Yardlines, Summer 2016

Photo by Chris Oxley

SUMMER 2016

Keel is “Truly and Fairly Laid” Structural Welder Lawrence “L.A.” Britt said it’s a good feeling to know that he is part of building the 18th Virginia-class submarine, and he was honored to weld the sponsor’s initials on the keel plate that will be permanently installed in the submarine. “It was almost like a regular day when I’m focusing on first-time quality and doing my best, except when I looked out I saw my family, friends and all the special guests in the audience.”

More than 800 guests attended the April 30 keel-laying ceremony that marked the first step in construction of Delaware (SSN 791).

shipbuilders – one out of five in the United States of America – are here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Three shipbuilders, who had special roles during the ceremony, represented the more than 4,000 shipbuilders who support the construction of Delaware. Antuan Barnes performed the national anthem and “America, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” Designer Deidra Bethea delivered the invocation, and Zachary Hudgins presented Biden with a plaque with her initials welded onto a practice weld plate.

During the ceremony, Ship’s Sponsor Dr. Jill Biden, second lady of the United States and wife of Vice President Joe Biden, was escorted by her grandson, Hunter Biden. In her remarks, Biden addressed the crew of Delaware not just as the ship’s sponsor, but as a military mother and grandmother.

“While Jill Biden’s initials may be the only ones visible today, this submarine also carries with it the names of her shipbuilders,” NNS President Matt Mulherin said.

“Shipbuilders who sign their name to each and every job they perform, shipbuilders who put safety and quality above all else, and shipbuilders who I have the utmost respect for and complete and total confidence in.”

“It’s our duty to make sure that you have everything you need to stay safe and do your jobs,” Biden said. “You need the very best equipment and advanced technology that we can provide, and soon that will include the USS Delaware, thanks to the ingenuity and skill of the shipbuilders before us.”

Other ceremony participants included Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del.; Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va.; Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.; Vice Adm. Joseph Tofalo, commander of Submarine Forces, Submarine Forces Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command; and Jeffrey S. Geiger, president, General Dynamics Electric Boat.

The ceremony was not only a proud moment for Biden and NNS shipbuilders, but for the Navy and the Commonwealth of Virginia. In his remarks, Governor Terry McAuliffe addressed the importance of the shipbuilding industry in Virginia.

Delaware is the final ship of the Block III submarines built under a unique teaming agreement between Newport News and General Dynamics Electric Boat. Construction on Delaware began in September 2013. The submarine is about 56 percent complete and is on track for delivery in 2018. I By Gina Chew-Holman

“I want to thank the greatest shipbuilders in the entire world that we have here right at Newport News,” McAuliffe said. “No other state can say this: 28,500

Photos and a video of the Delaware keel-laying ceremony can be found at nns.huntingtoningalls.com/SSN791.

A small department known as Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) carefully inspects thousands of welds on every ship to ensure each weld’s integrity before facing the harsh conditions at sea. Since World War II, the primary technique for inspecting welds has been to use magnets and small metal particles to reveal pockets or cracks that aren’t visible outside the weld.

Over the last few years, the NDT inspectors started using a newer technique called Eddy-Current testing (ET). This process involves gliding a small stylus over the surface of a weld – like using a highlighter on paper – and watching a connected screen that shows any hidden cracks or air pockets in the weld. Ergonomically, it’s a lot easier to hold a tiny stylus then a heavy magnet. NDT Manager Ralph Motley advocated the technique for years, seeing it becoming a standard in the industry.

Last year, apprentice Francisco Sisneros added another layer to the idea while working with the integrated Digital Shipbuilding (iDS) Team. He saw that 3-D visual work instructions could help the inspectors identify each weld joint on a painted unit, eliminating the need to relabel each joint for inspection. This meant that the welders could completely finish a unit, send it to blast and coat, and enable the inspectors to inspect all the welds at once.

In January, they took the idea for a test drive, using it to inspect a unit of a Virginia-class submarine (VCS) with 691 weld joints. They completed the inspection in just five days.

The inspection process for the same unit on the previous submarine took 180 days. “I had two weeks left with the digital shipbuilding team, so I just sat down and figured out how to make what was in my mind,” said Sisneros. “It made me feel like I had the ability to make a difference.”

In April, the inspectors applied the idea on another unit called the VCS Lab Array, the complicated structure that houses much of the submarine’s advanced listening systems. Another apprentice, Shawn Morro, developed the 3-D visual instructions. Working back-to-back shifts, the inspectors completed more than 300 welds in two days.

