Yardlines

A Publication of Newport News Shipbuilding September 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

Emerging Technologies for Shipbuilders

Enterprise’s Family Ties

New Submarine Construction Facility Opens

Photo by Chris Oxley

As a portion of the bow module for the submarine Illinois

broke through ceremonial ribbon, an important new

chapter for the Virginia-Class Submarine (VCS) Program

began at Newport News Shipbuilding. On August 24,

the production bay areas of the 65,000-square foot

Supplemental Module Outfi tting Facility (SMOF) opened,

bringing with it many advancements and new features for

the VCS shipbuilders who will build submarine modules

there. Supplementing the existing Module Outfi tting

Facility (MOF), which opened in 1986 to support the Los

Angeles-class ships, the SMOF is designed to help meet

increased production schedules required to build two

ships per year for the program.

Many bells and whistles come with the building to help

employees work safer, smarter and more effectively.

Ed Spruill and Angel McCoy said the new facility was

designed with shipbuilders in mind. They worked with the

planners and designers to help ensure employees would

be satisfi ed and excited with the new facility. 

Spruill describes the new facility as an oversized garage

with 17 smaller compartments inside for each trade.

“These spaces are designed to the trade’s specifi cations

so they can work effi ciently. It also gives them a

permanent place to work, instead of having to keep

shuffl ing around,” said Spruill.

There are major changes that shipbuilders will

immediately notice, such as more effi cient staging.

Instead of building staging around each module, the

staging is preset and has the ability to be moved quickly

when needed.

A New Home forSubmarine Builders

“When a unit comes in, you’ll have staging that extends

out to meet the form of the ship,” said McCoy.

Not only is the production area more effi cient, but the

offi ce space, which is scheduled to open later in the

year, has also been strategically planned. Offi ces and

cubicles are located to one side of the facility to keep the

production fl oor clear, and at the center of the building are

three open platforms.

“Instead of having multiple cranes like the MOF, the SMOF

has only two bridge cranes that run the entire length of

the building. This will allow a more effi cient movement

of materials up and over the center platform to service

multiple bays,” said Mike Kehoe, construction engineer

and project lead for the SMOF.

Three multi-purpose rooms, fully equipped with audio

and video capabilities, will provide a quiet place for

supervisors and foremen to meet with employees.

“We’re going to have a nice quiet place to do crew and

safety talks, and production and schedule discussions,”

said Foreman Brad Cotton.

The fi rst of the four bays will be occupied by shipbuilders

working on Illinois (SSN 786), and the fi rst NNS-delivered

submarine to be worked on in the building will be the John

Warner (SSN 785). The other bays are expected to be fully

occupied by December 2013. | By Jeremy Bustin

A 410-ton section of the bow for Illinois (SSN 786) prepares to break the ceremonial ribbon for the opening of the new submarine facility. Photo by Chris Oxley

Kennon Marsh builds protective guards in the Sheet Metal Shop to cover the rapidly spinning shafts that are onboard Virginia-class submarines. Photo by Ricky Thompson

When 21-year-old Kennon Marsh came to the shipyard three decades ago, he

had just a few skills to offer.

“I could read a tape measure and do a little grinding,” Marsh said. And

when he saw the massive aircraft carriers being built at Newport News, “my

knees would shake.” I thought, ‘One day, I might be building that stuff,’” he

remembered.

For the last 31 years, Marsh has been mastering his craft in the Sheet Metal

Shop where he started his career. Today, he is building the personnel guards

for shafts onboard Virginia-class submarines. The guards are protective

covers over the rapidly spinning shafts.

“It’s nicknamed the ‘ferris wheel,’” Marsh said of the guard. Made from about

40 pieces of metal bolted together into one giant piece, “It looks almost like

the wheel on ‘The Price is Right.’ It just doesn’t have the numbers on it,” he

said with a laugh.

Marsh also had a hand in building all of the fan coils for the carrier USS

Ronald Reagan. “I’ve worked a lot of large jobs,” he said. And that’s how he

likes it.

Marsh likes the jobs that take some time, skill and patience to accomplish—

the jobs where “we work together as a team. When it all comes together, you

have the satisfaction that everyone participating made it happen.” 

