Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Rebekah Adler | Onboard USS Wasp, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarrod Prouse conducts repairs on the handle...... read more read more
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USS WASP, At Sea – USS Wasp began an eight-month Continuous Maintenance Availability, Aug. 23 to conduct necessary upkeep and upgrades of the ship.
“The reason why we’re going through this is to extend the life of the ship; this is just one of those things that have to be done,” said Lt. Cmdr. Arthur Harvey, Wasp’s Planned Maintenance Availability Coordinator.
“Taking care of the ship is like taking care of your house; if you don’t paint it after five years it starts peeling and wood starts rotting, so it’s all about the upkeep of your home.”
During Wasp’s CMAV period, projects will be underway to repair and overhaul the ship’s berthings, galleys, and other vital spaces, with new lagging and fresh coats of paint applied in just about every space.
“Whether it’s cleaning, taking lockers out or replacing something, it’s an all hands effort,” Harvey explained. “You will see this whole ship torn apart; there’ll be scaffolding where you never thought scaffolding would be before. We plan to have several tiger teams employed throughout the ship to help support these efforts.”
Wasp is also scheduled to receive new equipment upgrades in areas such as its engineering spaces, which will have its boilers taken apart to check for any problems or deficiencies, a process that occurs every 18 months.
“These boilers have hundreds of steaming hours on them, so it’s necessary for the ship’s life cycle for us to stay at the designated time for these repairs,” said Chief Warrant Officer Byron Martin, Wasp’s Boiler Officer.
“Just imagine if you bought a car in 1990 and have been driving it ever since. It’s going to have a lot of miles on it, so just like a car engine, we’ve got to take a look at the ship’s engine.”
Other improvements being planned during CMAV are modifications to help the boilers steam better, plus a newer and safer chemical treatment for the boiler water called Carbohydrazide, said Martin.
According to Lt. Tony Fries, Wasp’s Assistant PMA Coordinator, the CMAV period is essential not only to the life of the ship, but to the welfare of the crew.
“If there are any major issues with the ship, it becomes a domino effect from top to bottom,” said Fries. “By ensuring we have adequate berthings and working showers, we are putting together all the pieces of the puzzle for our Sailors. We want to make sure they’re taken care of so we can get out there, complete the ship’s mission, and return home safely.”
Having completed an Inspection of Board and Survey, participated in international events in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and undergone several ship-wide inspections in the past year has left little personal time for the crew. In spite of the crew’s projected workload during CMAV, some Wasp Sailors will use this time in port to pursue personal goals and to spend some all important time with their families.
“Even though we have work that needs to be done, we don’t have to worry about the ins and outs of going out to sea,” said Harvey. “We can finally plan for family vacations and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Engineman Fireman Emily Moser said the CMAV will be challenging, but she is looking forward to a more relaxed atmosphere and a less hectic schedule.
“It will give us more time to get things done, since there are things you can’t fix underway, so it will be less stressful,” said Moser, who plans to take college courses for her bachelor’s degree in business studies. “It will also be a nice time to work on school and personal goals.”
Lt. Marc VanOrden, Wasp’s Ship’s Force Maintenance Coordinator, encouraged all Wasp sailors to be especially vigilant when inspecting their spaces to make sure that nothing is forgotten during the CMAV period.
“Everyone should look in their Consolidated Ship’s Maintenance Plan to figure out what jobs need to be done for each individual department,” said VanOrden. “If you notice lagging or paint problems or types of corrosion that you can’t identify, make sure you log it in CSMP. We’ve got to take care of the ship so it takes care of us when we go out to sea again.”
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.30.2010 09:27 |
| Story ID: | 55397 |
| Location: | USS WASP, AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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