The USS Georgia Project

The USS Georgia Project Inside a Major Submarine Overhaul

From Commander, Submarine Group 10 Public Affairs

“These submarines and the highly-trained Sailors that operate and maintain them bring one the one of most flexible, feared submarine platforms wherever needed.�

-Rear Adm. Jeff Jablon, commander, Submarine Group 10

The USS Georgia Project

By Lt. Katie Diener, Commander, Submarine Group 10 Public Affairs

On a submarine base tucked away in southeast Georgia, a major project is nearing completion. At Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, home to the East Coast’s Ohio-class submarines, the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) is undergoing a major overhaul, completing a modernization program and making preparations for its first crew of enlisted female Sailors.

flexible, feared submarine platforms wherever needed, whenever needed.”

Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy platform and are armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications capabilities. The Ohio-class platform capitalizes on its existing strengths, endurance and stealth, in maintaining long-term station keeping duty while forward deployed. In addition to having the ability to deploy over 150 tactical missiles, the platform can also be configured to support dedicated accommodations for significant numbers of special operations forces.

Georgia was commissioned in 1984 and is one of the oldest Ohio-class submarines in the U.S. Navy fleet but one of the most feared warships in the world.

Originally built as a ballistic-missile submarine, Georgia was converted to a guided-missile submarine in 2007 in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. There are only four guided-missile submarines in the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet, making its overhaul even more critical.

In April 2018, USS Georgia entered the dry dock at Trident Refit Facility (TRF), located on the base for an Extended Refit Period (ERP). The facility is the largest covered dry dock in the United States, allowing for submarines to locally undergo major overhauls, upgrades and maintenance at their homeport instead of shipyards. The dry dock is unique because it is specifically outfitted for submarine maintenance.

“The fire power and stealth our SSGNs like Georgia contribute to our U.S. Navy is unmatched,” said Rear Adm. Jeff Jablon, commander, Submarine Group 10.

“These submarines and the highly-trained Sailors that operate and maintain them bring one the one of most

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TRF is responsible for logistic and industrial support for submarine overhauls, modernization and repairs for Trident submarines.

enlisted female submariners as part of the Enlisted Women in Submarines (EWIS) program. Georgia is the final SSGN to get the EWIS modification.

“Our TRF team is fully integrated in scheduling and executing every maintenance period on the waterfront,” said Capt. Paul Dinius, commanding officer, Trident Refit Facility Kings Bay.

Now, along with the scheduled overhaul and modernizations, Georgia was on schedule for another major change since being converted to an SSGN- the integration of enlisted female Sailors.

Dinius, from Simi Valley, California, graduated from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, in 1992 and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. He previously commanded USS Helena (SSN 725), including a 19-month maintenance period in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine.

Capt. Louis Springer, commanding officer of the Georgia blue crew, is excited to see the change for the Submarine Force.

“It’s an honor to be a part of this part of history for the Submarine Force and the Navy,” said Springer. “I have four daughters, and it’s important that I can tell them they can really do anything.”

“My time being in command during a shipyard period helped me prepare for this position,” Dinius said. “You get different perspectives and understand the mission the ship has during an overhaul and what the shipyard needs to execute. You’ll either win together or lose together, it’s an all-in effort.”

Springer, from Queens, New York, graduated from Alfred University, in Alfred, New York, in 1995 and was commissioned through the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate program. He previously commanded USS Rhode Island (SSBN 740) blue crew, and took command of Georgia’s blue crew in March 2018.

The planning of Georgia’s overhaul started eight months before it pulled into dry dock, including a new modification for the Submarine Force. On June 22, 2015, the Navy announced the selections of the first 3

“Leading a ship at sea is an exciting challenge,” he said. “Getting to watch the crew come together as a team and the caliber of talented Sailors we have makes me extremely proud to be a part of Georgia.”

Planning a major overhaul At 560 feet long, over one and a half football fields for perspective, planning a maintenance period like Georgia’s is no easy feat.

The planning process began in 2017, prior to arrival, with the TRF team.

It takes only one day to pull a submarine into the impressive dry dock at Kings Bay. Holding 33 million gallons of sea water, it only takes about three hours to drain after the submarine is pulled in.

“Eight months prior to its availability, I received the work package and started the planning process,” said Michael Nadeau, the SSGN Project Supervisor at TRF Kings Bay. Nadeau, from Somersworth, New Hampshire, has been working in the Navy civil service for over 35 years. As the project supervisor, he is responsible for reviewing the work package and planning all critical path jobs and sequencing the work.

“I get to work at about 4:30 a.m. and I’m walking the ship by 5 a.m.,” he said. “Followed by meetings with my team of zone managers, ship’s force and TRF leadership.”

His office walls are covered in timelines of the work being done on Georgia, from start to finish. Looking at the labels, color codes, dates and times, gives one a full appreciation of the amount of planning and coordination it takes for a project like Georgia.

“An SSGNs mobility and staying power bring many options to the fight for our nation. Georgia is ready to get back in the fight.”