In 2008, it was his and the work of his co-workers to build the doors for the

island of the carrier USS George H. W. Bush that earned him a chance to be

on the deck when the island was landed. “President Bush autographed some

of the programs and I got mine autographed. That was a big privilege,” he

said.

Marsh takes a lot of pride in watching a carrier grow in the dry dock as he

looks over to the yard on his daily drive down Warwick Boulevard. He is

also proud that one of his stepchildren served onboard one of those carriers

he helped build, and that his work has impact on not just his kids, but the

children of others, too. “I feel a part of that,” he said. 

“I’m always trying to do the best job I can—to try to become valuable,” Marsh

explained. “I’m always wanting to step up to the plate.” | By Kelly Barlow

Big Jobs are the

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After fi ve decades in service, odds are that members of

the same family would be involved with building and

maintaining USS Enterprise (CVN 65). At Newport News

Shipbuilding (NNS), three generations of the Howell family

have all experienced the challenges, successes and pride

of working on Enterprise since its construction began in

the late 1950s.

Together, the Howells have clocked more than 83 years, so

far, at the shipyard. A. Courtney “Mole” Howell, father to

Greg Howell and grandfather to Brent Howell, joined the

shipyard in 1943. Working as supervisor of machinery on

Enterprise during the 1950s, he has vivid memories of the

hard work needed to complete the Navy’s fi rst nuclear-

powered aircraft carrier.

“It was fun to work it,” Mole Howell remembered. “To

build something so massive was defi nitely hard to do. It

was something completely new. As a supervisor, I can say

I helped build it.”

Continuing his father’s legacy, son Greg Howell is a

general foreman in the Riggers department, servicing

carrier refueling. He began working at the shipyard in 1980

before the ship’s fourth overhaul, and he has witnessed

the dedication and commitment shipbuilders have to

Enterprise.

“Enterprise is a strong, strong bond in this company,”

Greg Howell noted. “A lot of people have touched

Enterprise and it has touched a lot of people.”

Including Brent Howell, the third-generation Howell to

work on the ship. As an engineer in Reactor Services, he is

Generations

planning for the inactivation and defueling of Enterprise,

which will begin after the ship arrives at Naval Station

Norfolk later this year and will continue when the ship

arrives at NNS in 2013.

“It’s unbelievable how much planning is involved just to

take the ship apart, and we’re just doing the defueling,” he

said. “I can’t imagine what the actual construction of the

ship was like.”

Between Mole, who is now retired, and Greg and Brent,

at least one Howell family member has worked on

Enterprise during different phases of the ship’s life—initial

construction, mid-life refueling and overhaul, and now

inactivation.

“I think it’s amazing and very unique that the same ship I

worked on, my son helped with the refueling, and now my

grandson is working to defuel it,” Mole observed.

With Enterprise arriving at NNS for its inactivation next

year, the Howell family, like many other NNS shipbuilders,

will see the completion of all the hard work they put into

such a beloved ship over many years. Last November,

Enterprise celebrated its 50th birthday, making the carrier

the oldest active duty ship in the U.S. naval fl eet.

Since her commissioning on Nov. 25, 1961, “Big E”

has undergone four refuelings and overhauls, in 1964,

1970, 1979 and 1990, three of which occurred at NNS.

| By Phoebe Doty

Since the 1950s, at least one Howell family member has worked on the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) during different phases of the ship’s life. L to R: General Foreman Greg Howell; Mole Howell, a retired supervisor, and Engineer Brent Howell.Photo by Ricky Thompson

dedicationof

Foreman Wayne Maxwell was dubbed the “King of Crew

Talks” by his superintendent, Dave Person, because of

his ability to empower and sustain positive momentum

with his crew.

Maxwell’s 17-member crew is painting the island on USS

Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). On Wednesday mornings

before the crew boards the carrier, they meet to discuss

work results, upcoming challenges, goals and new

opportunities for improvement.

Most talks begin with Maxwell reminding his crew to take

ownership of their work. “This is our shipyard and our

business,” he reminds them. “It’s important for each of

us to act like business owners.”

