and local partners.” NNSY Radiological Controls Director Gary Sauers said, “I have been amazed at how quickly Leah has been able to operate totally independently while achieving outstanding results. Last time I sat down with her to sample her thinking and staff work for a project, I could not find anything she had not already thought through and anticipated. She exemplifies every aspect of the behavior and dedication we want in our people and NNSY family members.” Bolstering her credentials, Kahn was recently honored as a Certified Emergency Manager from the International Association of Emergency Managers, culminating five years of self-study, drill participation, training facilitation, and other professional contributions. Fewer than 2,000 emergency management professionals worldwide have attained this certification. With her husband being active duty Navy, Kahn knows her time at NNSY is limited, so she works with urgency in making every day constructive and ensuring every working relationship is strong, both inside and outside America’s Shipyard. “I love who I work with!” she said. “I’m in this field because I love helping, but I love working at the shipyard because of the people I get to work with!”
TOP RIGHT (TOP TO BOTTOM): Kahn speaks with Code 105.6 Support Branch Head Carlynn Lucas; Kahn with her husband Stephen and Corgi Carlton; Kahn participates in a Federal Women’s Program speed mentoring event; participants in the NNSY outreach workshop held in Sept. 2019; Kahn and the NNSY Emergency Planning team.
13 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT Leah Kahn 1. She LOVES Christmas . . . a lot! 2. She's a Hufflepuff. 3. Her favorite color is green. 4. She’ll run her 10th half marathon this month. 5. She's shaken Arnold Schwarzenegger’s hand. 6. She's kissed the Blarney Stone twice. 7. She picks up trash whenever she can. 8. She can count to 100 in Japanese. 9. She's traveled to five continents – just missing Asia and Antarctica! 10. She can’t stand the sound of chewing. 11. She really enjoys yoga. 12. She doesn’t like blueberries or cherries. 13. She is very proud to be a military spouse.
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NNSY BIG ROCKS
ABOVE: Shop 56 Production Supervisor Littleton Hurst III shared his viewpoin Ceremony; TOP RIGHT: Matthew Diggs and Wayne Keith broke the rock for fa Gennaro and Tommy Avants broke the rock for cybersecurity; BOTTOM RIGH
STORY BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST | PHOTOS BY DANNY DEANGELIS • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) smashed the fourth quarter Big Rocks goals for the year, the workforce coming together to celebrate during a ceremony Oct. 15. “Our workforce went above and beyond the call of duty, achieving and exceeding the goals for this quarter,” said Code 300 Operations Officer Capt. James “Jip” Mosman. “From facilities, to cybersecurity, to C.O.R.E. – you all rose to the challenge and smashed through the rocks. Amazing job for NNSY!” Shop 56 Production Supervisor Littleton Hurst III was the guest speaker for the ceremony and shared his viewpoints on C.O.R.E. at America’s Shipyard. “Big Rocks are a shipyard-created platform where we can gauge our performance and give thanks for our accomplishments and milestones for the year,” said Hurst. “The Earth’s big rocks are created from high temperatures and high pressures – and so are ours at NNSY. It takes passion for our industry and expectations, and I thank everyone who celebrates their own big rocks in their own respective areas – 20 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • NOVEMBER 2019
as well as the shipyard as a whole.” Hurst continued to share about his time in High Velocity Learning as a first level supervisor and his expectations upon completion. “We should all agree to start shipbuilding at NNSY – yes, shipbuilding. We may no longer build warships here at NNSY; however, we build ships through synergy and growth,” he said. “Let’s truly commit to our C.O.R.E. and build scholarships, friendships, mentorships, leaderships, apprenticeships, craftsmanships, masterships, ownerships. Building these ships directly influences our service to our warships. It shows Care, Ownership, Respect, and Excellence. NNSY should be the flagship for real C.O.R.E. values. I ask that you all leave here today building ships, inspiring to inspire, and continue to exemplify C.O.R.E.” The three Big Rocks that were broken were facilities maintenance, cybersecurity, and C.O.R.E. For facilities maintenance, the shipyard revamped and implemented a new building monitor program. The cybersecurity
rock was in honor of more than 80 percent of the workforce completing information assurance training. The C.O.R.E. rock was in dedication to the rollout of the program, including force multiplier training, communication plan, the Team of Winners 2 training video (with Team of Winners 3 currently in the works), and the Force Multiplier Quarterly Awards. “It was 244 years ago that our Navy was founded and building blocks were in place for our nation to be born anew. Our founders were not satisfied with where they were and wanted to start something new. Our nation was born and earned its independence because our founders worked to make it happen,” said Shipyard Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson. “Just as our founding fathers had done in the past, we also need to be looking forward and take the steps to make change for America’s Shipyard. It’s our responsibility to take action if we’re not satisfied with the outcomes.” He continued, “A team was assembled last year to build this initiative called
nts on C.O.R.E. at America's Shipyard during the Oct. Big Rocks acilities maintenance; MIDDLE RIGHT: Code 109's Alexis Di HT: Adam Fahy and David Warren broke the rock for C.O.R.E.
