YOKOSUKA, Japan –
The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) recently reached the halfway point of its four-month Selected Restricted Availability in Yokosuka, Japan. To mark the occasion, the Reagan Project Team and the ship’s supply department hosted a barbecue to thank the ship’s crew and shipyard and detachment employees for the effort and hard work they’ve put in to reach this point.
Navy leadership also performed an on-site “50% Review” of the SRA progress. This review was conducted to ensure full Navy support is provided to the team and that the availability is progressing on time.
According to Brent Pickard, project superintendent, the project is on track to complete on time. The SRA is a collaborative effort between Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility employees at the shipyard’s detachment in Yokosuka, U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility-Japan employees, Ship’s Force and contractors.
Pickard said the team got off to a strong start despite the tight timeline of Reagan arriving the same day work was scheduled to begin.
“The majority, if not all, of our personnel stayed throughout the holidays to get this project off to a good start,” Pickard said. Multiple shops worked together and worked quickly to ensure the temporary back bone of the project was completed before the availability officially began. He said this had never been done in under 30 days, especially with two holidays to account for.
Pickard also credited the early work on various pumps, reboiler work, interference removal, and inspections by key shops as crucial contributions to the project’s success thus far. He noted that several individuals have already been recognized for their efforts.
Sydnee Robbins, an engineer with Code 250, Structural Engineering and Planning, was awarded the key player of the week. She was instrumental in the ultrasonic testing of various welds, played a role in the engineering technical unit, and helped plan and coordinate tank work.
Frank Ranuio, an emergent work protocol supervisor with Shop 71, who supervises personnel from multiple trades, was named swing shift key player of the week for his out-of-the-box ingenuity, methodical and deliberate thinking, and ‘can-do’ attitude that helped complete critical work a week ahead of schedule.
Brandon Zirkle, lead test engineer, Code 246, Test and Work Control Engineering Division, created several variations of the testing plan, which allowed management to review the impact of each of the contingencies.
The hard work and determination of the team, combined with expert craftsmanship, has helped keep this project on track. Pickard said lessons learned from Ronald Reagan’s 2022 SRA, and the exceptional trade skills of the team, have also been instrumental.
Despite the many expected and unexpected challenges inherent in an SRA, the Ronald Reagan’s availability continues to complete work per the original schedule and is hitting milestones on time or early. Senior Navy leadership present at the 50% Review Meeting were pleased with the progress and how the team has approached any difficulties in this complex work package.
Ronald Reagan is the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed air craft carrier, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.