The same job the year before took 67 inspection days over a period of nine months.

NDT Manager Jerry Campbell was ecstatic. “We have definitely set the bar of manufacturing components using the blast and coat process with ET as the preferred

inspection method,” said Campbell. “The welders achieved a 100 percent pass rate. Overall, we reduced the schedule for this job by 97 percent, and our inspectors performed their job in 87 percent fewer man-hours.”

Ideas for ways to use digital shipbuilding to streamline or transform processes are happening all over the shipyard.

Mobility is a major piece of the puzzle. Without mobile devices, shipbuilders have to return to a desk to get updated information, while mobile devices give them access on-site.

Information Technology is starting to replace foremen’s desktop computers with touchscreen laptops and boost wireless connectivity in key production areas like the North Yard, where the next Ford-class aircraft carrier, John F.

Kennedy (CVN 79), is being constructed. Approximately 15 percent of shipbuilders working on CVN 79 are now using 3-D work instructions on mobile devices instead of 2-D drawings and printed work packages, with the intent to be completely “drawingless” for the next carrier, Enterprise (CVN 80).

CVN 79 Construction Director Geoff Hummel and Program Director Mike Butler see digital shipbuilding as a game changer. “Both craftsmen and construction management are enthusiastically embracing it,” said Hummel. “As we use it, we are constantly finding additional uses for the capability. The use of modern computing power with our product model to visualize our work has the potential to

significantly improve our performance.”

Brian Fields, vice president, Integrated Planning and Production Control, believes this is just the tip of the iceberg. “Integrated Digital Shipbuilding – going mobile, reducing paper, streamlining our process – it’s the great opportunity of our time,” said Fields. “We’re just scratching the surface on what we can do with it.” I By Peter Stern

Aided by a tablet with a 3-D visual work instruction, Crystal Adams and Shawn Morro use the Eddy-Current testing method to inspect a test weld joint. The 3-D work instruction gives the inspectors a way to identify weld joints already covered by paint. Photo by Chris Oxley

AMSEC’S MOBILE CLASSROOM

FORD CLASS

It’s no secret that when Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is delivered to the Navy later this year, the first in a new class of aircraft carriers will be one of the most advanced ships on the planet.

And just as the latest technologies are being used to design, engineer, plan and construct the new aircraft carrier, technology is playing a significant role in training Ford’s sailors to operate and maintain the ship’s new onboard automated systems.

“NAVSEA has focused significant attention to ensure the crew is ready to support these new automated systems through a blended solution of formal classroom and practical hands-on training,” said Steve Kortz, program manager for AMSEC’s Training & Force Readiness Division.

To accomplish this, AMSEC designed a “mobile classroom.” It’s a new approach to preparing the crew for acceptance of new systems onboard the ship. Rugged waterproof tablets that can withstand a fall from 4 feet without cracking are issued to sailors before instruction begins. The students can follow along with instructors and perform hands-on simulations of equipment operation in both a guided and unguided format.

“Specifically, the tablets provide students real-world simulations with practical applications for the Machinery Control and Monitoring System (MCMS), a command and control system for 27 critical auxiliary systems onboard CVN 78,” said Kortz.

The tablets are preloaded with modules that simulate different ship systems. Sailors can practice operating the systems as many times as needed. This same training is available to the sailors through a secure external web server and will be available onboard the ship after delivery to support refresher and follow-up crew training.

“Using mobile applications for training supports the Navy’s ‘Sailor 2025’ initiative that focuses on a continuum of performance-based learning throughout a sailor’s career,” said Kevin Oakes, AMSEC’s manager of Training & Force Readiness Division.

Kortz said, “Student feedback has been very positive, and student skills have increased as they move from the classroom to the Engineering Design Model simulator for advanced hands-on training.”

When asked what the most valuable part of the training was, sailors who recently took the MCMS – Security and Weapons Workstations course said, “The hands-on training and simulation modules.”

Prior to CVN 78 leaving the shipyard, AMSEC will have delivered 162 courses totaling approximately 1,000 coursehours of training to the Ford Pre-Commissioning Unit crew.

I By Gina Chew-Holman

TIME

When the first payroll was recorded at the shipyard in 1888, the total distributed among 22 employees was $100.64.

