As the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) approaches its next phase in the refueling complex overhaul (RCOH), personnel from the decking team (PM-13) are saving the Navy $4.6 million by assuming the task of repairing the ship’s hangar bay ceiling.
With 2,000 square feet of corrosion control and prevention complete, one-third of Lincoln’s hangar bay is now ready for the lagging installation process.
According to PM-13 division officer, Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smith, by taking on this job the PM-13 team is saving the Navy nearly $4.6 million in labor, equipment costs and manpower.
“The ship’s force’s initiative taking on the overhead task is a perfect scenario for PM-13 and V-3 Sailors to collectively work towards a completion of a goal while saving Lincoln’s RCOH contractor cost $4.6 million for all three hangar bays,” Smith said.
To meet their September 2015 deadline, PM-13 currently maintains their already-large workload of deck rehabilitation with eight Sailors on a rotating schedule assigned to the hangar bay ceiling project.
Lincoln is currently undergoing a refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Va.
Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz-class to undergo an RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the nation’s defense.
[mappress] Press Release, October 07, 2014; Image: US Navy