C.O.R.E. – an initiative that could be shared across the workforce. We have many who have taken their first steps into exemplifying C.O.R.E. – including 15 members of our workforce who were awarded as Force Multipliers of the Quarter. They represent Care, Ownership, Respect, and Excellence in what they do here and are sharing the message with others. Just as Mr. Hurst had shared, it is a daily stress impression to build and create rocks. Together, we can build leaderships, mentorships, ownerships, and more. Together we are building our C.O.R.E. ship. Each day, we should take a look at ourselves and ask what we are doing to do today to make our shipyard – America’s Shipyard – better than it was the day before. We are setting the stones for our successors just as our founding fathers had done for us. Our shipyard is too precious not not have the urgency to make each day better than the last.”
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WE ANSWERED!
YOU ASKED,
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NNSY’s Shipyard Leadership Team (SLT) has identified several topics where the workforce has questions and concerns. This new “You Asked, We Answered” feature will address those on a recurring basis. If you have any questions you would like to have answered in this forum, please e-mail NFSH_NNSY_PAO@navy.mil.
Q: A:
Why doesn’t NNSY have a parking garage?
We are aware a shipyard parking garage is frequently asked about, but the issue of funding continues to be a challenge. If the money were ever approved for a garage, construction would take years, and hundreds of spaces would be forfeited during that time. Although not as convenient, there is parking routinely available in many areas of the shipyard and its annexes. These include Lot 1 on the north side of Bldg. 51; Lot 3 on the south side of Bldg. 74; and off-yard, Lot 43 on Burton Point Road. Personnel utilizing Lot 43 can use the walkover bridge on Burton Point Road to cross the train tracks and enter the shipyard using the turnstile behind Bldg. 369. Personnel should also know commuting options include the Navy’s Transportation Incentive Program (TIP). The Department of Defense will pay employees a monthly stipend if they use public transportation to and from work, or if they participate in a vanpool. There is also the option of participating in Hampton Roads Transit (HRT). Personnel interested in participating in TIP or HRT should contact Code 800’s Regina Hall at 967-4269 or regina.hall@navy.mil. Remember, NNSY offers a shuttle service to take employees from building to building. The buses run between stops throughout the shipyard from 5 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shuttle eliminates long walks and ensures employees can transit across the yard more quickly and easily.
Q: A: Q: A:
Why is NNSY’s Borum Overpass only one lane and when will it be fixed?
Traffic patterns on the Borum Overpass (located on NNSY’s south side, leading to and from Gate 36) were modified several years ago in response to an inspection. To ensure established weight restriction for the overpass is not exceeded, traffic flow has been limited to only one lane on the bridge itself. NAVFAC has awarded the Borum Overpass repair project to restore the bridge to its original capacity permitting two lanes of traffic and to enable emergency vehicle access during a flood event. To perform these repairs, the Borum Overpass will be closed beginning in spring 2020 for approximately one year.
How can I stay informed about base closures and weather events as they develop?
Sign up for the Wide Area Alert Network (WAAN), also known as the AtHoc system. By registering, you have the ability to receive alerts via email, text message, and/or phone call. This enables you to receive critical information and updates even when you are not at work.
If you do not register for the WAAN with your various personal devices, the command cannot reach you at home to report incidents, delays, or base closures during extreme weather, active shooter events, or other emergencies. Along with AtHoc, you can stay informed with the following resources: • Local Media: During severe weather emergencies, local television stations such as WAVY, WTKR, and WVEC broadcast NNSY closure information as soon as it becomes available. • Social Media: NNSY's Facebook page is updated regularly when severe weather threatens the region. Check regularly to find out about shipyard work delays. In the event of severe weather, the NNSY Facebook page should be your first stop. You do NOT need your own Facebook account to see updates on the shipyard's page. • Info Line: The shipyard's Employee Information Line, 757-396-9551, is updated as needed. Dialing the number provides you with instructions for all shifts and gate closure information.
