Photo By Danielle Lofton | 220802-N-HD161-4882 NORFOLK (Aug. 2, 2022) Christopher Callow (right), a Marine...... read more read more
Sailors and civilians successfully completed a training course to receive their certification to overhaul and test deluge valves, a Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) first.
Christopher Callow, a marine machinery mechanic, received his certification to overhaul and test deluge valves when he attended a training course last year at Southeast Regional Maintenance Center. Upon arrival at MARMC, Callow used the skills he learned to assist in establishing a class to provide other trainees the opportunity to complete the course.
“In just one-week the trainees learned how to dissemble and then rebuild deluge valves, stripping them down and then testing the rebuilt valves for efficiency,” said Callow about the MARMC course that was led by Fransheska Berrios and Dan Goebel, Engineering Technicians from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). “This training broadens MARMC’s capabilities and makes us more valuable to the fleet.”
Before offering this type of certification, overhauling and testing deluge valves would be outsourced to another shipyard for completion of the repair. Now MARMC has the ability to overhaul these valves in-house, saving both time and money for the fleet.
Deluge valves control highly pressurized water flow, pumping out an astounding 40-gallons of water per minute to extinguish and cool warheads if a missile fails to launch. Guided-missile destroyers have 96 of these valves while guided-missile cruisers have 122.
At the end of the week, the trainees were required to pass a test in order to receive their certification and will be required to recertify once a year.
“The instructional manual took some getting used to but overall the class wasn’t too difficult for me,” said Robert Workman, a marine machinery mechanic who completed the course. “It feels good to have added a new capability to my skillset and be a part of the first group at MARMC able to overhaul these valves.”
Since the completion of training, MARMC has received 122 deluge valves ready for overhaul from the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61), scheduled to decommission later this month.
“We’ll have overhauled and tested valves on the shelf,” said Callow. “Now when a ship comes in that needs those parts we can switch out the defective valves with the overhauled ones.”
MARMC trainees came from a mix of intermediate-level Production Department shops including the Valve Shop, Pump Shop, Outside Machinery Shop, Diesel Shop, and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Branch.
MARMC, a field activity under NAVSEA, 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).
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2022 12:59 |
| Story ID: | 431346 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 66 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MARMC Adds New Capability, by Danielle Lofton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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