Maxwell prepares a one-page progress report for every

meeting. “The report has a section for each of Newport

News Shipbuilding’s (NNS) four pillars (safety, quality,

cost and schedule) and one for team recognition,” said

team member Ronell Alexander. “By reviewing our

progress through the pillars, we are able to see how we

fi t in with the company’s big-picture goals.”

Individual crew members take turns presenting sections

of the weekly report. “By taking ownership of the crew’s

progress, each member is naturally more engaged in

their work and passionate about the crew’s end results.

This type of environment enables the crew to better

themselves, which in turn betters our business,” said

Maxwell.

First-time quality and time management is a recurring

theme during most talks. “Being hired back for a job isn’t

automatic,” Maxwell reiterates to the crew. “Therefore,

it’s absolutely crucial that we do our jobs correctly and in

a timely manner so we get hired back.”

kingof Crew

Talks

Team members Charles Broadusuc and Ivis Suarez

agree that they have acquired a tremendous amount of

knowledge from Maxwell. “I’ve learned that our crew

can have a big impact on how NNS does business,”

said Broadusuc. “It’s the small pieces of the puzzle that

have to come together in order for the whole puzzle to

be complete. Our crew is just a small piece, but we are

making an impact, and that motivates me.” | By Lauren Ward

Forman Wayne Maxwell discusses business results and the crew’s progress painting USS Theodore Roosevelt’s island with Charles Broadusuc and Ivis Suarez. Photo by Ricky Thompson

This article begins a series on technologies being developed under Newport News Shipbuilding’s (NNS) Independent Research & Development (IR&D) and Manufacturing & Production Engineering (M&PE) programs that improve the process of building ships and potentially expand NNS’s business into new industries.

In 1996, when Gary Good began work in IR&D at NNS, he

was tasked with discovering an easier way for sailors to

handle ordnance, cargo and heavy equipment onboard

carriers. Sixteen years later, his assignment has morphed

into a small category of research and development—

leveraging robotics and mechanical exoskeletons to help

shipbuilders perform everyday industrial tasks more

safely and accurately.

Teleoperated Shipbuilding RobotsGood called the problem the “lift gap.” Almost 80 percent

of lifts performed by some large cranes are just out of

reach of human safe-lifting limits. This ties up cranes

and uses a lot of man-hours. Good thought about an

intermediate solution and has been working with several

companies to develop robotic prototypes to solve the lift

gap in the shipyard.

“For example, we worked with Raytheon Sarcos, the

company that did consulting for the movie “Iron Man,”

to develop the robot concept for shipbuilding,” explained

Good. “Using robotics to lift heavy items would

signifi cantly minimize the man-hour cost and reduce

injuries.” Using magnetic “hands,” shipbuilding robots

could help perform tasks that would free up cranes for

larger jobs and signifi cantly reduce associated man-

hours. The concept of the shipbuilding robot is still being

matured for shipyard use.

(Watch a video demonstration of the shipbuilding robot

at nns.hungingtoningalls.com/videos)

Exoskeleton TechnologyExoskeletons and related mechanical devices are a much

nearer reality. Some also compensate for gravity, but A Raytheon Sarcos representative demonstrates the teleoperated robot that is being developed for shipbuilding use. File photo by Ricky Thompson

ROBOTS&

EXOSK

ELETON

in a simpler way—they provide an external skeleton.

Newport News Industrial has just purchased six such

devices called ZeroG (Zero Gravity) Arms to use on a new

commercial nuclear project that requires a large amount

of precision welding and grinding.

“Normally, the person grinding would be resting up to

70 percent of the time, just from the strain of holding the

18-pound tool,” said Good. “Not only will these ZeroG

Arms require fewer rest periods, they allow us to use

slightly heavier but far more powerful grinders.” With

fewer rests and better grinders, productivity is expected

to increase by two and a half to three times on the task,

making it a technology that has potential application

throughout the business. | By Peter Stern

NS

With each rotation, large metal shavings ranging from a

foot to a few yards drop from the WACH-manufactured

stern ring lathe used in the machining process for

the propulsor bolting face. The bolting face joins the

propulsor to the outer structure of a Virginia-class

submarine’s (VCS) stern.

