www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, June 22, 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE
Camp Lejeune opens new Outdoor Infantry Immersion Trainer This facility is the first O-IIT on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and the only O-IIT on the East Coast. Its first training exercise, a joint-training event conducted by U.S. Marines and NATO allies, was held on May 18, 2023. Page A3 VOL. 31, NO. 22, Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com
June 22-June 28, 2023
Dr. Thomas Gieseke (center), a scientist in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, was recognized for his most recent patent award during a ceremony held with former Division Newport Technical Director Ron Vien (from left) and Commanding Officer Capt. Chad F. Hennings on March 29, 2023. Gieseke is Division Newport’s leading patent holder among current employees, with 40 patents issued during his 29-year career. (PHOTO BY RICHARD ALLEN)
NUWC Division Newport scientist holds 40 patents, encourages innovation By Public Affairs Office
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport
NEWPORT, R.I. — Dr. Thomas Gieseke has a different way of looking at things. His curiosity and unconventional approach to problems has made him the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s leading patent holder among current employees, with 40 patents issued during his 29-year career. “Tom has an inquisitive mind and positive attitude,” Chief Technology Officer Dr. Jason Gomez said about his accomplishment. “He sees solutions where others see problems or roadblocks.” Gieseke, a resident of Dighton, Massachusetts, also takes the lead among current employees, a record held for many years by Dr. Anthony Ruffa, who had 79 patents before retiring in December 2022. Gieseke, who manages advanced technology development projects in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, has worked
as a first- and second-line supervisor and as a lead scientist, covering a wide range of technical subjects, such as hydrodynamics, ballistics, control systems, and sonar. “Areas where there are difficult unsolved problems are good places to germinate ideas for invention,” Gieseke said. Gieseke was hired by Division Newport in 1994 to study transient flows and develop, or advise in the development of new launcher systems. At the time, there was considerable effort to develop a high efficiency inlet for a torpedo system. Essentially, designers wanted to use the energy of a moving submarine to force water through the torpedo launch system to give the launch pump a helping hand. “We looked at a bunch of designs to scoop moving water from the ocean and direct it to the back end of a torpedo waiting in the launch tube,” Gieseke said. “Many of the ideas we looked at were very conventional. It occurred to me that we were solving a problem that didn’t need to be solved, and more-
over, the entire design concept was not ideal. The Inlet Free Torpedo Launch System was conceived to eliminate the need for inlets all together.” Not only did Gieseke’s idea save a lot of money by eliminating the need to build giant hydraulic doorways, it also could launch weapons more efficiently and quietly. However, not everyone was excited about Gieseke’s unconventional solution. “I had been working at NUWC for only a few years, so I had no influence and had no credibility,” Gieseke said. “There really was no place in the culture for radical ideas, especially from young, inexperienced engineers. However, there was an avenue to document my idea, which was the patent process. I wrote up the idea and published it, making it easily accessible at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office if a question ever came up or if someone wanted to do research on torpedo launch systems.” The patent Gieseke is most proud of is a high velocity underwater jet weapon,
awarded in 2005. “I developed a concept to produce a transient impulse jet that works more effectively than a steady jet for underwater water-jet cutting applications,” Gieseke explained. “It was based on an observation made while working on a hydro-ballistics project, but enabled a new line of concept development.” Like Gieseke’s torpedo launch system, the underwater jet weapon concept wasn’t immediately embraced by his peers. “It was met with considerable skepticism by scientists in the field and most thought the idea wouldn’t work,” Gieseke said. “In time, it was demonstrated in an experiment and the underlying physics were proven to be sound. There is satisfaction in coming up with an idea that not only was a new innovation, but was based on a vision that others could not see without having it shown to them.” Fortunately, Gieseke is not easily deterred Turn to NUWC Division Newport, Page 7
NAVFAC MIDLANT Environmental recognized as part of 2023 EPA Federal Facilities Excellence in Partnering Team of the Year Award By Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic NORFOLK, Va. — Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Partnering Team was recently announced as recipients of the 2023 EPA National Notable Achievement Award: Federal Facilities Excellence in Partnering Team of the Year for their exemplary partnership, and for effectively implementing innovative, timely, and sustainable remedial actions onboard the 156,000-acre military base. Teams from all 10 EPA Regions submitted packages and competed for this year’s honors. The MCB Camp Lejeune Partnering
Team included: Dave Cleland and Lindsey Mills, from Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic (NAVFAC MIDLANT) Environmental; Jennifer Tufts, from EPA Region 4; Thomas Richard and Laura Spung, from MCB Camp Lejeune; Randy McElveen, Beth Hartzell, and Angela Moore, from North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality; Matt Louth, Kim Henderson and Monica Fulkerson, from Jacobs; and Dylan Elks and Shaun Whitworth, from Meadows CMPG, Inc. “I’m extremely proud of this team, but also proud of their ability to assess tough environmental issues by incorporating innovative thinking and reasoning, posi-
tive communication, and efficient management practices,” said Kelly Knight, NAVFAC MIDLANT Environmental Director. “Their efforts also helped to support beneficial goals of the Department of Defense and our partnering agencies.” Work performed was managed under the Navy’s Environmental Restoration Program (ERP), which utilizes a partnering concept to facilitate cleanup actions required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The team was widely recognized for their functionality and for the performance of their duties. During the submission period, the team’s combined efforts included: the
treatment of more than 6 million gallons of groundwater, injection of more than 3,000 gallons of emulsified vegetable oil substrate as part of a bio barrier replenishment and recirculation system, and the operation of air sparge systems for more than 9,000 hours. Additionally, the team saved more than $40,000 by reusing remediation equipment from a decommissioned site, and increased efficiency through the installation of a new solar powered treatment system that reused 70 cubic yards of soil, recycled 7,530 pounds of metal, reduced remediation-derived waste and paper waste, and saved more than 52 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions,
Burning and turning below decks – USS Gerald R. Ford’s machine shop at work www.flagshipnews.com
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When people think of aircraft carriers, they picture jets being launched and Sailors conducting deck evolutions. What isn’t always top of mind are the Sailors who work below decks who keep the ship moving, fix one-off parts and keep the ship afloat. Page A6
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