www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, November 3, 2022 1
IN THIS ISSUE
Tech FLEX: Event showcases value of unmanned vehicles
ONR SCOUT is committed to partnering with industry to get nontraditional, commercial-off-the-shelf, government-developed and/or government-sponsored technologies to the fleet rapidly. Page A2 VOL. 29, NO. 41, Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com
November 3-November 9, 2022
NORFOLK, Virginia (October 6, 2022) USS Gravely (DDG 107) returns to port after a successful sea trials officially ending its three-month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA). Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), working with Marine Hydraulics International (MHI), delivered the Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer to the fleet six days ahead of schedule. MARMC provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY DANIELLE LOFTON/RELEASED).
USS Gravely completes availability ahead of schedule
By Danielle Lofton
Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) with the help of Marine Hydraulics International (MHI), Ship’s Force, Engineering, Production and Contracts, completed USS Gravely’s (DDG 107) Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) Oct. 6th, redelivering the Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer to the fleet six days ahead of schedule. In just three months, MHI’s availability support team completed an abundance of vital work that included a pump and motor replacement, a Sliding Padeye replacement,
and repairs on the Vacuum Collection Holding Transfer (VCHT) ejector pump. The team also opened and inspected 15 tanks and conducted numerous other structural checks and repairs. With remarkable precision and efficiency, this team completed the availability ahead of schedule in record timing. “The availability speaks for itself,” said MARMC Project Manager Michael Grosskopf. “The teaming efforts and support from the ship and the contractor was above and beyond what I’ve seen on my past projects. We were able to identify the critical and controlling paths from the beginning and made sure that we hit our milestones and
all the work was sequenced to be completed on-time.” USS Gravely was just one of three ships that was completed this month. USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) completed a 14-month SRA and USS New York (LPD 21) finished an 18-month Docking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) at General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk. “It was a huge team effort for USS New York,” said MARMC Project Manager Keith Zaccagni. “There’s so much support that goes on behind the success of an availability, no one person is responsible. There were five or six occasions where we faced significant challenges. It took finding creative
solutions to the problems that we thought would derail everything to continuously find success.” Maintenance and modernization of the fleet is key to ensuring commanders have the assets they need to win at sea. Timely delivery of those assets provides them the flexibility to operate on a global scale. MARMC provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and provides support to the 5th and 6th Fleet Area of Responsibilities. They are also responsible for the floating dry-dock Dynamic (AFDL-6).
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown conducts active shooter exercise By Susanne Greene
Naval Weapons Station Yorktown
YORKTOWN, Va. — It was a sunny afternoon at Cheatham Annex when the sounds of routine operations were interrupted by rapid gunfire; the Blue October multiagency active shooter exercise had begun. “It’s important for Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Yorktown to train with our community partners so we are all better prepared for a real-world situation,” stated NWS Yorktown Commanding Officer Capt. Chris Horgan. “Engaging with our community partners is beneficial to the added security of both the installation and the communities within which we serve.” NWS Yorktown Naval Security Forces, Fed-Fire, York-Poquoson Sherriff’s Office (YPSO), and the York County Department of Fire and Life Safety combined their expertise during a drill on Cheatham Annex for Blue October, an active shooter and barricaded hostage scenario, Oct. 18. Installation Training Officer Wayn MacKay said, “The exercise has not been conducted for two years due to COVID-19, but we are confident that the opportunity
will provide extraordinary training value to all who participated.” “For the Opposition Force, we used a Detective/Hostage Negotiator from the Newport News Police Department, which helps to introduce negotiation challenges to the drilling YPSO Hostage Negotiator, while alleviating any unrealistic ‘off-script’ adlib that could potentially derail the intent of the exercise,” stated MacKay. “Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One provided us with one of their facilities and 17 Sailors to act as victims.” Prior to the exercise, special effects makeup was applied to some of the victims to simulate wounds while other volunteers were instructed to act frightened and ask first responders for help. It was an intense and challenging 3-hour exercise designed to benefit all team members. “Training with federal entities in our jurisdiction is essential in providing effective law enforcement services to our community,” Emergency Response Team Commander Lt. Kris Ward stated. “It was a great opportunity!”
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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Oct. 19, 2022) Emergency Response Team members from YorkPoquoson Sheriff’s Office search Sailors as part of Blue October active shooter drill on Cheatham Annex Oct. 18, 2022. The Sailors from Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One portrayed hostages that were released and searched as standard operating procedures dictate. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY NAVAL WEAPONS STATION YORKTOWN PUBLIC AFFAIRS/RELEASED).
Professional wrestlers from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) visited the crew of the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) at MHI shipyard, Norfolk, Virginia, Oct. 26.
NMRI and the dawn of Navy medicine’s R&D global enterprise
Oceana hosts Afterschool events
Before there was the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) there was the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI).
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Child Youth Programs at NAS Oceana and Midway Manor celebrated the fall season and hosted Lights on Afterschool events. PAGE A5
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