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To Help Stop the Bleed, Follow The ABCs: ALERT: Before you do anything, alert the authorities and call 911. Ideally, you are in a situation where you can tell someone to call. You should also make sure the situation is safe before helping the injured. BLEEDING: After calling 911 and making sure the area is safe, identify the location of the bleeding and whether it is life-threatening. The location of the injury affects how it should be treated. In some cases, you should remove clothing over the injury to have a better view. If blood is spurting or pooling, the injury is life-threatening. The blood is pooling if it keeps coming back after it is soaked up. An injury in the abdomen is automatically life-threatening because there could be internal bleeding. If there is a loss of limb or the person is confused, that also is a lifethreatening injury. COMPRESSION: Depending on whether the bleeding comes from a joint, limb, or the abdomen, you can use different techniques to stop the bleeding. In a joint or abdomen area, you should pack the wound with gauze or cloth from the individual's clothing until it is level with the skin. Then you should apply direct pressure on the area. If you do not have clean cloth available, use a dirty cloth. For injuries on the limb, use a tourniquet. You can find a tourniquet in many first aid kits. It includes a strap that you snug around the limb two inches above the injury. You then place a stick inside of a loop and turn it until it is no longer turned and blocks off the blood. Make sure you document what time you put the tourniquet on. In some instances, you may need two tourniquets and a dressing to stop bleeding. A homemade tourniquet is not recommended because in most cases it is ineffective. In all instances, do not stop holding pressure or check if the individual is done bleeding until the paramedics arrive. You should never remove dressings from the injury. Instead you should just add a dressing over the already present dressing. NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 24
ST P THE BLEED STORY BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST PHOTOS BY DANNY DEANGELIS • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER Imagine this scenario: you’re on the way to work and suddenly you feel a jolt. CRASH! A vehicle accident just occurred. You assess the situation and make eye contact with the driver who collided with you. They’re bleeding from the head and drifting from consciousness. What would you do? This situation, and similar instances like it, happens daily around the world. It could be traffic accidents, injury during inclement weather, even an active shooter scenario. Someone is suffering from a bleeding wound and time is running out to treat it. Unfortunately, there are many who are unsure how to respond in that moment. According to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death in the world. Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Fire Marshal (Code 1128) Shane Byrne wants to change that. “We never want these sorts of events to happen; however, we want to ensure our employees have the tools they need and the training available so if it ever does happen, they will be prepared,” said Byrne. With Byrne and his team, as well as the support of emergency response in the area and the Central Virginia Coalition, NNSY is taking the steps to bring Stop the Bleed training to America’s Shipyard. Launched in 2015, this national awareness campaign and call to action provides those with the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding in someone who is injured and effectively assist that person in saving a life. Those trained in Stop the Bleed are able to become an integral part of the trauma care chain of survival, their immediate reaction possibly the difference between life and death for those in a traumatic event. This hands-on training provides the employee a chance to utilize the tools necessary in bleeding control, including QuikClot and various types of tourniquets. In addition, it also provides the employee an understanding of when it’s safe to provide assistance and what procedures to follow. “This is an important initiative for our team, since many of us have worked as emergency responders and have seen these events firsthand,” said Byrne. “Being able to train the public in how to reach in an emergency situation could truly turn the tide for someone. It all depends on what you know and how you react. With Stop the Bleed, we’re able to give everyone the tools they need to react appropriately.” In addition to the Stop the Bleed training, NNSY is working on purchasing Stop the Bleed kits that will be distributed across the shipyard at the various automated external defibrillator (AED) locations. The kits include first aid response tools, including Quick Clot and tourniquets. “NNSY is leading the charge for this training to be offered in the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) enterprise,” said Byrne. “We are not only bringing the training to the shipyard, we’re also providing the skills necessary for those here to also become train-the-trainers as well. So we can effectively continue the Stop the Bleed initiative to our shipyard family and beyond.” For more information, visit bleedingcontrol.org.
NNSY employees and emergency response personnel came together for the Stop the Bleed Training at America's Shipyard. At the training they learned how to treat bleeding victims, including applying touriquets and QuikClot.