The project is a constant flow of personnel. The teams working on Georgia also work on the ballisticmissile submarines stationed at the base. Flexibility and shifting work is an everyday task for Nadeau and his team. Crane movements, weather and other ship’s schedules all play into the intricate task of planning.

-Capt. Louis Springer, commanding officer, USS Georgia (Blue)

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Georgia has a planned maintenance period of 1.4 million man hours, which includes over 3,300 individual jobs that needed to be executed during the ERP. Planning takes numerous contracts, engineers, project managers, countless civilian and Navy personnel team members and the never ending amount of spreadsheets to keep on top of all the work.

In 2005, Georgia arrived in Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, for its scheduled Engineered Refueling Overhaul and its conversion to an SSGN. Upon its completion in 2008, the boat had traded in its Trident ballistic-missiles and was now able to carry Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM).

Georgia was greeted on March 28, 2008, to its new homeport in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Its first 2009 deployment earned the crew the Battle Efficiency “E”. The criteria for the Battle “E” is for the overall readiness of the command to carry out its assigned wartime tasks.

Nadeau says his previous experience with refits, his team and years of experience helps him keep track of the work being done.

“You can’t do a project like this on your own,” said Nadeau. “Capt. Dinius and Cmdr. Kevin Sims, the Production Management Assistant, are my backbones throughout this project.”

Since its first award-winning deployment almost a decade ago, it’s time for another round of upgrades, modernizations and modifications.

He was the project supervisor for USS Alaska’s (SSBN 732) refit period for one year and finished USS Florida’s (SSGN 728) ERP. Georgia is the first project he’s been able to plan from start to finish, and his pride cannot go unnoticed.

“The main work being done includes upgrades to the ship’s controls and the communications systems,” said Nadeau. “The other portion is the EWIS modifications which includes work on new living quarters and heads.”

“This is my baby,” he said. “Even though I never served in the Navy, I am proud to be a civilian supporting and maintaining our forward presence around the world. I know my team and I directly contributed to our Navy and country’s mission.”

It is an impressive sight to see an Ohio-class submarine out of water. Walking the dry dock truly puts into perspective the power and strength behind the ship. The average blue whale can reach over 100 ft.; Georgia is five times that length. A massive hull designed for fire power, SSGNs are designed to carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and Mk. 48 Torpedoes launched out of four torpedo tubes.

In addition to TRF and contract work, ship’s force makes preparation for their overhaul as well. The ship’s crews work as a team to make sure the maintenance can get completed.

“This is the largest refit that has been done in TRF,” said Springer. “The ship’s crew is an integral part of the maintenance. We work on setting the ship’s conditions for work, processing tag outs for the systems being worked on, and the retests of the systems.”

Georgia will be in its ERP for 16 months and it takes a team to ensure it goes to plan.

“Every organization involved has its own priority,” said Nadeau. “So we have to integrate those into one cohesive schedule. We were able to flex to establish a truly executable schedule and keep the critical key events on track.”

Modernizations, modifications and maintenance It’s been a long journey for the Georgia to get to the point where it is now. Over 34 years ago, the boat was commissioned in Groton, Connecticut, and made the transit to its homeport in Bangor, Washington. Georgia completed 65 strategic deterrent patrols before its conversion to a guided-missile submarine.

But the hard work by the Georgia overhaul team is coming into fruition. Gradually, team members can see their projects coming to completion and getting the Georgia back to sea isn’t a far off goal.

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“Right now, I’m really looking forward to seeing a fresh coat of paint on the submarine,” said Nadeau.

“That’s when it really feels like the project is almost done.”

“Our crew will work as a team to get certified to get back out to sea,” said Springer. “We work on our individual and team skills.”

Getting Georgia back to sea is a team effort and top priority for the U.S. Navy.

Ready for Sea The U.S. Navy’s SSGNs have a unique deployment cycle. For SSBNs, the ships pull into port and a turnover is conducted at their homeport. SSGNs have a 27-month operational cycle and their turnover is conducted at remote stations like Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean. An SSGN may not pull into its homeport for over two and a half years. And the Georgia crew is ready for sea.

“I remind my new incoming Sailors and civilians when they first report to TRF of the importance of what we do here,” said Dinius. “We need to get these boats out to sea to protect our country’s freedom.”

Georgia will be ready for its first deployment the beginning of 2020 and its crew and the TRF team is ready to see it back at sea. Its motto, “Furtim, Incurso, Mutatio”, meaning “Stealth, Attack, Change” fortifies the Georgia’s importance to getting back on station as part of the unseen, on scene Submarine Force.

“We always say ‘Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea,’” said Sonar Technician (submarines) Petty Officer First Class Joseph Holmes, the Sonar Lead Petty Officer assigned to Georgia’s blue crew.

“I love being at sea. That’s when you really get to see what your crew and ship is really capable of.”

“An SSGNs mobility and staying power bring many options to the fight for our nation,” said Springer.

“Georgia is ready to get back in the fight.”

But before going on their first deployment after ERP, the crew has training and certifications to go through.

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Follow Commander, Submarine Group 10: Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Tomforde and Lt. Katie Diener Special thanks to Trident Refit Facility team, USS Georgia crew and Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic

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