The entire sum was charged to “Shipyard Buildings.” As the workforce began to swell and the number of contracts multiplied, timekeeping became significantly more complex.

The first time clocks arrived at the shipyard May 4, 1896. To clock in and out, a shipbuilder had to slip a four-inch brass key into a four-and-a-half-foot-tall Bundy Time Recorder.

The 22 Bundy clocks located around the shipyard had to be wound every few days and were in use until 1898.

By 1919, the number of employees working at the shipyard grew to 11,078, and the weekly payroll was $352,026.

Members of the Timekeeper’s Department were each responsible for tracking time for 300-500 shipbuilders, and they had to be familiar with 100-150 different charges and job orders.

Timekeeping technology and procedures have changed a lot over the last century, and new changes are underway.

Earlier this year, Trades Director Chandra McCulley-Hooker began leading a time improvement project team comprising employees with different functional expertise. The Time Improvement, Management and Education (TIME) Team was formed to evaluate and make recommendations to improve every aspect of time management – from policies and procedures to time-charging devices. “The team is looking at best practices used by industry-leading companies and HII subsidiaries. We’ve evaluated current policies and practices. Our goal is to make our shipbuilders more aware of their obligations and to make time collection more efficient and accessible for employees to accurately record their time,” said McCulley-Hooker.

Daily Time Recording is Essential Every NNS employee is responsible for accurately documenting their time down to the tenth of an hour. By procedure, employees are required to record and validate time daily.

“If employees don’t record time daily and accurately, it makes it difficult to plan and manage resources, estimate future contracts and validate cost billed to our customers.

Not adhering to timekeeping policies can be costly; potentially exposing the company, and the employee involved, to fines and penalties,” McCulley-Hooker explained.

NNS is subject to audits and checks to monitor compliance with federal timekeeping requirements. Employees who falsify time open themselves and the company to criminal liability and prosecution, while the company could be barred from participating in government contracts.

McCulley-Hooker said, “NNS has been in business for 130 years, and we want to be for another 130. In order to remain competitive in our industry and win new contracts, timekeeping and validation are vitally important.”

Say Goodbye to TAS and Hello to MyTime One of the first steps in improving the shipyard’s time-keeping management system is a new web-based application coming this fall. The new system, MyTime, was developed by the Payroll and IT departments to replace the Time and Attendance System (TAS), which has been in use since 1991.

Features of MyTime include easier navigation, single sign-on, easier identification and definition of charge codes, self-populating fields, a dropdown menu for employee salary codes, views of prior, current and next pay periods, and more.

MyTime will benefit salaried employees and improve the supervisor validation experience. New devices are being evaluated to replace hourly time clocks.

More information about TIME Team initiatives will be communicated, and training for MyTime will be available for all supervisors and salaried employees beginning in August.

I By Gina Chew-Holman

Photo by John Whalen

I am not an

INTE About Face Rethink what you think.

“I’ve definitely had experiences where I have felt excluded. I think my age has a lot to do with it. I’m actually a lot older than people think. But because I’m short, petite and look young, a lot of people assume that I just got out of school. I actually have a lot of work experience outside of the shipyard.”

Renae Staten-Myles

Business trends and buzzwords can change like the seasons. A December 2015 Forbes article predicted that 2016 would be a big year for inclusion and diversity. But Newport News Shipbuilding is going beyond buzzwords and trends by creating a culture change. The shipyard is taking this to heart with its “About Face: Rethink What You Think” education and awareness initiative.

More than 20,000 shipbuilders work at NNS, and each has a unique story and diverse background.

President Matt Mulherin believes that by finding ways to embrace the differences in each person, employee morale and engagement will improve. Shipyard leaders also believe the move will generate new and different ways of doing business.

“The first step in this journey is to begin honest conversations about how and why we may exclude people, even when we don’t realize we are doing it,” said Mulherin in a letter to employees.

As part of an ongoing campaign, each month shipbuilders share their unique stories through print, video and web features. To date, more than 15 shipbuilders have been featured and more than 200 have provided input.

“I think people are more conscious of the nuanced ways we’re all diverse,” said Engineering Planning Analyst Elizabeth Shames. “The conversation is less about the obvious markers of diversity – like race or gender or disability status – and more about the individual differences we all have that contribute to a diverse community.”

