PORT HUENEME, Calif. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD), a surface fleet In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), and Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) are collaborating on a virtual internship program, modified to meet COVID-19 regulations to continue developing the latest technology for the warfighter and strengthening the working relationship between MARMC and ISEA.
MARMC and NSWC PHD Naval Acquisition Development Program (NADP) mechanical engineers Adrian Wos and David Hamaty are participating as the first interns to support ISEA development through NAVSEA Warfare Center’s ISEA of the Future Program (ISEAotF). The team plans to hire more in the future, according to Lt. Cmdr. Todd Coursey, NSWC PHD ISEAotF military lead.
While PHD is an ISEA, the command also has an ISEAotF program team dedicated to driving forward the Naval Sea Systems Command enterprise-wide program’s initial vision to “adopt research, development and application of advanced technology to enable optimized lifecycle sustainment and iterative improvements of surface ships and combat and weapons systems deployed to the fleet.”
Internship programs normally require interns to complete an internal and external rotation, but the participating organizations modified the internal rotation portion to be virtual, which allowed Wos and Hamaty to work with NSWC PHD and MARMC simultaneously.
“Normally outside of COVID-19, we would have to do in-person rotations, which might be a little more difficult, but due to COVID-19, we began these remote rotations, which has been amazing," Coursey explained. “We've been able to pick up two new MARMC NADP engineers who are starting, and they can come work with us.”
The mechanical engineers are working on two projects to help ISEAs. Hamaty is working on a lidar scanning project, while Wos is helping with a fiber optics sensing system project. How much time the interns spend in each internship varies depending on the project they are working on.
“My project is using lidar scanning to train incoming sailors on the Vertical Launch System before they get onto the ship,” Hamaty explained. “Lidar uses lights to connect millions of points in a second into a 3D image and transfer that to CAD models. It can go as far as creating virtual reality through lidar scanning.”
One of the goals of the collaboration is for the interns to fully understand the RMCs and ISEAs individual roles, and find ways to help the two groups work together to support the Navy and its goals.
“We need to have more collaboration in terms of rotations between the ISEA and RMC because we are both on the waterfront," Coursey explained. “RMCs focus on ship repair, and the ISEAs focus on combat systems, but we are still both on the waterfront, executing ship maintenance and modernization, so it only makes sense to understand each other's roles, frustrations and limitations. It also helps us to work better as a team and develop empathy.”
Another benefit of the program is increased communication between the ISEA and RMCs. The interns from RMC can quickly communicate ideas happening at the RMC level to team members at the warfare center.
“A lot of the time, technology trickles down, and I found a lot of folks I work with have great ideas, whether it's a small tool to improve their job and make things easier, for example,” Wos said. “Those little ideas and innovations can make a big difference at our level, but sometimes they require the expertise or cutting edge technology currently only available to the ISEA.”
Wos is working on the fiber optics sensing system project for ISEAs in conjunction with NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Space.
“Adrian is taking the fiber optics sensing system project I originally started with NASA and is morphing it into something even greater," Coursey said. "He's embedding fiber sensors into the manufacturing process using 3D printers to print material; except during the printing of the material, he embeds fiber sensors into the printing process, which is pretty phenomenal."
Jerry Bobo, career field manager for NSWC PHD and the NADP, said the virtual intern program is a perfect example of not working in a bubble and seeking out support, either inside or outside a command, which the Navy encourages.
“This ISEA and NADP program collaboration is a perfect example of us reaching out across the aisle to other people, commands and functions where we can use the best of our resources to solve a common problem," Bobo said.
Bobo added the program is also an excellent opportunity for recent college graduates to hit the ground running, get hands-on experience in their field, apply their studies to real world applications and bring a more in-depth understanding to Navy projects.
“Having a system-level view on things is always a positive thing, as opposed to being down in the weeds looking at a technical problem,” Bobo explained. “We want to train people not just to be a great technical expert but to understand other projects and how those projects may work with other commands to keep things going, especially in the digital age that we live in.”
While both interns will be in the program until spring, Hamaty hopes to continue his current work and possibly take it to the next step.
“After completing the program, I’m looking towards expanding on the skills I’ve learned and even expanding the project I’m working on itself,” Hamaty said. “The project I’m working on is strictly focused, but maybe afterward I can work on and expand it to other sectors of the Mid-Atlantic RMC.”
Wos also anticipates working at the RMC after he graduates from the program and leveraging the connections he is making.
“After the program, I hope to remain employed at the Regional Maintenance Center and make a difference here, but also keep an open line of communication with the folks I’ve met through the internship, like Lt. Cmdr. Coursey, NASA Armstrong and the Naval Research Lab, and help them wherever I can,” he said.