At the center of the 13-ton machine is a tiny blade the

size of a human thumbnail. “You would think that a

machine this large would have a more sizeable blade,”

said Machinist Michael Kappauf, one of only a few highly-

trained operators for the ring lathe.

The device was specifi cally designed for the VCS

program to speed up the machining operation while

achieving extremely tight tolerance requirements, and is

the only one of its kind.

“This process used to require six months, but the new

WACH lathe shaves off 78 percent of the time from the

process,” said General Foreman Jerry Snow. “Now, the

same job can be completed in just 40 days.”

Kappauf, who has been with Newport News Shipbuilding

(NNS) for 10 years, has been training other machinists

in how to use the lathe so that work can continue across

multiple shifts.

“Each completed cut takes approximately four hours to

fi nish, and the machine makes 2,800 rotations per cut,”

said Kappauf. “I enjoy seeing processes improved and

man hours shed.”

The new lathe and shorter process free up shipbuilders

to work on other construction activities and help enable

NNS to meet its schedule of delivering two submarines

per year to the Navy. | By Jeremy Bustin

edge

theCUTTING

A new 13-ton stern ring lathe, specifi cally designed for Virginia-class submarines, reduces machining of the propulsor bolting face from six months to 40 days.Photo by Chris Oxley

Jennifer Frickman knows fi rst-hand what the American

Heart Association (AHA) does to save lives. Because of

the life-saving care her mother received immediately

following a heart attack, Frickman decided to show her

gratitude to the hospital staff and the AHA by leading a

team at this year’s Heart Walk.

“My mother was only 54 years old when she had her

heart attack last November,” Frickman said. “The

American Heart Association provided critical information

that ensured my mother received the emergency services

she needed in her time of crisis.”

AHA provides education about heart disease and strokes,

promotes healthy living, and advocates for the best

treatment available to patients.

Frickman formed the “Joyful Heart” team to celebrate

her mother’s life and to serve as a reminder to be vigilant

about one’s health. “My mother and sister will be joining

me for the Heart Walk,” Frickman said. “I am also asking

other shipbuilders and friends to walk with us.”

The annual Heart Walk will take place on September 22 at

Mount Trashmore and October 13 in Newport News Park.

“The Heart Walk is great opportunity to do two things,”

said Tiajuana Benson-Bond, who is coordinating the

shipyard’s participation in the event. “Employees can

start or continue to make healthy lifestyle choices,

such as walking, and we can show our support for the

American Heart Association.”

AHA is one of the 29 agencies the United Way of the

Virginia Peninsula supports. By donating to the NNS

annual United Way campaign, which begins October 22,

AHA and other organizations will continue to receive

funding they need to assist people in the Hampton Roads

Community. | By Jordan Bryan

Walking with Joyful Hearts

Making a Difference Making a Difference

Shipbuilders Jennifer Frickman (right) and her sister Victoria Ziemba walk the shipyard’s perimeter to prepare for the October 13 Heart Walk in Newport News Park. Photo by John Whalen

Robert Chappell Sr.

40 years

James Woodous

40 years

Harold Coston

40 years

Johnie Altman

45 years

Jesse R. Cartwright

45 years

Jay K. Mizelle

40 years

King E. Jones

45 years

Lamar Williams

50 years

James Thornton

40 years

Michael E. Combs

40 years

Oliver Hill

45 years

Long ServiceMASTER SHIPBUILDERS

Bruce Woodson

45 years

Steve Little

40 years

W. Glenn Campbell

40 years

Barbara Joyner

40 years

David McCoy

45 years

Debbie Garrison

40 yearsTerry Daniels

40 years

Lyle Oney

40 years

Douglas Scott

40 years

David Hinnant

50 years

Jim Hackett

40 years

AUGUST

Broderick Ames

40 years

Note from the Editor:

Each month, the Communications team takes great pride in publishing Yardlines. Our writers, designers and

photographers strive to honor our great people and products through amazing photos and articles about the unique

world of shipbuilding. In the last few issues, we have made some mistakes on the Long Service pages. Regrettably,

we have omitted names and photographs and incorrectly identifi ed some of our Master Shipbuilders. We sincerely

apologize for these mistakes and want you to know we have taken a number of steps to help ensure these errors don’t

occur in the future. We hope you will continue to read and enjoy Yardlines because you, our shipbuilders, are what

make Yardlines a very special magazine and the shipyard a great place to work.

