Shipyard Spotlight: Jarrett Thompson – A Job Weld Done

Photo By Shelby West | NNSY’s Welder Jarrett Thompson says he loves welding because it is both an art form and an exact science.  

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

01.31.2020

Story by Allison Conti 

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Small beads of sweat form on Jarrett Thompson’s forehead underneath his welding helmet. His face is only inches away from a scorching welding torch that can reach over 10,000 degrees. He wears a long-sleeve shirt and bulky welding gloves to protect himself. Despite the conditions, he works efficiently with pinpoint precision, as he artistically melds metals together.

Thompson, a welder in Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Welding Shop (Code 926), has come to be known amongst his colleagues and supervisors for his high-quality work. His supervisor, Code 926 Trades Manager Jeremy Clark said, “When he shows up on the job, everybody’s confidence goes up.”

Thompson’s high caliber of work has allowed his code to reach a milestone that is “outstanding and unheard of,” according to Code 926’s Training Director James Anderson. Since December 2017, the code has maintained a zero percent reject rate on radiography tests.

The Man behind the Welding Mask

You could say that welding is in Thompson’s DNA. His father worked as a welder in Code 926 for 34 years before retiring. Having grown up in a shipyard family, he was familiar with the benefits of working at NNSY and decided to apply for the apprenticeship program in 2014. Thompson was immediately drawn to Code 926 despite having never welded. “The way my dad spoke about welding made me want to do it – he loved it. He was so passionate about both the science and the art of it. Since starting, I’ve fallen in love with it too,” said Thompson.

Thompson was a natural welder and his skillset quickly gained the attention of his supervisors and Code 926’s leadership. Surface Craft Director Jeff Griffin said Thompson’s talents were instantly noticed. “When I was the trades manager, I patrolled the welding school for talent. I knew immediately, there was something special about this guy. He’s lived up to every expectation. He is a special individual.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Thompson joined Code 926 and graduated the apprenticeship program in 2018.

His innate skills were honed by Thompson’s strong work ethic. First as an apprentice and then as a journeyman, Thompson jumped at any opportunity to develop himself as a welder including taking on additional jobs. “I work a lot because I love to weld. But because I’m here, people know they can depend on me and then they give me the opportunity to go and do another job.”

One of these opportunities was to join a fly-away team providing emergent fleet repairs. While Thompson said he couldn’t choose a favorite project, he described the fly-away as the most exciting job he’s worked on to date. “They fly you out and you get to land on the cables of a flight deck and then get launched back off. It’s really awesome and something not many people get to do.” Thompson said he was chosen for the job because “my supervisors knew that I would show up, be present, and do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

A love of welding is not Thompson’s only motivator for coming to work and doing an excellent job. “I’m very passionate about what we do at America’s Shipyard. It is the shipyard’s duty to provide the U.S. Navy with the resources and equipment to do their job. If we do our job right, they can come home safely to their family, just like I’m able to do every day because of their service and sacrifice.” Thompson’s family includes his wife Megan and their dog, named after another of his passions, Christmas.

A Bright Future Ahead

When asked about his future career goals, Thompson said he is open-minded and that he likes to take things one day and one weld at a time. But all of his supervisors agree that no matter what Thompson does at NNSY, he has a bright future ahead.

Code 926 Supervisor John Janssen said, “He is a go-getter with a can-do attitude and he will go far at America’s Shipyard. By always being willing to help others on his team, he has been able to accomplish in five years at NNSY what some don’t in their entire careers.” Griffin said that Thompson’s work and personality encapsulate the C.O.R.E. values and that he is and should be a role model for young apprentices. “He is the definition of what a welding mechanic should be because he cares, and he is willing to teach and learn.”

Thompson does have one goal and that is to be a part of a team that helps NNSY achieve excellence. “I think a lot of it starts with just doing the right thing. If you do it the right way the first time, it will always work out in the end. If I start by doing the right thing on a single personal level, it can cause ripple effects and help my shop succeed. That helps the whole shipyard achieve excellence.”

• Date Taken: 01.31.2020
• Date Posted: 01.31.2020 15:47
• Story ID: 361360
• Location: PORTSMOUTH, VA, US