The Partnership Between the OICC PNSY and the New Hampshire Army National Guard Proves to be a Win for Each

Photo By Victoria Arel | A final look at the monolith construction site in Brewer, Maine as the helicopter heads back to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. (US Navy photo)  

UNITED STATES

04.11.2023

Story by Victoria Arel 

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Officer In Charge Of Construction Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

When you think of Army and Navy, you often think of a storied college football rivalry, but in New England, these sister services are very much on the same team, despite different playbooks. As an example, a valuable partnership between the Officer in Charge of Construction Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (OICC PNSY) and the New Hampshire Army National Guard (NHARNG) has proven to be a win for each.

To keep the mission on track, Navy leaders must have detailed visibility into the projects overseen by the OICC PNSY, regardless of where they are physically located. Such is the case with the Multi-Mission Dry Dock now under construction at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. While the dry dock is in Kittery, work to construct elements is located nearly three hours away in Brewer, Maine.

With time being one of the Navy’s most precious resources, Cmdr. Francis Tay, operations officer for OICC PNSY reached out to the NHARNG for transportation support. “When I posed my question to NHARNG, they immediately jumped on board,” said Tay.

“This is a great opportunity for the NHARNG to support the Navy,” said Col. David Mattimore, state aviation officer. “It’s also a cost-effective way for our pilots to utilize required training hours in support of one of our Department of Defense partners.”

Thanks to the support of the NHARNG the nearly seven hour roundtrip drive to Brewer can be shortened to just three hours. This means more time is spent on site keeping the project going, with less time wasted traveling from one locale to the next.

“Partnerships are essential to our success,” says Capt. Frank Carroll, commanding officer, OICC PNSY, “they are built on trust and communication. Both organizations are making good on a commitment to readiness, and all it took was one conversation to deliver a winning play.”

The Navy broke ground on the dry dock project in September 2021. The project represents one of the most significant and direct contributions being made by the Navy to enable lethality and maximize fleet readiness for many years to come. Such an immense project requires massive parts like monoliths which are currently under construction in Brewer. Monoliths are large concrete structures, the size of multi-story buildings, weighing 4,500 tons each. Upon completion the monoliths will be transported to the shipyard on a barge. Once in place, they will make up the floor and walls of the dry dock.

NHARNG aviators fly a variety of missions at home and overseas, as well as, support local agencies like New Hampshire Fish and Game with operations such as, search and rescue, wildfire suppression, and medical evacuation.

OICC PNSY leads the way with Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program projects, designed to meet the fleet’s operational cycle and expected service life requirements. They provide post-award oversight for more than $2.8 billion of military construction and special projects, ensuring a dedicated focus on construction of critical production support projects in support of the fleet.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2023
• Date Posted: 04.11.2023 13:03
• Story ID: 442392
• Location: US