Shames, one of the employees featured in the campaign, is legally blind. Since sharing her story, the Web-Based-Training (WBT) Department at NNS is making significant changes to make videos and other online materials more accessible for her and others who may be visually impaired.

Shames is working directly with WBT to analyze current PDFs and screenshots of training materials. The team is working to reduce imagery, increase text size and add sound cues to help in navigation.

The conversation is slowly changing at NNS, and shipbuilders are responding.

“I think it may be too soon to tell the impacts of the campaign; however, I have enjoyed hearing the points of view of my fellow shipbuilders and appreciate the awareness and perspective that this campaign provides,” said Systems Engineer Stefani Smith. I By Jeremy Bustin

While we continue to seek stories that showcase each of our unique personality traits, we are also looking for people to share stories of being or feeling excluded based on age, race, gender or other cultural differences. Shipbuilders interested in sharing their stories should contact Bryan Moore at 757-688-4607.

I am not a

CRIMI

About Face Rethink what you think.

“I’ve been called a gangster, a thug and a criminal. I’m a baldheaded white guy and I’m covered in tattoos. My physical appearance steers people, a lot of times, in the wrong direction. People assume that I’ve been to prison. For me, tattoos are an artistic representation of different situations I’ve been through. They don’t say anything about my character.”

Jason Wiley

ERN.

INAL.

I am not

EFFEMINATE. About Face Rethink what you think.

“Some people think gay men are super feminine people who like to go shopping, but the majority of us are just regular people who do regular things, who can hold our own on the waterfront, with our tools or in an office.

I’m comfortable with my sexuality, and I try to be respectful to everyone else as long as they’re respectful back.”

Paul England

I am not

I am not

LAZY. About Face Rethink what you think.

“When I was thinner, I was part of a different group.

‘Bess has all the good ideas, Bess is doing this or Bess is doing that.’ I didn’t get any smarter or richer. All of a sudden, I was great. Then I put on a few pounds, and it’s ‘let’s put Bess back on the shelf again.’”

Bess Hash

I am not

JUST A NUMBER. HELPLESS. About Face Rethink what you think.

About Face Rethink what you think.

“When people look at me, they may see just another kid off of the streets. They don’t see one of the best pipefitters in the yard, or a person who aspires to be the president of this company. They just maybe look at me as someone who comes here to get a weekly check, when that is not who I am.”

Carlton Davis

“I’m not defined by my impairment—being legally blind. I have certain limitations, but I’m able to do things other people can do. The world as a whole isn’t made up of people who all look , think, act and behave the same; so you have to have a realistic approach to the scope of humanity.”

Elizabeth Shames

NNS

Engineers

SN

Work in Concert with to Reopen Nuclear Wast

First row (L-R): Heather Evans, Sonia Gopal, Wren Prather-Stroud, Phil Mills, Brian Marshall, Lisa Atwood, and Vince Gomes. Back row (L-R): Matthew Collins, Jamal Gibson, Mark Krauss, Travis Evans and Don George. Not pictured: Eugene Bennett and Jeff Hyde.

Photo by Lisa Atwood

SN3 te Facility

Eight adventurous Newport News engineers are working on a project located in the remote Chihuahuan Desert about 30 miles from Carlsbad, New Mexico. They were recruited by Stoller Newport News Nuclear (SN3) to help reopen the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) after two unrelated incidents shut down the facility.

WIPP is the nation’s only deep geological repository for defense-generated nuclear waste. The waste storage rooms are mined from salt beds that are 2,150 feet below the surface. Disposal of transuranic waste is critical to the cleanup of Cold War nuclear production sites.

Waste from Department of Energy sites around the country is sent to WIPP for permanent disposal. SN3 has held several contracts supporting WIPP since 1984.

On February 5, 2014, a wastehaul truck caught fire and burned, sending dense smoke throughout the mine. The facility was evacuated and immediately shut down. Nine days later, a second unrelated event occurred. Airborne radioactivity was detected by a continuous air monitor.

Investigations showed the radiation came from a waste drum that contained incompatible materials, causing ignition, a breach of the drum and a radiological release. This has caused WIPP to remain closed to shipments of waste to the present day.

“The shutdown of WIPP has profound ripple effects as nuclear waste cleanup sites across the nation slow their progress to wait for the repository to accept waste again,” said Brian Marshall, SN3’s Southwest operations manager.

