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Onboard the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the Sailors who manage 3M serve as the foundation for operating and maintaining some of the most advanced equipment onboard naval vessels in the fleet.
“We have many new systems onboard, and it’s a lot of work to get things right,” said Master Chief Machinist’s Mate OJ Miller, one of Ford’s 3M coordinators (3MC). “We’ve brought together each departmental rep and work center supervisor to help roll out our 3M program since it started.”
New technologies aboard Ford include an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear system (AAG), and the Dual Band Radar (DBR).
A successful 3M system provides the crew with specific procedures and processes for accomplishing crucial maintenance for advanced technology.
“The foundation of the program is our basic maintenance person,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Bryan Hay, also a member of Ford’s 3MC team. “We’re constantly training. We like to bring our maintenance personnel, our work center supervisors, and our Chiefs together as often as possible in order to continuously increase their knowledge base.”
Every ship in the fleet, as well as on shore commands, has specific requirements for how and what qualifications are necessary in order to obtain a solid knowledge base amongst the crew. However, being a first-in-class ship, Ford’s crew has had to overcome many challenges while implementing a program from the ground up.
“Because we’re a first-in-class ship, we didn’t get a blue print of how the 3M program should be run for this type of platform,” said Chief Machinist’s Mate Eric Baker, another member of Ford’s 3MC team. “It’s definitely been a challenge but also very rewarding to see how the program has developed on our ship through time.”
The system allows Sailors who conduct the maintenance to provide feedback on each step, tool, part, or material needed to conduct proper maintenance. A feedback report is generated, the 3MC team will review it, then decide if a change in procedure would help the maintenance person perform the action more efficiently.
Ford’s 3M officer (3MO), Lt. Cmdr. Roger Horne, says the process has become easier thanks to the hard work of the crew and support from leadership.
“There have been many challenges but having the 3M team that I have, their knowledge, and their professionalism has made this job both rewarding and enjoyable,” said Horne.
The 3M program onboard aircraft carriers is structured with the executive officer (XO) as being overall responsible for how the program is run. The 3MCs describe themselves as the liaisons between the maintenance person, the XO and Naval Sea Command, who ultimately approve how maintenance and other procedures are conducted on the ship.
“The XO’s engagement is crucial to the success of the program,” says Miller. “He [Capt. Brent Gaut] is very involved and really is the factor that takes everything to the next level.”
Every Sailor, no matter their rate or rank, must contribute to upholding the integrity of the Navy-wide program. This can include everything from the upkeep of the crew’s laundry machines to inspecting seals and hinges of water tight hatches, and even the daily checks of life-saving equipment, such as medical’s defibrillators.
“I believe the maintenance of our equipment is one of the most important things we can do as Sailors, especially on our life-saving equipment,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jessica Scott. “In the chance we have to use certain equipment while out to sea, the proper maintenance on those items will be the deciding factor if we are able to save a shipmates life.”
In the end, 3M serves as the backbone of the fleet that keeps ships out to sea and Sailors safe to operate in their work centers.
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2017 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 259213 |
| Location: | AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, First in Class Receives First Class Maintenance, by PO1 Ruben Reed, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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