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NEWS | March 23, 2020

SWRMC Graduated its First NAMTS General Shipboard Welding and Brazing Sailors

By SWRMC Public Affairs

Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) graduated its first Navy Afloat Maintenance Training Strategy (NAMTS) General Shipboard Welding and Brazing Sailors on 13 March.

The graduating Sailors earned their qualifications and Navy Enlisted Classification Code (NEC) in General Shipboard Welding and Brazing by receiving on-the-job training through the NAMTS Program.

"The NAMTS program provides our Sailors with the skills necessary to perform maintenance on a variety of ship systems," said Capt. David Hart, SWRMC's commanding officer. "The training that these Sailors receive empowers them with the confidence they need to perform emergent repairs when out at sea, providing a cost savings to the Navy and streamlining the repair process."

Equipping Sailors with these skills saves critical time by preventing the need for the ship to return to port for repairs. The General Shipboard Welding and Brazing curriculum was designed to conceptually give a welder, with minimal skills and proficiencies, a roadmap to build knowledge and develop their ability to weld and braze utilizing different materials and in different configurations.

The NAMTS General Shipboard Welding and Brazing Job Qualification Requirement (JQR) took several years to implement at SWRMC. Over a two-year period, SWRMC Production Department leadership and Hull Maintenance Technicians worked to ensure the JQR was compliant with Navy regulations for the NAMTS Program. After several reviews, and with careful consideration by the major RMCs, CNRMC, and NAVSEA, the program was initiated in April 2018.

Following the launch in 2018, Petty Officer 1st Class Bradley Regan enrolled in the program and was followed shortly afterwards by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew French and Petty Officer 2nd Class James Abbott. These Sailors helped improve the process by identifying roadblocks and shortfalls that needed to be addressed as they progressed through the program. SWRMC subject matter experts reviewed and adjusted processes to ensure the level of knowledge and the skills met expectations.

Team Ships