Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) hosted a maintenance and material management assist (3MA) team to evaluate the ship’s 3M program, Nov. 2-4.
The 3MA team consists of senior enlisted members ranging from chief petty officers to master chief petty officers from Commander, Naval Air Force’s (CNAF) 3M training department, and are responsible for assessing George Washington’s 3M program and training Sailors to be more successful.
Master Chief Electrician’s Mate Jim Burke, CNAF 3M inspection team leading chief petty officer, said:
3MA is designed to prepare a ship for a 3M inspection (3MI) which occurs every two years.
During 3MA, we conduct full 3M administrative reviews, observe 100 random planned maintenance system (PMS) spot checks and validate the ship’s ability to self-repair and conduct proper zone inspections.
The inspectors checked every department’s 3M workcenters and combed through their preventative maintenance manuals to ensure all administrative processes were correctly logged and updated.
Assessments like this ensure George Washington’s ability to schedule and conduct preventative maintenance and remain fully operational in a forward-deployed environment.
After completing inspections and assessments, inspectors provided 3M training to every department and addressed any areas that may need attention.
While 3MA is mostly a guided evolution, it’s still a graded exercise that’s important to the ship.
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Press release, Image: US Navy