Model of Excellence Ceremony Program 2021

2021

AWARDS CEREMONY OCTOBER 8, 2021

Some photos in this program were taken before Newport News Shipbuilding implemented guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Photos taken after these guidelines were put in place were taken in a safe, socially distanced setting.

“Rising to face challenges, our Models of Excellence inspire us to reach new heights.”

J ennifer B oykin

STRATEGY OBJECTIVES

The annual Model of Excellence awards ceremony recognizes individuals and teams who have made extraordinary contributions to the achievement of Newport News Shipbuilding’s strategic objectives through their performance and accomplishments in the following award categories:

Enable Our Workforce

Individual or team contributions that demonstrate care and improve the work environment for NNS employees.

Transform Business Operations

Individual or team contributions that demonstrate innovative thinking and/or result in new ideas and solutions that successfully achieve and significantly improve or create new processes or approaches in support of the company’s growth profitability and competitive advantage.

Execute Efficiently

Individual or team contributions that streamline and transform our current business model into a culture that embraces and implements lean thinking and processes.

Grow The Business Base

Individual’s or team’s delivery of quality products or services that far exceed the customer’s expectations or their success at creating company value through new business growth.

Lead The Way

Individual or team contributions that demonstrate courage, leadership, inspiration, teamwork, integrity and other behaviors that positively change company culture or make a difference in our community.

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Shipbuilders, Each year, our talented workforce rises to face new challenges, displaying a level of excellence that inspires all of us to reach new heights. At Newport News Shipbuilding, more than 25,000 women and men strive for first-time quality, meet deadlines, control costs and keep their workplace safe in support of our nation’s defense. And each year, the best of the best rise to the top with actions that reflect company values and set the bar even higher for future years.

Shipbuilders always support each other, so it’s important to pause from our hard work to acknowledge and celebrate the performance of this select group. This year, 394 shipbuilders won the President’s Model of Excellence Award, the highest honor presented to NNS employees.

I am proud to stand with them as we forge the way ahead for our company, the Navy and our nation. Please join me in congratulating our 2021 Model of Excellence Award honorees on a job well done!

Jennifer Boykin President, Newport News Shipbuilding

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CREATIVE APPROACHES AND COLLABORATION SUPPORT ENTIRE SHIPBUILDING VALUE STREAM The demands of the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding plan required development of additional manufacturing capacity in the industrial base. Recognizing that meeting the customer’s needs required a combination of optimizing Newport News Shipbuilding’s facility footprint and implementing a new strategic outsourcing program capable of at least 1 million man-hours of outsourcing annually, a Strategic Outsourcing Office was stood up within Supply Chain Management. The scale and criticality of success demanded new thinking. This team, with the help of others, delivered. They achieved Tyler Bowman, O51 Jessica Boyd, O52 Lyndon Brown, O52 Joel Carroll, O58 Brett Cash, O52 Eric Chacón, O52 Paul Clear, E68 Ed Doherty, O52 Craig Garland, O52 Kristy Gaskins, O52 David Jenkins, O52 Ryan Jenkins, O52 Rusty Johnson, O52 Kevin Leigh, O52 Robert C. Marshall Jr., O52 David McGrain, O52 Ray Montgomery, O50 Greg Pike, E37 Ruth Riddle, E68 Kevin Roberson, O58 Not Pictured: Vinson Ellsworth, O52 William Jones, O52 Jim Salavejus, O52 Ashley Shortt, O51 Bob Small, O52

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many notable solutions, including creation of project information workshops; development of key suppliers via in-depth capability/ capacity assessments; accelerated weld qualification, build knowledge transfer and other new training modules; and implementation of near-continuous onsite construction management support and quality surveillance. Their creative approaches have led to NNS’ ability to approach 1 million man-hours of fabrication per year, creation of a unique supplier-operated blast and coat service area, and the ability to meet quality and schedule requirements that would have otherwise proven too difficult or costly to execute.

Yard aerial at sunset.

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DECKPLATE CAMARADERIE IMPROVES COATINGS ON VIRGINIA-CLASS SUBMARINES When Newport News Shipbuilding wanted to improve how coatings are applied to Virginia-class submarine hulls, a team of shipbuilders stepped up and transformed the process. They addressed issues from laboratory testing to simulated pours to lessons learned. They moved beyond a process based on the knowledge of previous users and built the foundation for a science-based, digitally delivered

Jason Binns, A572 James Brooks, E32 Alicia Connelly, O31 Tyrone Harrison, X32 Matthew Holding, X62 Richard Jackson, K46 J. Brody Lambaiso, E33 Haley Mitchell, E33 Donna Pike, X32 Matthew Shaffer, E41 Bryan Staha, A572 James Wallis Jr., O69 Not Pictured: Kevin Arden, E02 Lenora Baumeler, O31 Frankie Boothe, X32 Jeremy Brown, K46 Mariana Cintron-Garcia, E33 Jason Haas, X32 Darrell Hicks, X32 Ronnie Phillips, X32 Randall Ware, O31

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pouring solution that allows for continuous improvement. The recent success on the submarine New Jersey (SSN 796) validated their work, as the trades and engineering team executed the single largest pour ever accomplished at NNS with minimal defects. This will pay dividends on future Virginia-class boats, and it will transform how technical information is conveyed to the deckplate, providing the trades with an improved opportunity for success.

