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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - (April 3, 2019) – It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, but it also holds true in maintaining the computer network aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
The information systems technicians (ITs) of George Washington’s automated data processing (ADP) division have been working hand-in-hand with their civilian counterparts to ensure the Spirit of Freedom has a reliable network during refueling complex overhaul (RCOH).
“The ADP division is responsible for maintaining mission essential data systems that were moved from the CVN 73 onboard Conslidated Afloat Network and Enterprise Services (CANES) network to the ashore Carrier Vessel Nuclear Information Technology (CVNIT) network prior to RCOH,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Trisha Rand from Troy, North Carolina, leading petty officer of ADP division.
With the ship’s CANES network, which encompasses and connects the entire aircraft carrier, shut down, the CVNIT network must handle the work load of the ship. This network, provided and managed by the Program Executive Office (PEO) Aircraft Carriers, is essential to conducting day-to-day operations while in RCOH. With several divisions outsourced to other buildings across the Norfolk/Newport News area, the CVNIT network extends past the normal ship’s limits and into the surrounding area, covering over a hundred square miles.
“The equipment supporting the CVNIT network is not owned by CVN 73, and as a result, our technicians do not have all the appropriate network permissions they typically would in a normal environment,” said Rand.
Thus, the ITs assigned to the ADP division work with CVNIT civilian contractors daily.
“They (the CVNIT civilian contractors) know their network, so it’s easy for them to deal with issues,” said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Samantha Barnaby from Albuquerque, New Mexico, assigned to the ADP division.
ADP works alongside the PMS312 customer contracted team (CCT) to ensure the data moved to the CVNIT ashore network constructed during the RCOH period remains intact.
“This relationship is crucial to both CVN 73 and the CVNIT civilians to ensure the success of the ship upon completion of RCOH,” said Rand.
Additionally, it is the goal of the CVNIT contractors to provide hands-on-training that the ship’s ITs need to maintain their proficency. “It’s our job to give the ship back a more knowledgable Sailor on the systems they will use in the future and to keep their skills up while in RCOH,” said Dave Mullis, the CVNIT assistant program manager.
Since they possess more network permissions and specific CVNIT experience, than the ITs assigned to George Washington, the civilian ITs often assist in the resolution of trouble tickets that George Washington technicians cannot resolve.
All personnel with access to the CVNIT network can submit trouble tickets for permissions they need or problems they experience. These trouble tickets ensure the stability of the network for all users.
“Submitting trouble tickets is not just a formality, but rather essential to both ADP and CVNIT,” said Rand. “Trouble tickets ensure proper tracking of issues in order for ADP and CVNIT to respond to user support requests and provide a historical record.”
Issues that are corrected through the trouble ticket system include the creation of Naval Tactical Command Support System (NTCSS) accounts, addition to distribution groups, the creation of distribution groups, folder permissions, portal permissions, log on issues, printing issues, planning objectives report (POR) application issues, blocked websites, connectivity issues, and equipment installation and relocation.
“There are certain things that take expertise that they have, it’s really nice to have them be able to answer our questions,” said Barnaby.
Because of the essential teamwork between George Washington ITs and civilian ITs, the ship stays connected to the ultimate completion and success of refueling and overhaul.
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2019 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 319903 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sailors, Civilians Keep Web Afloat, by PO2 Tatyana Freeman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