Numerous investigations, assessments and reviews were conducted to determine root causes and to draft a recovery plan. To resume operations, the WIPP Recovery Plan requires expedited execution of projects with significantly more engineering deliverables than historically required at WIPP. In May 2015, SN3 won a contract to provide design and project engineers in support of WIPP recovery. “SN3’s reach-back capability to Newport News Shipbuilding is providing a way for the two business entities to work in concert to send engineers to help reopen WIPP,” said Don George, SN3 vice president.

Vince Gomes was the first shipyard engineer to accept the assignment in New Mexico. “NNS engineers are contributing their skills, fresh viewpoint and work ethic to the recovery and eventual restart of the WIPP repository,” he said. “They have wasted no time beginning their problem-solving, oversight, designing, computer-based modeling and support of preparations for the future operational readiness review that is required before WIPP can reopen.”

NNS engineers who are making a difference at WIPP are: Eugene Bennett, Matthew Collins, Travis Evans, Jamal Gibson, Vince Gomes, Sonia Gopal, Jeffrey Hyde and Phil Mills. I By Wren Prather-Stroud

The launching of the passenger liner America at Newport News Shipbuilding on August 31, 1939. The liner was delivered to United States Lines on July 2, 1940.

Beginning with La Grande Duchesse in 1899 and ending with Santa Paula in 1958, Newport News Shipbuilding built 63 passenger vessels. The majority of ships constructed during this period transported passengers and cargo. The U.S. government subsidized the cost of many of the ships so that during wartime, these vessels could be converted to troop ships to transport U.S. soldiers. The SS California, SS America and SS United States were among the most notable passenger vessels to sail the seas.

SS California Launched on Oct. 1, 1927, SS California was the world’s first major ocean liner to be propelled with turboelectric machinery. To lay the keels for California and her two sister ships, SS Virginia and SS Pennsylvania, NNS was forced to extend Shipways No. 8 and 9 into the James River.

Once complete, California was 601 ft. long, 80 ft. wide and weighed 13,500 tons. Her structure consisted of eight decks, and her rudder was carefully designed for safe handling through the Panama Canal. Two classes of passenger staterooms were located on the outside of the ship and reachable by an inside passage. She also had 35,000 cubic ft. of refrigerator space – more than any other Americanbuilt ship, a long list of electrical advances, and was equipped with a submarine-signaling apparatus, wireless direction-finding and a gyrocompass.

SS America Christened by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt Aug. 31, 1939, SS America was the largest passenger ship ever built in the U.S. at the time. She had accommodations for 1,219 passengers and 639 crew. Her contemporary interior was described as “luxurious as possible,” and her design incorporated

modern advancements in fire resistance, water-tight compartments, lifeboats and other safety devices.

Throughout her life, she carried eight names, was called into service by the U.S. Navy and was eventually sold several times before wrecking off the coast of the Canary Islands, where she remains today.

SS United States One of the most famous passenger liners ever constructed

by NNS was the SS United States, also known as “America’s Flagship.” Christened in 1951 and delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1952, she was one of the first major ocean liners to be built in dry dock. Considered an engineering marvel, United States was 100 feet longer than Titanic and capable of carrying 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members. In wartime, she could carry up to 14,000 troops.

Her superstructure consisted of 23 public rooms, 395 staterooms and 14 first-class suites, and her décor was extremely modern. Largely considered one of the safest ships ever built, United States was made of more than 2,000 tons of aluminum and was completely fireproof. Except for the piano and butcher’s blocks, there was no wood in any of the ship’s public rooms, accommodations or crew quarters.

Even the fabric and textiles were nonflammable.

One of her most notable accomplishments, which she still retains today, includes shattering records for crossing the Atlantic Ocean, which she did in three days, 10 hours and 42 minutes.

Today, the vessel is docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awaiting restoration.

I By Lauren Shuck

Meet Wellness

CHAMPION: Carlos Serrano

Carlos Serrano, a Newport News Shipbuilding quality inspector, once tipped the scale at 275 pounds, and he was miserable most of the time. “I was working third shift, not getting enough sleep and my eating habits were horrible,” Serrano said. “I struggled with the simplest of things like tying my shoes, enjoying time with family and going up and down steps. The extra weight made everything harder, especially performing my job here at the shipyard.”

In 2012, Serrano returned to first shift and sleeping better. The changes made a difference, but he still struggled with his weight. Like many dieters, Serrano tried different weight-loss programs, but none of them stuck. It wasn’t until January 2015, when he decided to join ShipSHAPE, one of the Interactive Health programs offered at the shipyard, that Serrano saw results.