SUBE/Foundry collaboration using ProCast for pours for New Jersey (SSN 796) unit.

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ENHANCED INSPECTION REPORTS AND TRAINING REVOLUTIONIZE SUBSAFE WORK Newport News Shipbuilding faced a sobering challenge in May 2020 after the Navy ordered a stop to all inservice submarine work. To get back on track, the Navy required several corrective actions. The most impactful task was a revision of all SUBSAFE inspection reports.

Within one month, this team invented a new inspection report process. Within four months, they developed a training syllabus with more than 140 PowerPoint

Carly Cole, E03 Steven Malsbury, E03

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slides. And within six months, they trained 200 personnel on how to execute the process over four seven-hour virtual training sessions.

The workbook has been continuously updated based on lessons learned and additional increases to engineering responsibilities. In a subsequent audit, the Navy acknowledged the new inspection reports as a win for NNS, noting they are much more thorough, comprehensive and provide better traceability when certifying work.

USS Columbus (SSN 762) in Dry Dock 1.

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JOHN GLENN: LEADING AND COLLABORATING TO MOVE NNS FORWARD John Glenn has led and collaborated with all levels of the company on Newport News Shipbuilding initiatives and is truly leading the way in transforming business operations. John’s knowledge, vision and ability to collaborate is transforming how NNS plans and makes decisions. As a manager of production planning in the X44 Scheduling Department, he has worked with Operations, Facilities, Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Navy Programs and Ingalls Shipbuilding to improve NNS' toolsets and processes for existing contracts as well as potential future growth opportunities. John has used his prior experience at NNS to clearly grasp the NNSFORWARD Strategy, which is designed to get more ships to the fleet faster. While leading and participating in the various initiatives, John has also effectively led his team and has one of the highest employee engagement scores in the shipyard. John is always willing to lean in to move his team, his division and his company forward.

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Shipbuilder John Glenn stands outside of the yard with a gantry crane in the background.

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REAL-TIME DATA ENABLES INCREASED PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT FOR WELDING TEAMS A national shortage of welders and a constrained budget have intensified Newport News Shipbuilding’s program welder demands, which are the highest they’ve been in company history. Making the existing workforce as efficient and productive as possible by measuring arc weld time became a priority to reduce welder demand, meet challenging budgets and NNS’ Navy commitments.

Equipment utilization data would also ensure NNS is fully utilizing existing Lincoln power supplies before purchasing new equipment. The team created a proof of concept database to prove the data’s value, developed a mobile application called SPARC, established infrastructure Terry Campbell, X18 Mike Cunneen, X10 Howard Davis, T54, Tanya Dinsmore, T56 Ed Gretka, T56 Justin Harris, X18 Bruce Hufton, X18 Caleb Martinez, T54 David McKetney, T54 Dan Moniak, X18 Matt Rinck, T56 Matt Serpa, T54 Erik Spencer, E59 Jayston Stamper, O43 Marisa Strickland, K17 John Vaughan, T56 Vadim Vinarov, T56 John Walker, O43 Stefani Werner, E59 Chris West, E59 Matthew White, O63 Not Pictured: Troy Butler, E59 James Pittelko II, T56 Roger Seese, T56

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to collect the data from both wired and wireless welding equipment and gained approval to send the data to the Lincoln Cloud. Despite numerous hurdles in the implementation effort, the team delivered integrated products that have led to significant business gains. The project’s success has increased overall arc times by 70%. Availability of equipment utilization data has helped optimize resources by identifying barriers earlier and removing obstacles to increase arc times, as well as increase better utilization of welding equipment during execution.

Having this information has also increased morale, engagement and daily arc time while increasing first-time quality. The team’s efforts will help the welding department meet Navy commitments, use data to drive business decisions and lead the company forward.

Terry Campbell looks at the SPARC welding app on Matt White’s phone.

