Photo By Joe Yanik | Senior leaders, contracting experts, and ship repair engineers representing several of...... read more read more
Senior leaders, contracting experts, and ship repair engineers representing several of the U.S. 6th Fleet’s logistics support agencies hosted a Ship Repair Industry Day event aboard USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7), while at the Athenian port of Piraeus, Greece, Nov. 19-21, 2019.
The hosting agencies were Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Sigonella, Military Sealift Command (MSC), and Forward-Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC). Guest attendees included representatives of 19 European commercial ship repair vendors.
“In recent years, 6th Fleet has been increasing the tempo of its operations throughout the Mediterranean as part of our national defense’s strategic effort toward greater dynamic force employment,” said Capt. Frank Okata, Commander, Military Sealift Command Europe and Africa (MSCEURAF) and Task Force 63 (CTF 63). “On behalf of 6th Fleet, the Navy’s logistics support agencies organized this Industry Day to grow our ship repair industry base in the region, so we can continue to ensure our fleet’s ships and supporting vessels are ready at all times.”
The event began with briefings led by subject matter experts from the hosting agencies during which industry vendors learned each agencies’ contracting regulations and solicitations processes.
“To ensure we have a stable industrial base that can properly repair and maintain our ships, we have to first train the commercial ship repair vendors about how to do business with the U.S. government," said Capt. Jerry King, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella’s Chief of Contracts. "This means training them about our Navy’s contracting rules and regulations and the technical specifications of our forward-deployed ships that require repair and maintenance."
Okata added that the briefings also helped the vendors to better understand the scope of U.S. Navy operations in the region.
Cmdr. Luis Socias, officer in charge, FDRMC Rota, said that one of the central reasons for holding the Industry Day was to enable dialogue between the hosting agencies and company representatives that would lead to a stronger ship repair customer base for the Navy.
“Our goal here today was to communicate with local contractors that with our Navy’s increased presence in the region, we will need their labor and expertise in order to maintain our ships operating here,” Socias said. “Our event was successful in that many of the vendor representatives asked questions and received immediate answers about how best they can submit competitive packages solicitations.”
Hosting the event aboard Carson City also gave vendor representatives a unique opportunity to gain firsthand familiarity with areas of the ship where repairs are needed for the vessel’s upcoming maintenance period.
Dylan Coffman, Carson City’s principle port engineer, led vendor representatives during a walk-through of the areas where repair work was needed.
“For the ship check walk-through of Carson City, transparency was important so that all vendors have the same information about the needed repair work,” Coffman said. “This information will aid them as they bid for the associated work items within the maintenance package.
King added that he was pleased so many vendors invested time and effort in attending the Industry Day event, and he expects that the tide has turned toward re-building the Navy’s ship repair customer base in the Mediterranean.
“The Navy’s industry base for ship repair in the Mediterranean has degraded over the years,” said King. “This Industry Day event and the ship check walk-through of Carson City has already succeeded in raising awareness in the ship repair commercial industry.”
NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is one of NAVSUP's eight globally-positioned logistics centers that provides for the full range of the Fleet's military operations. NAVSUP FLC Sigonella delivers solutions for logistics, business and support services to the Navy, Military Sealift Command, Joint and Allied Forces throughout Navy Region Europe-Africa-Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA).
MSC operates approximately 125 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners. EPF class ships are designed to transport 600 short tons of military cargo 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. The ship is capable of operating in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams main battle tank (M1A2)."
FDRMC is the maintenance and sustainment arm of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Europe. They support the combatant ships of the 6th fleet with Fleets technical assistance, emergent and voyage repairs of both deploying ships and the European homeported ships as well as the long and short availabilities for those ships homeported in Europe.
NAVEUR/NAVAF/U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2019 09:43 |
| Story ID: | 354963 |
| Location: | ATHENS, GR |
| Web Views: | 265 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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