Sincerely,

Gina Chew-Holman

Long ServiceAUGUST

50 YEARS David R. Hinnant N311Lamar E. Williams Jr. E44 45 YEARS John W. Altman X71Johnny L. Camden X58Jesse R. Cartwright X70Bettie A. Den Dekker E26Oliver D. Hill X54King E. Jones X15David F. McCoy X54Ralph E. Suggs O43James B. Woodson K78 40 YEARS Broderick L. Ames O67Larry D. Burnell X42Wilbert G. Campbell K93Michael E. Combs X42Harold D. Coston M53Terry W. Daniels X31Deborah R. Garrison X87James R. Hackett E85David L Hamilton X31Barbara M. Joyner X36Steven W. Little E83Jay K. Mizelle E42Lyle V. Oney AMSECDouglas L. Scott E10Rufus A. Sipple Jr. O46James K. Thornton O43James H. Woodous X18 35 YEARS Lee H. Allen E21Larry D. Askew X10

Robbin J. Beale X36Dearl L. Brickhouse X58Robert K. Collins K75Wilton Dixson O43Hazel M. Eley O46Richard H. Giunti O46Wayne A. Hafer E25Carl R. Haithcock X42Marlin E. Hall X43Mary C. Hamilton O51George J. Harrell X36Diane J. Jackson X33Sherman E. Jefferson X36Willie D. Johnson X36Peter M. Ledford O45Milton Lunsford Jr. O46Cheryl A. Moran O53Cynthia K. Muckelroy X89Danny R. Narron X10Frankie L. Nelson X36Kurt S. Neumann E22Alvin L. Parker X42William E. Payne X18Rena Peoples X33Jerome T. Pickett X18Rufus D. Porter X31Anthony N. Richardson O43Annette C. Saunders O57Mark T. Sink O46Tammy L. Straughen X10Lawrence C. Taylor E84Tracy D. Van Kleeck O39Robert H. Wallace X31Wilson Warren X36Michael Weaver O43Wayne H. Webb X18Marjorie M. West X36

George A. Wiggins X36 30 YEARS Pamela W. Adams E42Kenneth R. Alley O40Donald C. Astrum X70Bobby G. Atkinson O53James L. Barger X88Stanley C. Bonk E65Charles E. Breiner X43John L. Carter X11Earl M. Cobbs X11Keith E. Collins X71Joseph Copeland X33Edward A. Cox X33David K. Davenport X42Steven T. Davis X89David M. Dea M30William A. Dickens A572David J. Dreybus O48Mark R. Dudley O25James P. Dumlao X18Felita H. Fields O19Robert E. Fisher X18Randolph M. Fitzgerald Jr. X42Earl M. Fox X33Charles A. Gerehart O26Robert L. Godfrey IV X11Alphonza R. Green X18Frank N. Harris Jr. X11Elwood Henderson X32Melvin A. Holloman X18Frances G. Jarabak X75Clifford B. Jarrell X11Wayne B. Jennings X11Charles B. Johnson II X71Beresford D. Jones X11

Danny R. Jordan X18Thomas E. Joyner X18Lewis D. Knight X74Alfred D. Lee X18Brian A. Lemmert E72James W. Lewis E45Marvin C. Lewis O46David P. Light E25Donald T. Marrow E82Daniel P. Marusek E13Jimmy G. Mason X42Dan P. McElheney M30Zoltan G. Molnar O19Reginald A. Monroe X89Gary R. Moore E38Ralph E. Mosely Jr. X10Cheryl J. Park E42Larry T. Phelps X42Kenneth R. Pope X88Edward B. Pritchett Jr. X10Charles F. Pyle Jr. X42Ralph S. Riddick X32Rex R. Saunders X88Michael W. Saxon X18Tod F. Scarborough X54William G. Schrum E84David Seward X15William M. Siefers X75Gary G. Simmons X88Robert L. Spruiell II O39Andrew D. Sweeney X18Al N. Sykes E25Robert C. Talton X32Polly A. Tayloe E39Cladie M. Taylor O46Timothy D. Todd O58David B. Topping O43