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SUCCESSFUL FIRST-TIME RECONFIGURATION ACHIEVES KEY COLUMBIA-CLASS MILESTONES The Columbia-class submarine is a top priority for the Navy, and a team of Newport News shipbuilders reconfigured two massive fixtures that allowed NNS to meet a tight schedule for this critical program. The effort pulled together employees from the Facilities, Rigging and Engineering departments. In one case, the team reconfigured a fixture used in Virginia-class construction so it could be applied to the Columbia-class construction. The other effort involved reconfiguring

Justin Brock, X36 Russell Dawson, O43 Corey Eutsler, X36 Derrick Grant, O41 Thomas Henderson Jr., X36 Tom H. Herbert, O41 Jack Hull, X51 Travis Hutcherson, O43 Aaron Moore, O48 Justin Mullins, O43 Lynn Palmer, X36 Patrick Peck, X36 Jennings Spease, X36 Dylan Swank, O43 Travis Tyler, X36 Jon Wallace, O43 Curtis Webb, O43

Not Pictured: Ben Allen, X51 Dylan Fogleman, O43 Felicia Thorne, X43

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an internal assembly fixture used in the Columbia-class program so it could be used for the Virginia class. It required disassembly and reassembly of 175-ton fixtures comprised of 64 major components.

The team developed 37 technical work documents along with plans for transportation and erection. It allowed work on the Columbia-class bow section to start on time while work continued on the stern. The team completed milestones ahead of schedule, which created time to test design and software improvements that will drive future performance.

Shipbuilders conduct the first Columbia Class Pour on May 28, 2019.

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SURFACE SHIP SUPPORT BARGE PROJECT: A HALLMARK ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR EFFICIENCY Historically, a Surface Ship Support Barge (SSSB) was used to support the refueling of nuclear-powered U.S. Navy ships. Since the refueling of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), new processes have replaced the need for the SSSB. In support of the Navy’s need to inactivate and dispose of the barge, Newport News Shipbuilding was tasked with determining how to dispose of 160,000 gallons of low-level radioactive liquid waste on the barge in a nontraditional way that was equally or more safe for humans and the environment, and at the best value for the Navy. After significant evaluation, this team successfully proposed pretreatment and disposition via

Gregory Barnes, X42 Gene Bowman, E81 Kevin Butler, E85 William Capps, X42 Steven Clark Jr., X73 Alicia Connelly, O31 Patrick Lonberger, E81 Roneisha Moore, X42 Travis Moultrie, X73 Evan Rickerson, X42 James Sarvis, E84 Shaana Thomas, X42 Joshua Vernon, X42 Not Pictured: Daniel Barnes, X42 Tania Barzola, E81 Fred Coleman, E82 Marquis Ellsworth, X73 Jim Erickson, O27 Joey Piland, X73 Jonathan Sebrell, X42 Joseph Sharpless Jr., X42 Mark Wiatt, X73 Rickey Williams, X42

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discharge to a permitted sanitary sewer. Following Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) approval, the team completed system design, procurement, fabrication, installation and execution in less than 15 months with significant cost savings. Throughout the process, the team went above and beyond to ensure the approval and support of NAVSEA and other regulators, and their execution was flawless. This precedentsetting work creates opportunities for future cost and schedule reductions and other waste storage capacity needs – while still ensuring no negative impact to the health of people or the environment. Finally, this team’s superior performance renewed NAVSEA’s confidence in NNS’ ability to innovate new, more efficient solutions.

Surface Ship Support Barge (SSSB) in Dry Dock 2.

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TEAM SPEARHEADS FIRST-OF-A-KIND WELDING SYSTEM ON USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) In October 2018, an NNS team took over a project involving a semi-automated welding process that had the potential to reduce risk and increase employee safety. But the prototype wasn’t fully developed and the process was a long way from becoming reality. This team developed the new technology, following an aggressive schedule, to support the Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of the USS George Washington (CVN 73). They worked overtime and weekends to

Brett Carson, E83 Todd Dinkel, O31 Mark Gresik, E37 Mark Hageman, O43 Rodney Harris, X32 Rob Heisler, E81 Joshua Horner, X71 Joshua Kole, E81 Stephen Mallis, X71 Kristopher Manley, X32 Jacqueline Phillips, E37 Dennis Reynolds, X17 Michelle Rossingol, O31 David Ruga, E37 Jayston Stamper, O43 Shaun Thomas, O39 Christopher Wicker, E81 Matthew Wright, E83 Nicholas Zaremba, E81

Not Pictured: Bradford Cotton, K45 David Jerkins, X18 Joshua Nelson, X18 Stanford Polonsky III, X18 William Schleeper, M21 Nicholas Schneider, K45 18

overcome a number of technical challenges while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. A complex mock-up validated the equipment and procedures, and the team finished in July 2020 using the new method on two elbows aboard CVN 73. The welding process minimized the time spent inside radiation areas and has created significant opportunity for NNS and Naval Nuclear Propulsion Systems (NNPS).

