ROTA, SPAIN –
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center’s (MARMC) Maintenance Assist Team (MAT) recently returned to Norfolk following a three-week visit to Rota, Spain, to provide maintenance support to forward deployed ships.
The 18 Sailors and civilian technicians performed more than 56 maintenance checks, installations and repairs aboard USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 56) and USS Porter (DDG 78).
The MAT consisted of multiple teams with various expertise on shipboard systems, including gas turbines and valves. They conducted maintenance on galley equipment; ship’s laundry washers and dryers; watertight doors and hatches and auxiliary space equipment.
“We had a diverse group with different expertise who could go out there and fix anything the ship needed help with and leave the ship in better condition,” said MARMC Lead Electrician and MAT Leader Clarence Bushrod.
MARMC’s MAT team typically deploys a couple times each year to ships in the fleet. They also conduct hands-on training with crewmembers to help them be better prepared to conduct emergent repairs in the future.
“We always have a select group of Sailors who are there with us and we share our level of knowledge with them,” said Bushrod. “It’s important to have Sailors onboard when the ship is underway with the expertise so, if equipment fails, they will be capable of diagnosing what’s wrong and conducting the repairs themselves rather than calling someone to come out.”
MARMC provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and provides support to the fifth and sixth Fleet Area of Responsibilities. They are also responsible for the floating dry-dock Dynamic (AFDL-6).