“The program taught me to gradually make small changes. I learned that it wasn’t about diets or drastic changes, but creating new habits. These small changes started to become habits and these habits started to become my new lifestyle,” explained Serrano.

He started exercising every day at least 30 minutes and eating healthier. Three months later, by the end of the Interactive Health

program, Serrano trimmed 10 inches off his waist and lost almost 30 pounds. He continued to use what he learned and kept at it.

Today, Serrano weighs roughly 180 pounds and has a 34-inch waist. “What’s crazy is that I weigh less than I did when I graduated from high school. One of the biggest enjoyments from being healthier is that I can now enjoy life with those I care for.”

“My goal now is to encourage and motivate others. I want people to know that no matter where you are now with your health, you can do anything you set your mind to do. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it, and there are people who can support you.”

Interactive Health offers a variety of programs, tools and support to help employees live healthier lifestyles. To learn more about programs managed by Interactive Health, contact Becky Johnson at 380-7380 or email interactivehealth@hii-nns.com.

Quality Inspector Carlos Serrano lost nearly 100 pounds using the tools he learned in the shipyard’s Interactive Health ShipSHAPE program. Photo by Ricky Thompson

NNS Receives Planning Contr act for Enterprise (CVN 80) Newport News Shipbuilding was awarded a $152 million contract May 23 for advance planning for the construction of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80). This third aircraft carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class was named in honor of the U.S. Navy’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

The work, which includes engineering, design, planning and procurement of long-lead-time material, will be performed through March 2018. Construction on Enterprise is slated

to begin in 2018, with delivery to the Navy in 2027. The new Enterprise will eventually replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) when the aircraft carrier enters the fleet.

CVN 65 is in the last stages of inactivation at NNS. The “Big E,” as the ship was fondly known, was built by NNS and commissioned in 1961. Before inactivation began in 2014, she served for 51 years. CVN 65 is scheduled to leave the shipyard in 2017. I By Christie Miller

Yardlines is published quarterly for the employees of Newport News Shipbuilding.

This issue of Yardlines was produced by: Jeremy Bustin, Amy McDonald, Eugene Phillips, Ben Scott, LaMar Smith, Peter Stern and Lauren Shuck.

Editor: Gina Chew-Holman Send change of address, comments, questions and story ideas to communications@hii-nns.com or call 757-380-2627.

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ON THE COVER Shipbuilders suspended by a crane prepare to remove staging and temporary pads on the top of the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) main mast.

Photo by Chris Oxley

MAKING A DIFFERENCE paying it forward Heather Smith’s enthusiasm is contagious. She puts all her energy into whatever she does. Volunteering for a variety of community organizations is one of her passions. Smith grew up in Williamsburg and Gloucester and now resides in Newport News, where she commits more than 200 hours to community service each year. Smith said, “I was helped by many generous, committed volunteers and organizations when I was young, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. They showed me that there were concerned, good adults out there.”

After losing her mother in 2010 due to a history of mental illness, Smith became a team lead for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) charity walk.

Smith also volunteers for the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk, the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Newport News Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and the Laurel Shelter. She also helps to feed the homeless.

She is motivated to help others, and last year, after encouraging and signing up shipbuilders to participate in the Hampton Roads Heart Walk, she attended the event in a wheelchair three days after having surgery.

Smith, who has been with NNS nine years, is currently a member of the Production Planning and Scheduling Team.

She is the newly appointed 2016 director of publications and communications for the Newport News Shipbuilding employee resource group, Women in Shipbuilding Enterprises (WiSE), and she has volunteered for numerous shipyard special events during her shipyard career.

I By Amy McDonald

Heather Smith hangs a banner with Mark Nichols to encourage shipbuilders to participate in the Hampton Roads Heart Walk. As a volunteer, the NNS-sponsored event is one of many initiatives Smith supports. Photo by John Whalen

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Master Shipbuilders Celebrate 35,627 Year of Experience At the 27th Master Shipbuilders Recognition Ceremony, Newport News Shipbuilding celebrated the careers of 832 men and women who have worked at the shipyard for 40 or more consecutive years. The April 21 evening event was held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia. One hundred and seventy three of the employees were recognized as new Master Shipbuilders. Photo by Chris Oxley