NNS is now recognized as the subject matter expert on this process and is prepared to support its implementation at various NNPS sites.

Yard aerial at sunset with aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) docked for it's Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).

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DEDICATION AND PREPARATION LEAD TO MAJOR MILESTONE IN VIRGINIA-CLASS PROGRAM During the second half of Virginia-class submarine construction, two critical welds must be achieved to complete the joining of the boat. Due to harsh conditions these welds withstand, they must also pass a Class 1 Ultrasonic Test (UT), which is arguably the most difficult nondestructive test to pass at Newport News Shipbuilding. The welds are typically performed consecutively, but due to schedule pressures, the welds needed to occur concurrently. First-time quality was absolutely vital to keeping on an already challenging schedule. The team that accomplished this task was Donte Anderson, X82 Demonte Armstead, X18 Jacob Bialk, X18 Jasmine Bracey, E84 Stanley Britt, X18 Jeffrey Cantrell, X18 Bobby Farmer, K46 Theodore Gundy Jr., X18 James King, K46 Tony McKithen Jr., X18 Brandon Sandley, X18 Jered Wright, K46 Not Pictured: Charles Albright Jr., X18 Dylan Ard, X18 Octavian Davis, X18 Cornelious Hawkins, K46 Evan Hoffman, X18 Gabriel Martinez, X18

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highly engaged from the beginning, carefully planning, holding interactive readiness reviews and hosting advanced UT welder training to ensure all team members were fully prepared. Shifts were modified and extended, and some team members sacrificed their holiday breaks to keep the program on track. Commitment to first-time quality never wavered, and the team finished the task in record time with best-ever cost performance. They completed a little over 1 mile of weld with only 42 inches of rejected weld and remained accident free while accomplishing these evolutions that essentially brought the boat to life.

As a result, the pressure hull complete milestone was accomplished ahead of schedule.

New Jersey (SSN 796) reached pressure hull complete in February 2021.

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LEVERAGING LESSONS LEARNED FOR SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION ON JOHN F. KENNEDY (CVN 79) When USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was built, Newport News Shipbuilding was contracted to build and install six large flat panel array foundations for the installation of the Dual Band Radar system.

These foundations were designed, built and installed to extremely tight tolerances that proved challenging and required rework. When it came time to design and install three similar foundations to support Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) arrays on the second Fordclass ship, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), a diverse team

Jordan Banks, X36 Justin Chavis, X36 Edward Garrett, X36 Richard Henry, E22 James Holliman, K47 John Leigh III, X11 Michael Motisi, X11 Not Pictured: Vincent Barone, X18 Patrick Coffey, O68 Tyler Cook, X11 Benjamin Freeman, X11 Reggienald Hall Jr., K47 William Huff Jr., K47 Christina Munn, X18 Matthew Perry, X01 Adam Turner, X18 Alexis Turner, X18 Antoine Wilburn, O68

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of shipbuilders put CVN 78 lessons to work. The team, representing Engineering, multiple trades and Dimensional Control, designed and installed three large critically aligned EASR array foundations with zero out-of-tolerance conditions on the first try, saving significant cost, rework and three months of schedule variance. To ensure the most accurate welding and monitoring of each foundation, shipbuilders worked 12-hour split shifts, which allowed certain operations to be performed overnight when the island house’s steel structure was cool and uniform. The team’s strong coordination and collaboration is a true example of “Hard Stuff Done Right.”

Sunrise over John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).

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OVERCOMING COMPLEX REPAIR CHALLENGES ON USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CVN 77) Jet fuel onboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) flows through thin-walled stainless steel pipe, and that presented a challenge for the Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding. Leaks occurred when the pipe overheated during repairs through normal welding processes. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) required special lowtemperature welding procedures developed by NNS to correct the problem. Compounding the challenge:

Michael Allen, K48 Oneal Artis, X42 Michael Balus, X42 David Berry, X42 Kelvin Coleman, X18 Emma Garner, X42 Kenny Hudson, K48 Martin Phillips, K48 Joseph Stallings, X18 Kelvin White, X42 Derrick Whitley Jr., X42

Not Pictured: Howard Blume Jr., X18 Brent Byrum, X42 Ray Ray Collett, X18 Darius Farthing, X18 Kyle Flowers, X18 Jacob Humphrey, X18 Robert Mayfield III, X18 Nicholas Murray, K48 Nathan Shrewsberry, X18 Travis Turbin, X18 Collin Vinson, X42 Earnest Wheeler, X42

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Most of the leaks were located in cramped spaces. This required welders and fire watches to work in close quarters, which presented significant safety concerns. Beyond the original scope of the job, the team encountered a considerable amount of unplanned work. But they leveraged lessons learned from work previously performed on CVN 77 to lay out a plan that accomplished the repairs safely, on time and under budget. In all, the work resulted in more than 500 weld joints and zero defects during testing.

Aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is dry-docked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for its docking planned incremental availability.

U.S. Navy photo.

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REMARKABLE EXECUTION CONQUERS CHALLENGING CONDITIONS ON MONTANA (SSN 794) Following delivery of Virginia-class submarine USS Delaware (SSN 791), a problem was discovered during the Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) with the boat’s retractable bow plane (RBP), triggering a need to disassemble and inspect other VCS submarines to determine the cause.

Montana (SSN 794), still under construction at NNS, was making final preparation for the initial launch evolution and required immediate attention to resolve this issue before float-off.

The Montana Trades team, at the direction of Engineering, disassembled the RBP in the floating dry dock during winter. To put it in perspective,

Kyle Benner, X43 Brandon Brewster, X43 James Gilliam Jr., K46 Taylor Herring, X43 James Wigley, X82

Not Pictured: Willie Bell II, X43 Carlos Benitez Garcia, E14 Vernon Bray, X43 Vernon Christian, X43 Tatsuya Nakamura, E14 Steffon Savage, X43 Dominic Tribble, X43 Michael Upton, K46 Brian Vande Pol, E14 Tyler Walkup, X43 Taylor Weeks, X43

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imagine yourself, a couple of mechanics and an engineer crouched under a conference room table manipulating components akin to an engine block – that is not meant to ever be removed, all while maintaining a clean work environment under extreme schedule pressure and in cold, wet weather. Despite the challenges and never having completed this type of work, the team developed a plan to perform the inspections in place and determined the presence of industrial debris in critical areas of the RBP. The team successfully cleaned the area without significant disassembly. What was anticipated to be a 10-week project was accomplished in seven days by sacrificing some of their holiday break to get the job done. They also accomplished significant cost and schedule savings in addition to providing the proof of concept that the work could be accomplished shipboard.

Submarine Montana (SSN 794) was launched on March 3, 2021.

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COLUMBIA CONTRACT AWARD SUSTAINS AND MODERNIZES OUR NATION’S DEFENSE FORCE On Nov. 23, 2020, the fortunes of Newport News Shipbuilding took a giant step forward with the award of a $2.2 billion contract that includes construction of the first six module sections for two Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. It provides stability at NNS through 2028 and will help boost the nation’s nuclear deterrent for decades to come. The credit for securing that contract goes to an NNS team that grappled with a variety of challenges. The team worked fervently

Jeffrey Bristow, O19 Chuck Dalrymple, O19 Ryan Duffy, O75 Nikki Fisher, N358 Marcus Freese, O19 Kimberly Hamlett, O19 André Jones, O19 Janine Jones, E70 Roger Kelly, O19 Heather Ray, K07 John Rice, O19 Christa Riley, K07 Brandi Smith, K07 Weston Tilley, O19 Kimberly Traugott, O59 Paul Tuzzolo, O59 Brian Williams, O19 Travis Williams, O70 Not Pictured: Robert Austin Jr., X60 Jerry Campbell, X62 Kevin Walker, O19

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to meet an aggressive timeline requested by the lead contractor, General Dynamics Electric Boat, to support Navy objectives.

They negotiated adjustments to the scope of the contract while adhering to the pricing strategy, but did not sacrifice company financial objectives. And they did it while working in a COVID-19 environment that posed new communication challenges. Looking ahead, this award will support NNS efforts for the remaining 10 ships of the Columbia class and provide jobs for thousands of shipbuilders.

The Columbia-Class First Cut of Steel ceremony was held on May 23, 2019.

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SAN DIEGO TEAM RAISES THE BAR FOR SHIP MAINTENANCE The San Diego Private Sector Maintenance contract accomplishes maintenance, modernization and repairs on aircraft carriers homeported or in need of service in San Diego, California. Completing this work and certifying a ship to go to sea is a significant accomplishment that involves Program Management, Contracts, Supply Chain, Planning and the Navy. The San Diego team responsible for this work not only completed and certified nine ship availabilities on four aircraft carriers in 2020, but also performed work on

Carl Aspinall, O87 Inez Ayala, O56 Michele Cook, O51 Rick Dodd, O56 Barry Haskins, O27 John Hume, E83 Kevin Jones, O56 Penny Jones, O56 Burt Livingston, O87 Tamara Manson, O19 Paul Muehlenbeck, O56 Irina Munguia, O87 Camille Murray, O56 Leanne Nevil, O51 Joe Newhouse, O56 Kenneth Norwood, O56 Kenneth Peper, O56 Harlen Ralph, O56 Jeff Rigsby, O19 Mark Tamillo, O87 Not Pictured: Tony Bogue, E25 Kimberley Corey, O56 Lee McKoy, O87

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three ships concurrently. Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions that limited additional support, the team completed all of the availabilities on time, within budget and with excellent first-time quality. This team’s work has a direct impact on the Navy’s success to perform their mission and is recognized by the customer as the best, positioning Newport News Shipbuilding to win future contracts. When accomplishing their work, speed of authorization and material procurement is important.

