Silverdale, Wash. –
Hull Maintenance Technician 1st Class Noah Cooper recently became the first Sailor in nearly two decades at Trident Refit Facility, Bangor (TRFB) to earn a civilian-level brazing qualification.
Brazing is a metal-joining process in which a filler metal flows into a joint between closely fitted parts without melting the base metals, making it suitable for complex repairs in shipboard environments. The P-3 brazing qualification demands high precision and extensive training due to the critical nature of submarine systems.
Cooper, who has been in the Navy for seven years, currently serves as Leading Petty Officer (LPO) of the Pipefitter Shop. TRFB’s Pipefitter shop oversees repairs and fabrication for submarine piping systems. As the LPO, Cooper manages both production and training for the Sailors in his shop. He works closely with the shop’s civilian supervisors to ensure his Sailors are meeting and exceeding standards.
According to Cooper, his motivation to expand his technical skillset led him to pursue the P-3 brazing qualification, which authorizes technicians to perform repairs on high-pressure, high-temperature piping systems. His qualification journey started with him getting his initial qualifications, known as the P-1 and P-2 “fit-up” qualifications.
“Most Sailors who arrive here focus on earning their Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) and supporting the shop,” Cooper said. “I wanted to go further, to actually perform the work, be more hands-on with the work, and understand how it all connects. I decided to get what we call, a P-1 and P-2 fit up qual.”
Cooper started in qualification journey back in March 2023. The journey to the qualification took more than a year, involving over 150 hours of training and testing. Cooper previously qualified a portion of the brazing qualification as a petty officer third class, but did not have a chance to requalify until his tour at TRFB. He credits the guidance from both civilian trainers and his Navy leadership, which led to his completion of the qualification at TRFB.
The certification had not been attained by TRFB Sailors for nearly 20 years, which was news to Cooper, as he didn’t find out until his qualification was nearly completed.
“That wasn’t really a driving factor for me,” said Cooper. “I don’t get pushed into things, I kind of push myself into them. I was already on track to get it, so that’s brownie points.”
Cooper viewed the qualification as a way to build technical expertise and contribute to the command. His efforts directly contributed to updating the Navy Afloat Maintenance Training Strategy (NAMTS) training pipeline for future Sailors. Since Cooper earned the brazing qualification, two other Sailors in the Pipefitter Shop have completed initial pipefitting qualifications, and plan to begin the brazing qualification down the road.
“I want to be able to use the knowledge that I’ve learned here to help other people,” said Cooper. “I didn’t really mean to start this qualification process and make it a standard, but I’m really glad that I did. I’ve noticed that the level of knowledge that Sailors get from this is really high caliber. Now, we have Sailors that are able to better contribute to the mission down there on the boats.”
Cooper is currently working towards an associate degree and plans to apply for the Navy’s Seaman to Admiral 21 (STA-21) officer commissioning program. As he prepares to transfer to an aircraft carrier for his next assignment, his efforts have established a new path for Sailors at TRFB to pursue advanced technical qualifications, expanding capabilities for both Sailors and the command.