JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HAWAII –
Amidst a maze of piping, cables, and tight submarine passageways, an electric motor suspended inches from the deck makes its way towards its new location. A team of skilled shipyard workers executes a seamless dance of communication and physics to move the heavy motor through a tight scuttle. Swinging the motor between two chain-falls, the way Tarzan moves through the jungle canopy, each line takes the load in turn, every move purposeful, each person in sync as the load shifts between chains.
These men and women are known as riggers, and they are the experts at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility when something needs to be moved safely and efficiently, no matter the size.
That seamless dance isn't improvised; it is a craft honed through years of intense instruction and hands-on practice.
To see firsthand how a rigger is made, the Executive Development Program's (EDP) Cadre A 2026, the shipyard's development program for future leaders, on a morning visit to what the shipyard calls a Learning Center, in this case, the one dedicated to the rigging trade. A unique opportunity to peek inside a shop that they may not often get to interact with, depending on their roles at the yard.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the smiles of Fred Liberato “JR” and Amy “Vesi” Sulunga, our rigging instructors for the morning. The first thing you notice about the rigging training facility is that it isn't a classroom at all. It's the repurposed hull of a former Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS). Once a cutting-edge mini submarine, a change in its operational mission transformed it into a one-of-a-kind training platform for the shipyard's riggers. The ASDS stands as a goliath centerpiece in a training environment full of scaffolding, I-beams, and makeshift scuttles, a hands-on jungle gym of industrial parts.
This realism is intentional. Liberato explained that many components are salvaged from decommissioned submarines because, as he put it, authenticity is everything.
"It actually has weight to it," he said. "So, it's not just a little 'pretend it's heavy.'"
The morning began with an overview of the Learning Center, a safety briefing, and a description of the morning activity. The EDP team donned their personal protective equipment (PPE), grabbed chain-falls, and dialed in on the trainer's instructions.
The challenge was to move a 100-pound section of pipe from one point to another. Along the way, the team will navigate turns, perform multiple handoffs from one chain-fall to another, until finally passing through a small wooden scuttle to the motor's destination. Under the watchful eyes of trainers Sulunga and Liberato, the team of four EDP participants would have to learn to communicate effectively and work together to navigate this industrial maze.
While this team grappled with the basics for a single morning, the journey to becoming a professional rigger is a four-year marathon of intense, structured learning for aspiring apprentices. The first two years consist predominantly of classroom work, but the third year is pivotal. This is when apprentices earn their rigging qualifications, partly by being required to teach the newest first-years.
According to Sulunga, this trial-by-teaching is designed so apprentices "get to feel what it's like to be a mechanic before becoming a mechanic." She explained that the goal is to put pressure on them early, in a controlled setting. "We try to introduce them in the safest, impossible environment first to get them that shock," Sulunga said.
The curriculum concludes with a fourth year of hands-on refinement, during which apprentices master their craft before graduating and joining the ranks of professionals who call themselves Riggers. It is this multi-year crucible that forges these professionals, and for the EDP team, a small taste of what a rigger tackles daily.
Back in the Learning Center, the team is starting to find its rhythm.
"OK, bring your side up more."
A quick "Roger!" comes in reply from across the motor. Every eye is on the load as it inches forward.
"Alright, hold," the first voice commands. The chains go taut, the motor pausing mid-air. After 45 minutes, they had crossed the final threshold of a makeshift scuttle and completed their challenge. Successfully moving the 100-pound pipe 15 feet, suspended by chains and wire, around a corner, through a narrow passageway, and finally through an 18-by-24-inch hole.
"OK, down," a single voice called out and they responded in unison, slowly lowering the motor to the ground. Their movement has become fluid and exact. Under the guidance of Sulunga and Liberato, the team successfully and safely navigated the challenge with thoughtful foresight, cautious precision, and concise communication.
When asked about his takeaway from the evolution, Ronald Gorgonio, a production controller and participant with EDP Cadre A 2026, reflected, "Communication builds clarity and teamwork turns clarity into success."
The newfound appreciation for the rigger's craft was exactly the intended outcome. For Maka Keone, Command University EDP Program Manager, these cross-training opportunities are invaluable.
"C740 Continuous Training and Development, has always been a leader in integrating their training with other codes, and I am grateful that our EDP team was able to experience the Rigging trade for a brief moment," Keone said. "It is part of exposing our future executive leaders to a bigger perspective of the shipyard overall."
Keone's words highlight the importance of teamwork across the shipyard, a sentiment that lies at the very heart of the rigging trade itself. It's a community built on absolute trust and an unspoken connection, known simply as the "rigger bond."
"The Rigger bond... it's still true no matter what gang [or shop] you came from," Sulunga said. "When they come to us, it's, 'Hey, brother,' or 'Hey, sister,'... and we can still work together."
It is this bond, forged in the crucible of training and tested daily amidst the shipyard's steel canyons, that allows them to perform their seamless dance safely, efficiently, and as one.
PHNSY & IMF’s mission is to keep the Navy’s fleet “Fit to Fight” by repairing, maintaining, and modernizing the Navy's fast-attack submarines and surface ships. Strategically located in the heart of the Pacific, it is the most comprehensive fleet repair and maintenance facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East.