Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Ethan Soto | Construction Mechanic 1st Class Jeremy Tatlock, left, and Construction Electrician 1st...... read more read more
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EVERETT, Wash. -- Every Sailor possesses general skills and knowledge of their respective jobs, but few can say they belong to a group of highly skilled experts. The Mobile Utilities Support Equipment is a team of specialized Seabees that provides diesel engine-driven generators, substations and switchgear to meet utility needs in the fleet and Department of Defense facilities. For over 60 years, the MUSE program has been supporting shore and fleet operations around the world.
MUSE is a part of the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, based in Port Hueneme, California. The overall command consists of 1,300 personnel with MUSE being a small fraction of that. Despite the few members, their work is far-spread and impactful. Construction Mechanic 1st Class Jeremy Tatlock, a MUSE Sailor, said they’ve been supporting Naval Radio Station Jim Creek for 11 years. The work done by the program allowed the facility to begin the development and installation of its own emergency power infrastructure that will be completed within the next few years.
“MUSE allows the facility to continue meeting its mission and supporting the fleet with critical communications while implementing its Military Construction,” added Tatlock.
Construction Electrician 1st Class Dewain Smith and Construction Electrician 1st Class Alphanso Gilling worked alongside Tatlock to complete their inspection at a power plant on Jim Creek. They spoke with the contractors who work at the plant about the two generators on-site and ensured that they would look over all concerns the contractors had. Afterwards, the team spent five days completing their inspection and noting discrepancies they found. Without skipping a beat, the team immediately shifted their sights to Naval Station Everett.
The team begins each job by examining and identifying what equipment they’re dealing with. Then they review all previous inspection reports, deployment agreements and site summary reports. After they collect all this information, they gather the required tools and test sets for the inspection. Finally, they have a briefing and last review of their tasks and travel details before departing.
In a typical year, a singular technician completes 10-20 jobs that require them to travel all over the world. Each program applicant must complete training at the year-long Army Prime Power School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and get selected for the MUSE program. This training helps individuals understand the core missions of MUSE.
At Naval Station Everett, MUSE provides the power transformation which supports the ships and submarines that pull in for maintenance and overhaul.
“This is an example of our most prevalent mission, which is cold iron support,” said Tatlock. “Cold Iron support is the powering of moored fleet assets through power generation or transformation.”
MUSE could be described as the lifeblood of naval operations around the world because it supports Navy vessels, installations and even provides humanitarian assistance. In just a short amount of time after arriving at a location, these teams can quickly and accurately assess electrical systems and deliver critical information.
“I saw MUSE as a really big challenge,” said Tatlok, “I wanted to be a part of that. It’s the best program in the Navy.”
For more information on the MUSE program, visit www.navfac.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2021 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 401306 |
| Location: | EVERETT, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 240 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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