CODE
500 Supply Department
NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD RE-ESTABLISHES
CODE 500, SUPPLY DEPARTMENT STORY BY LTJG HEATHER KERBER, SC, USN PHOTOS BY TROY MILLER • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST You may have heard the buzz about a familiar code from the past reappearing on the yard. Well, what you have heard is true, Code 500, the Supply Department, is back, and ready to optimize the material readiness of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). Code 500’s mission statement sums it up perfectly: “Consolidate all non-nuclear material functions under a single organization to improve the material availability and logistics support at NNSY, ensuring projects have the material they need when they need it to enable on-time delivery of ships and submarines back into the fleet.” The newly reestablished department will work to streamline logistics processes, eliminate waste and unnecessary spending, and ultimately assist in making NNSY the most efficient and capable shipyard it can be. NNSY’s Supply Officer and Department Head of Code 500 Capt. Mark R. Garrigus, said, “Code 500 will bring focus on local, end-to-end accountability within each shipyard through a single material process owner answering to the customer and commanding officer. This is an integral component for delivery to projects, shops, and mechanics to support ontime maintenance through consistent supply processes streamlined through collaboration and subject area expertise process improvement efforts.” Code 500 will be comprised of five divisions: 510, 520, 530, 540 and 550. The benefits of the new department will be seen in a multitude of ways. Supply piermasters will have complete visibility of the management of rip-out material utilizing technology such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems, allowing them to maintain accountability for all rip-out material on yard. Kitted materials will be delivered directly to the work site through the institution of the JRC program, enabling project mechanics to focus on successfully completing their jobs each day and not the coordination of obtaining the materials and tools commonly referred to as hunting and gathering activities. Code 500’s JRC will issue materials at the beginning of each job and return materials not utilized at the end; decreasing waste across all projects on yard and facilitating reutilization as applicable. Through a revised depot level repair (DLR) management program and coordination with the Naval Supply Systems Command enterprise, high value assets will be more readily available, reducing churn for projects on the availability of these items, and eliminating carcass charges ultimately saving money and enhancing readiness. This sampling of benefits works towards achieving the same united goal: keeping the teams focused on NNSY’s mission of repairing ships and submarines. The highly skilled team that makes up Code 500 is energized and ready to assist in the improvement of material readiness across the yard. The USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) project was the first project to undergo an array of implementation steps and pilot programs, that included Point of Use (POU), use of a Logistics piermaster, RFID technologies, and Grab and Go, in trial and preparation for the full JRC initiative. As Code 500 comes to full manning and implementation through 2020 we look forward to contributing in significant ways toward meeting and exceeding NNSY’s collective mission.
TOP LEFT: NNSY’s Code 500 Deputy Supply Officer Brian Bennett provides customer service to clientele. TOP RIGHT: Code 510 Strategic Analysis Branch Head Karl Kreger works on supply reports. BOTTOM: NNSY’s Code 500 Supply Officer, Capt. Mark Garrigus (Left) and Code 510 Compliance and Strategic Analysist Cmdr. Frederick Crawford work together on supply documents.
CODE 500 BREAKDOWN Code 510:
Strategic Analysis and Compliance This division will be responsible for ensuring the shipyard supply operation operates at maximum efficiency, while remaining good stewards of taxpayer dollars through accountable and compliant practices.
Code 520:
Material Sourcing This division will streamline material ordering, fulfillment, and receipt in support of projects, shops, and the mechanic on the job site.
Code 530:
Project Support This division will run the newly implemented Job Readiness Cells (JRC), bringing project mechanics and materials together through a material kitting, consolidation, and delivery process. Additionally, this division will oversee the management of rip-out material and excessing or reutilization of unused materials upon job completion.
Code 540:
Supply and Non Standard Material Contracting Operated by Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Maritime Norfolk, this branch will be responsible for all non-nuclear, non-standard material purchasing and contracting along with Shop Store inventory management and on-site customer support services.
Code 550:
Inventory, Storage & Distribution Operated by DLA Distribution Depot Portsmouth Va. (DDPV), this branch will be responsible for receiving, stowing, and issuing material once it arrives at NNSY and for long term storage in support of ripout management.
NOVEMBER 2019 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • 27
C-FRAM FRAUD SCHEME AWARENESS NOVEMBER: UNJUSTIFIED SOLE SOURCE Improper Award of a Contract without Competition or Prior Review
DOD EXAMPLE Nebraska McAlpine, a former Project Manager for a DoD contractor in Afghanistan, pled guilty to accepting over $250,000 in illegal kickbacks from an Afghan executive in exchange for ensuring his company awarded lucrative subcontracts to the executive's companies. McAlpine recommended to his supervisors that these companies be awarded sole source contracts. As a result, the prime contractor paid over $1.6 million to the subcontractor to assist with maintaining the Afghanistan Ministry of the Interior Ultra-High Frequency radio communications system. The executive, who agreed to pay McAlpine 15 percent of the value of the subcontracts, paid McAlpine over $250,000 in cash that McAlpine hid from his company. McAlpine then transported the cash back to the U.S. and deposited the majority of the funds into his bank accounts in less than $10,000 increments. In Nov. 2017, McAlpine was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service.
INDICATORS (RED FLAGS) Previous competitive procurements have become non-competitive; Vague justification for a noncompetitive award; Contract requirements appear to be tailored to a specific contractor.
LEARN MORE TODAY Check out the C-FRAM site on WebCentral under C100CE for more information. Need to report fraud? Contact the NNSY Hotline today at 757396-7971 or NNSY_IG_HOTLINE@navy.mil.