Photo By Daniel DeAngelis | Norfolk Naval Shipyard's Code 930 Zone Manager Anthony Britton and Code 300 Quality...... read more read more
In early 2006, Michelle Lappin was an Army Reservist deployed overseas, her unit’s primary mission to transfer fuel and rations from base to base. In route to their destination, she was a passenger on one of the two-person trucks when she noted other vehicles begin to swerve ahead of them. “And then all of a sudden, there was a fireball right in front of our faces,” Lappin shared, recalling the day a 60 millimeter round improvised explosive device (IED) hidden under a sandbag along their route had remote detonated as they were passing by.
This incident thankfully had minimal injuries, one of two such incidents she’d faced during her time of deployment. Lappin credits that a huge factor in how their lives were saved were greatly in part to the armor placed on the trucks. In 2015, now a civilian and working at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), she soon learned that America’s Shipyard actually played a huge part in getting those trucks armored and ready in 2005.
“It was so special to find out that this shipyard played a part in saving my life and so many other lives in their efforts,” said Lappin. “And I always wondered if I would get to meet some of the members who worked on those trucks.”
Fast forward to early 2022, where now Operations Department (Code 300) Quality Advocate Lappin joined fellow members of the NNSY Chapter 3 of the Federal Managers Association (FMA) for the national convention in Washington, D.C. During the Day on the Hill event, members had a chance to speak with staffers of congress on the challenges of not getting appropriate funding in time. Lappin stepped forward to share her personal story to help bring perspective to the issue – and that’s when it clicked for Code 930 Zone Manager Anthony Britton – they shared a connection.
Born into a military family, Britton had joined the Navy himself at an early age. He was stationed on USS Coral Sea (CV 43) which was being serviced at America’s Shipyard during his time and he immediately fell in love with what would eventually become his home yard as a civilian. He was discharged from the Navy in September 1987 and was stepping through the gates as an employee of NNSY in October that same year, joining the reservists as well in order to keep servicing the mission to protect our nation.
“In 2005, NNSY was asked to go overseas and assist in getting trucks armored and ready to go,” said Britton. “I was itching to join the efforts and when I got over there, I didn’t want to leave. Seeing the work we were doing directly affected our soldiers was such a great experience for me and the teams from the shipyard that went over there. I always knew that the work we did was important but we never really got to make that connection firsthand before. And then I heard Mrs. Lappin begin to speak at the convention and I immediately knew she was one of the soldiers we helped make a difference for. I spoke up and shared my story alongside hers and by the end of it; there wasn’t a dry eye left in the room.”
“Unbeknownst to anyone, I was sitting at that very table with someone whose efforts directly affected my time in the service – whose efforts were instrumental in keeping us alive,” said Lappin. “I can’t say for certain that my specific vehicle was handled by the NNSY teams but their connections and efforts helped saved millions of lives, including my own. Being able to learn of this connection and be able to say thank you in person was so special to me.”
“It really highlights the importance of doing our job right and serving the mission each day,” said Britton. “What we are doing here at America’s Shipyard saves lives and you never know who you may support in what you’re doing.”
Lappin added, “You never know the impact of what you do and how it affects the person next to you, leading you, or being led by you. With everything we do, there are impacts and connections being made and we’re in this together to serve our Fleet and our nation. I never thought I would get to meet someone who played a part in saving my life and yet here we are. And I’m going to continue to meet with fellow shipyarders who also played a part in armoring our vehicles and thanking them in person as well. For anyone who I haven’t gotten to meet or speak with, thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do for our nation. Your efforts are truly appreciated.”
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2022 08:46 |
| Story ID: | 422777 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Connected Through Service: NNSY Employees Share Link in Efforts that Saved the Lives of American Soldiers, by Kristi R Britt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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