First-time quality is demanded. Rapid completion and certification for sea is vital. Maintaining this operating tempo on two ships while accomplishing work on a third aircraft carrier is nothing less than heroic.

USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) docked at the San Diego Private Sector Maintenance site.

U.S. Navy photo.

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DEREK BRIGGS: STEADFAST AND AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP Advanced weapons elevators on Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers have proven to be one of the most challenging systems ever installed on a modern aircraft carrier. Build processes lacked sufficient details, integration proved complex and problematic, and staying on schedule was challenging. On top of it all, Newport News Shipbuilding’s efforts were being monitored closely by senior Navy and Department of Defense leaders, Congress, the media and the White House. With only one of 11 weapons elevators completed and turned over to the Navy, Derek Briggs was assigned in February 2019 to Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) as a weapons elevator construction supervisor. He worked with engineering and production teams to improve manufacturing processes, and established checklists and inspections to increase quality and schedule predictability. In September 2019, Derek was promoted to lead construction completion, testing and turnover of the then nine remaining elevators. While completion of the elevators, keeping the team motivated, readjusting as issues arose and accommodating schedules at Naval Station Norfolk proved to be no small task, Derek’s innovation, leadership, dedication and strong work ethic moved the project forward successfully. Seven of the 11 weapons elevators have been turned over to the Navy, and the remaining four are tracking to on-schedule completion.

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Shipbuilder Derek Briggs stands in the yard with “Big Blue” in the background.

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INITIATIVE AND DETERMINATION INFLUENCE A CULTURE OF SAFETY Logistics has a lot of moving parts, including new people and responsibilities across the shipyard and its off-site locations, making employee safety and engagement crucial to the team’s success. A team of highly motivated employees volunteered to be Safety Task Team leaders, representing over 600 Logistics employees and 40 Safety Task Team members across two shifts. Their passion for safety has resulted in yard-wide initiatives, including the development of a Logistics safety orientation guide

Ryan Augburn, O53 Gleen Barnes, O53 Yuvonda Barnes, O53 Jessika Foster, O53 Dale Fullwood, O53 Markita Gorham, O53 Amanda Jackson, O53 Michael Jennings, O53 Valerie Smith, O53 Brandon Spaulding, O53 Rodney Thornton Jr., O53

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for new employees, a tour of 45 work centers across shifts to discuss the importance of stretching and ergonomics, and the creation of a shipyard-wide Forklift Job Performance Support Team. These and other significant contributions have led to Logistics experiencing record-low injury rates, with body motions decreasing from 67% in 2018 to 25% in 2020. The Logistics team also exceeded its safety improvement projects goal and reached a best-ever engagement score. More importantly, the team has helped improve Newport News Shipbuilding’s safety culture for all shipbuilders.

Yard aerial at sunset with USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and USS John F Kennedy (CVN 79) in the foreground.

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INNOVATION AND PERSEVERANCE GUIDE NAVAL NUCLEAR TRAINING FACILITY REPAIR Safety and efficiency were the watchwords when a Newport News Shipbuilding team took on the job of repairing a reactor scanning system at the Kenneth A. Kesselring Site, which trains Navy nuclear operators.

The Reactor Efficiency Scanning System, or RESS, was required to perform an inspection of a prototype reactor vessel at the facility and prove the vessel’s reliability for years to come. When the RESS suffered a mechanical failure, the team was asked to break from traditional

Brian Butler, X43 Mike Deuell, E85 Chris Dohse, E82 Sean Fitzpatrick, E82 William Fralich, X43 Stephen Graham, O96 Cheryl Hardcastle, X09 Matthew Jeffery, E82 James Johnson, X73 William Johnson, O96 Aaron Landry, X43 Nick McFatter, X43 Lacey Norcross, O96 Jacob Novak, E82 Not Pictured: Matthew Butler, X73 Joseph Johnson, X43 Sean McGiveron, E85 Robert Price, X73 Christopher Smith, X43 Christopher Vest, E85 Jason Weary, E82 Timothy Weisflog, E85 Benjamin Welch, E91 Marcus Woody, E82 Devon Zappolo, E82

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methods to shorten the time needed for repairs while still maintaining safety. NNS engineered a unique approach that radiologically qualified the vendor to perform the repair with NNS trades’ support. This type of collaboration, perseverance and dedication of the NNS team truly represents what it takes to perform first-of-a-kind work in a high-stress environment, while meeting an aggressive schedule. It provided the Navy with a platform to continue to train sailors, thus increasing the number of qualified and highly skilled nuclear operators available for the nuclear fleet.

