YOKOSUKA, Japan –
The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) project team celebrated the achievement of a major milestone in the fiscal year 2020 selected restricted availability Feb. 6 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Detachment Yokosuka in Yokosuka, Japan.
In honor of reaching the 50 percent point in the availability, leadership hosted a barbecue for mechanics and support personnel working on the project.
Although temperatures were in the low 40s, approximately 500 PSNS & IMF and Norfolk Naval Shipyard personnel participated in the day shift barbecue and another 150 in the swing-shift barbecue.
Although there is more maintenance that remains to be done on Ronald Reagan, the event provided an opportunity for Project Superintendent Monte Levin and Carrier Program Manager Chris Hughes to reflect on the team’s efforts to date and recognize employees for their contributions by presenting approximately 60 individual awards to project team members.
“We have quickly made it to the half-way point and now we need to roll up our sleeves and complete our availability on time to get Reagan back out doing her mission,” said Levin. “This Project has had great team work between Puget, Norfolk, and ship’s force.”
In addition to the BBQ and awards presentation, project leadership briefed Navy leadership on the current status of ongoing maintenance, successes and challenges ahead of on time completion of the SRA, and lessons learned that may be shared across the maintenance enterprise.
The major work being performed, including propulsion plant instrumentation and electrical upgrades, main engine and piping inspections and repair as well as major weapon systems upgrades, allows PSNS & IMF to continue meeting the intent of the Chief of Naval Operations’ “Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority” and Naval Sea Systems Command’s mission priority to improve the warfighting capability of ships and systems.