Alonzo E. Townes X18Thomas B. Urbanowicz E68Ronald W. Vance Jr. O43Edwin W. Washburn Jr. X11Robert A. White O64Alphonsa M. Whitfi eld Jr. X18Kermit W. Wiggins Jr. X32Marvin L. Williams X11Raymond D. Williams Jr. X42Shirley R. Willis O14Michael E. Wyatt X88Stephen E. Zeigler X32Gary J. Zimak O30 25 YEARS Donald P. Adams E38Douglas M. Askew X32Charles D. Banks X11Darlene P. Barber O14John R. Bishop Jr. X71Mary J. Bowers E83James D. Boyd M71Gilbert M. Bryan Jr. M53Joann B. Burroughs E42Richard A. Daniels O53Debbie K. Davis E81Scott F. Davis N940Amy E. Eastep N315Sean R. Gilmartin X36Milton A. Greene X33Thomas R. Headrick E70Derrick C. Hicks X67James E. Holland X18Geoffrey T. Hummel K89Gloria I. Johnson E81Kerry D. Johnson X33Ricky A. Landock E83

Paul A. Lasseigne E15Jerry L. Laughrun E07Kelley M. Lewis Jr. X32Michael J. Maliniak E86Patricia L. Morris X89Thomas F. Morse X11Jerry N. Pepper Jr. M53Tony L. Plumb E83Francis D. Reed X33Brian C. Ridley O04Michael L. Robinson X18Peter J. Robinson E21George H. Scott X18Henry L. Stovall Jr. AMSECRoy L. Townsend III X11Melvin L. Turner O53Ronald K. Tyler X88Sylvester Upshur X18Eddie D. Vennie X18Ellis R. Ward X88John T. Watkins Jr. X33Thejuania R. Watson O51Keith L. West X31Preston T. White X88David E. White II X70Reginald Whitehead Sr. X18Tyrone Williams X71Willard E. Yoke II E82 20 YEARS Winfred C. Hairston X87Raymond J. Soblotne AMSECDuane E. Walker E56Clinton B. Wright E56

RetirementsJULY

Phillip N. Bazzani O78William E. Bondranko M53Andrew Boone Jr. X36Randolph Burgess X43

Albert E. Bush X33Peggy A. Carpenter O38Lloyd W. Craig Jr. X31Otis L. Dickerson X32

James C. Fike O21Tommie Harris X42William R. Harris X11Thomas R. Johnson M53

Patricia R. Jones O53Robert Kaminsky E83Thomas J. Kelly O70Linda H. Kindred X36

Marie B. Lawrence O92William R. Lyttle E65Larry D. Moody X18Herbert W. Outlaw X32

Clifford L. Price X32Charles W. Shamblin Jr. X42Lorenzo Waters X31

Yardlines is published 10 times a year for the employees of Newport News Shipbuilding.

This issue of Yardlines was produced by: Gina Chew-Holman, Troy Cooper, Mike Dillard, Eugene Phillips, LaMar Smith, Peter Stern, Susan Sumner and Lauren Ward. Additional writing services by Barlow Communications. Photographs by: Chris Oxley, Ricky Thompson and John Whalen

Send comments, questions and story ideas to Yardlines editor: gina.chewholman@hii-nns.com or call 757-380-2627.

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September 2012

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Craftsmen in the Newport News Shipbuilding Machine Shop move a shaft section for fi tting to a propeller for the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Aircraft carriers require four 66,220-pound propellers to move them through the water at speeds necessary to launch and recover aircraft. CVN 78, the fi rst in the new Ford-class ships, features a new nuclear power plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement, and an enhanced fl ight deck capable of increased aircraft sortie rates. CVN 78 is now 85 percent structurally complete. Photo by Ricky Thompson

FORD STRUCTURE85 PERCENT COMPLETE