NAVSUP FLC Norfolk contracting personnel provided husbanding services last month to Norfolk based USS San Jacinto (CG 56) during Wilmington North Carolina’s first Navy Week since 2019.
Fifteen Navy units visited the area for a week of events April 10-16, in conjunction with the Azalea Festival.
Wilmington Navy Week brings Sailors from across the fleet to the area to emphasize the importance of the Navy to Wilmington, the state of North Carolina, and the nation.
Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Wilmington.
According to NAVSUP FLC Norfolk Supervisory Contract Specialist Ricardo Lopez, services provided were pilot and tug services, line handlers, fenders, force protection, transportation, trash removal, portable sanitary facilities, mobile crane services, collection, holding and transfer (CHT) and greywater services and potable water.
“My role was to serve as the contracting officer,” explained Lopez. “The team on the ground would identify if any changes to the contract are required. I would confirm the changes with the contracting officer’s representative (COR) and contact the husbanding service provider about those changes and complete the modification to the task order to update the requirement.”
According to Lopez, a team of five contracting personnel supported all requirements. Three were on the ground in Wilmington while the other two supported the effort from Norfolk. They served as a link between the ship and the service providers. One of the challenges faced by the team was communication between the ship’s supply officer and the COR as the ship’s communications capabilities were limited while in Wilmington. “This was mitigated by having the team on the ground supporting and being a line of communication between them both,” said Lopez. “Another challenge was getting last minute sanitary facilities at the location where the force protection was located. Due to unplanned circumstances, sanitary facilities were identified as a need and the team was able to incorporate the change and have the facilities in place the next morning.”
According to Lopez, the port visit was a resounding success. “All changes that were required were able to be met in a timely manner,” said Lopez. “This port visit was a training event for two of our personnel to get familiar with port visits and to be able to go to them on their own in the future. They gained valuable knowledge and will be successful in knowing what to expect when they are on their own port visit.”
| Date Taken: |
04.16.2023 |
| Date Posted: |
05.03.2023 08:56 |
| Story ID: |
443891 |
| Location: |
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
103 |
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0 |
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