Courtesy Photo | The outgoing Officer-In-Charge of U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility Detachment Singapore...... read more read more
CHANGI NAVAL BASE, REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE – U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) conducted the first Change of Charge ceremony for its U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility Detachment Singapore (SRF Det. Singapore) at Changi Naval Base on May 23. Cmdr. David Armandt relinquished his duties as the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of ship repair operations to Cmdr. Elliott VonWeller.
Cmdr. Von Weller is a native Alaskan who enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1993 as an Operations Specialist assigned to the USS FLETCHER (DD-992) in Pearl Harbor, HI. Following his enlisted tour, he returned to Oregon where he attended Portland State University and earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Physics and an M.E. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He returned to service in 2009, commissioning as an instructor at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC) and went on to be the Command Training Evaluator for Nuclear Field “A” School. While at NNPTC, he taught in the Physics department at Charleston Southern University and earned an M.B.A.
In 2013, CDR VonWeller transferred to the Engineering Duty Officer Community, completing a deterrent patrol on USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730 Blue). He then reported to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) as Nuclear Assistant Project Superintendent during the USS NEBRASKA (SSBN-739) Engineering Refueling Overhaul, Deputy Product Line Officer and as Shipyard Docking Officer successfully conducted the 2018 drydocking of USS NIMITZ (CVN-68). While assigned to PSNS, he qualified Engineering Duty, earned Engineering Duty Dolphins and completed an M.S. in Systems Engineering.
He next attended the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) earning an M.S. in Astronautical Engineering and is currently working with NPS to complete his PhD in Astronautical Engineering.
He then transferred to SRF-JRMC serving as Project Superintendent, Waterfront Repair Officer, Operations Officer, Engineering and Planning Officer and finally Waterfront Business Officer. During this tour, he completed a six-month Individual Augmentation with Security Assistance Group – Ukraine in Wiesbaden, Germany.
“I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead this team, in this theater, at this time,” said Cmdr. VonWeller. “I am truly honored to assume the role of Officer in Charge of Ship Repair Facility Detachment Singapore. This is an exciting moment for me, and I’m filled with gratitude and enthusiasm for the journey ahead.”
U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility Detachment, Singapore has a unique history. The unit was established as the N43 Maintenance and Engineering Department of Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) in July of 1992, after the relocation of personnel from Ship Repair Facility Subic Bay, Philippines. The department, consisting of 8 personnel and a small contract oversight team, took on the responsibility of providing the oversight for all surface ship maintenance, outside Japan, in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
With the increased workload and complexity of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) executing extended deployments and forward operating out of Singapore, the command size increased to 40 with an annual maintenance budget of ~$90M. Seeking realignment of the surface ship maintenance responsibilities under Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA), Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) directed that SRF Det. Singapore be established on August 1, 2023 under SRF-JRMC.
Today, SRF Det. Singapore is responsible for the maintenance, modernization and repairs for United States Navy ships deployed throughout more than 48 million square miles of the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Operations outside of Japan. The team provides the work specification development, engineering design, contract management oversight, material procurement, safety and quality assurance to ensure optimum material readiness of Fleet assets needed to deter, fight and win. The team works closely with partners and allies in Singapore, Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India to execute repairs for the units under the U.S. 7th Fleet Operational Commander.
For over 75-years, U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) has been the linchpin of U.S. naval operations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region by providing intermediate-level and depot level repair for the ships of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2024 03:59 |
| Story ID: | 473072 |
| Location: | SG |
| Web Views: | 397 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SRF-JRMC Conducts Its First Singapore Detachment Change of Charge, by Randall Baucom, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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