BREMERTON, Wash. –
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)’s six-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) achieved the 50-percent mark June 28, 2023. The project is being led by a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility team in San Diego.
According to Ben Godsey, CVN 72 deputy project superintendent, the Fiscal Year 2023 PIA officially started April 1, with the project team getting an early start on some of the work beginning March 1.
“Our team made effective use of the Smart Start (work completed March 1-31), which allowed us to have a sustainable ramp-up focused on installing our backbone (temporary services and setting work isolations) and getting a head start on our critical-path work strings,” said Godsey. “We were able to focus on and prioritize early inspections to retire risk and build margin for (ship alteration) Piping Insulation Coating, Piping Ultrasonic Testing and Preliminary Distilling Unit Hydrostatic Testing.”
Critical path work is the biggest or “longest” individual part of a project that dictates or strongly influences how long an overall project will take.
Godsey said the project team – comprised of PSNS & IMF workers, Ship’s Force, contractors and Alteration Installation Teams – is on schedule to complete the project on time.
“When we held our 50-percent meeting, we were actually 90 percent complete with regard to Work Packages and resource-days scheduled for the propulsion plants,” he said.
While the team is on track for an on-time completion, Godsey said achieving that goal is not a given. He said the team will have to stay focused and continue to work hard to reach that goal. He credited the team’s success thus far to the consistent effort and excellence of people throughout the team.
“We recognize a shipyard worker, a Sailor and a contractor every week for their efforts and results,” Godsey said.
Capt. JD Crinklaw, commander, PSNS & IMF, recently joined the team during his first visit to the PSNS & IMF San Diego Detachment since assuming command in May, and recognized approximately 20 people at the 50-percent completion conference.
“Overall, this team has done a good job leaning into lessons learned from previous availabilities, and embracing time-saving innovations,” Godsey said.
Homeported in San Diego, Abraham Lincoln is America’s fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Abraham Lincoln conducts carrier air warfare operations and assists in the planning, control, coordination and integration of air wing squadrons in support of carrier air warfare.