Kenneth A. Kesselring Site is located in Ballston Spa, New York.

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PRESIDENTIAL AWARD: LEADING THE WAY THROUGH A PANDEMIC The COVID-19 pandemic redefined our way of life, challenging all of us to think and operate differently.

The virus forced many businesses to close their doors.

People lost their jobs. Others lost their lives.

And at our nation’s time of crisis, it became even more imperative that our mission-critical work continue. It meant Newport News Shipbuilding needed to adapt and operate with greater flexibility and agility.

Using the Joint Operations Planning Framework, a team of thought leaders from across NNS was established to protect our workforce and keep the wheels of the shipyard turning as safely and efficiently as possible.

The team was tasked with four key objectives: • Mitigate employee risk.

• Accomplish the mission and meet our customer commitments.

Carrie Allen, O20 Luke Alley, O46 Steve Apostoles, O12 Alan Bomar, O64 David Bowles, O44 Dru Branche, O50 Elizabeth Bridges, O21 Liz Chandler, O44 Roy Gilbert Jr., K45 Buddy Hutchison, X74 Jason Lugo, O27 Bob Meyer, X80 Christie Miller, O29 Jim O’Brien, K97 Beth Silsdorf, O12 Emily Tavai, O20 Cindi Wolfe, O12 Not Pictured: Jon Calma, E85 Amy Guerin, O21 Ryan Woolridge, O48 38

• Ensure timely, transparent and accurate communications.

• And ensure employee job security through business continuity.

Leaders of the COVID-19 Crisis Action Group, or CAG, quickly demonstrated the power of diversity of experience, expertise and perspective. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as their guide, the team met daily to understand the latest COVID-19 information and trends, and determine the best approach for keeping our shipbuilding family and its loved ones safe. They acted urgently, but deliberately, and leveraged data to drive their decisions.

More importantly, the team collaborated with shipbuilders at all levels to ensure that decisions were made in a way that made sense for both our company and our people.

As a result, NNS stood strong through a national crisis, and the CAG has set the gold standard for how we will tackle future challenges.

In-yard vaccination events were held at the Covered Modular Assembly Facility (CMAF).

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SONNY HERSHLEY AND CHRISTOPHER MURRELL: RING MODULE SHOP CHALLENGERS OF THE STATUS QUO Lines management has been an ongoing challenge for shipbuilders, especially in the Ring Module Shop where facility and staging limitations exist at elevated heights.

Improper line management resulted in inefficiency and lost production time so that lines could be re-routed safely. More importantly, improper line management increased the risk of trips and falls. In early 2020, an interdepartmental team of shipbuilders developed a solution using button-lock stud hangers, and two shipbuilding leaders quickly became the solution’s

Christopher Murrell, X18

Not Pictured: Sonny Hershley, X18 Posthumous Award

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ambassadors. Sonny Hershley and Christopher Murrell instantly understood the value of a line management solution and not only implemented it immediately, but coached their peers on its value. The pair suggested improvements that were quickly implemented, and also created their own solutions to address other concerns, including COVID-19 protection barriers and methods for shielding carbon arcing at elevated heights. Their leadership has inspired a culture of empowerment among shipbuilders, recognizing the best solutions come from shipbuilders doing the work every day.

Shipbuilders working in the Ring Module Shop.

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WRITING THE PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK: COVID-19 VACCINE TASK TEAM BEGINS THE JOURNEY BACK TO NORMALCY Vaccination is an important tool for stopping the spread of COVID-19. When Newport News Shipbuilding learned in January it would receive COVID-19 vaccine, the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Team was created to establish a state-of-the-art vaccination facility at the Old Apprentice School Gymnasium. Access to the vaccine was critically important to protecting the health and safety of shipbuilders and continuing our mission-

Brad Andersen, X52 Tom Cosgrove, O12 Amy Iveson, N354 DaShana Kemp-Garnett, X33 Scott Kezman, N358 Hugh Lessig, O29 Carol Lowe, K97 Bryan Moore, N355 Renae Myles, E01 Stephanie Neary, O27 Dontá Sharpe, X82 Colin Smith, X52 Trent Sturgis, O15 Kimberly Zayakosky, O29 Not Pictured: Teresa Carnes, E70 Phoebe Richards, N355

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essential work. In addition to convincing state and health officials to allow NNS to administer the vaccine, the team conducted site visits, researched appointment scheduling processes, discussed logistics and created transportation options and a communications plan to make the process as easy for shipbuilders as possible. Within 30 days, the facility was stood up, staffed with the help of QuadMed, and shots were being administered.

COVID-19 vaccinations were issued at the Old Apprentice School Gymnasium.

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WRITING THE PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ENABLES LARGE-SCALE WORK FROM HOME INITIATIVE The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a monumental logistical challenge practically overnight, as thousands of Newport News Shipbuilding employees began working from home to stay safe. This resulted in a staggering 900% increase in the remote workforce for a company deemed critical by the federal government.

Slowing down was not an option. Over a few short weeks, a Business Transformation and Technology team encrypted and deployed 1,700 laptops, 1,350 USB hubs

Kevin Barrow, T54 Hank Blumreich, T51 Cindy Brown, T54 Jason Cawthorne, T54 Tammy Dogan, T51 Matt Downing, T54 Frank Harris, T54 Aaron Jessen, T54 Mike Lajoie, T54 Jason Larsen, T54 Doug Lawrence, T54 Rob Mackie, T54 Darren Murray, T54 Alan Noble, T54 Harvey Rawls, T51 Cedrick Short, T51 Ryan Tiedemann, T54 Denesha Wallace, T54 Gary C. Webb, T54 Mickey Wilkins, T54 Not Pictured: Will Adams, T54

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and 2,220 softphones. They expanded the WebEx remote meeting system by 150 percent. As shift schedules changed in the yard, this team worked long hours and staggered shifts to provide additional support around the clock. They also educated the workforce on how to use new work-from-home tools. While many U.S. businesses struggled during this time, NNS finished the year with two strong quarters, thanks in part to this re-imagining of working conditions that could well pay dividends in the future.

Technology team deployment of laptops gave shipbuilders the option to work from home.

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WRITING THE PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK: HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM PROVIDES SHIPBUILDERS FLEXIBILITY AND STABILITY DURING A PANDEMIC The COVID-19 pandemic brought a staggering level of change to Newport News Shipbuilding, presenting an unprecedented challenge for the Clinic, Human Resources and Labor Relations. This team dealt with issues ranging from business travel and quarantine requirements, to leave options and how employees could work from home. It had to assess the impact of new state and national laws related to COVID-19.

Linda Bain, O28 Carlton Ballard Jr., O21 Jennifer Giampa, O28 Holly Hayslett, O28 Eric Herman, O21 Charlene Holloway, O28 Chris Hoyer, O21 Brittany Izzo, O20 Adrien Latta, O20 Clement Lodiong, O23 Maggie Monfalcone, K47 T.J. Nelson, O34 John SanGiovanni, O28 Porsha Valliant, O20 Natalie Webb, O28 James Williams Jr., O21

Not Pictured: Geoffrey Coleman, O21 David Craig, O28 Shawn Flanagan, O28 Tammy Franks, O20

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Although they had practically no time to prepare, this team established the COVID-19 response line, implemented social distancing measures, reorganized Clinic staffing and tracked and quarantined COVID-19 positive employees. They developed relationships with key public health officials, allowing prompt access to vaccines when they became available. In all, this team’s efforts boosted employee safety and allowed the company to meet its contractual commitments to the Navy.

Carlton Ballard Jr. takes COVID-19 Hotline calls.

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WRITING THE PANDEMIC PLAYBOOK: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION PIONEER VIRTUAL SHIPBUILDING EVENTS Newport News Shipbuilding holds a variety of events each year to celebrate our products and people.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only closed schools and locked down the economy, it made our traditional celebrations too risky. Not being a team to settle for mediocrity, these thought leaders found a better way to continue the shipyard traditions of commemorating milestones and recognizing employee achievement – and their work made history. A combination of technology and orchestration allowed NNS to stage

Susie Bacon, T54 Shay Brown, T54 Sekou Frye, O36 Robert Kello, O43 Heather Land, O29 Nicholas Langhorne, O29 David McKetney, T54 Gaylon Montgomery, O36 Bryan Moore, N355 Scott Presson, T54 Aaron Pritchett, O29 Earl Pruitt Jr., O43 Lauren Shuck, O29 Timothy Trulley, T51 Lena Wallace, O29 Mickey Wilkins, T54 Kimberly Zayakosky, O29

Not Pictured: Gary R. Webb, T54

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virtual milestones for two Virginia-class submarines: the christening of Montana (SSN 794) and the keel-laying for Massachusetts (SSN 798), bringing a high-tech approach to time-honored Navy traditions.

This team also staged the annual Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition “action days” and brought employees together for a virtual toast with the Model of Excellence celebration. These events were unique, with different audiences, but went off without a hitch, and this team’s work created a sense of community and togetherness at a time when the world was living 6 feet apart.

USS Montana (SSN 794) christening ceremony was held on September 12, 2020..