Photo By Christopher Menzie | SAN DIEGO – (Sept. 8, 2026) Hull Technician 1st Class Giovanni Moctezuma from Shore...... read more read more
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Story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sara L. Eshleman, Commander Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet
Following the Navy’s recent move to re-establish Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activities (SIMAs), a team of eight Sailors from SIMA San Diego deployed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in August to support repairs and improve their technical skills aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91).
Highlighting the specific teams involved,U.S.NavyCapt. Russell Caldwell, commander, Naval Surface Group Southwest (CNSGSW), stated, “This remarkable achievement is a testament to the seamless coordination and unmatched technical expertise shared between the Sailors of Pinckney, SIMA San Diego, CNSGSW, Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, and Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center.”
U.S. NavyLt. Cmdr. Marcus Antonellis, Pinckney’s chief engineer, noted that the integrated teamrapidlycompletedrepairs to acorrect a discrepancythat wasidentifiedshortly before the ship arrived in Pearl Harbor. He added thatwhiletherepaircan typically take up to six weeks,the team was able toaccomplishthe workin six days.
Re-establishing SIMAs is part of a Navy effort to boost self-sufficiency by putting maintenance back into Sailors' hands through individualized training. Instead of defaulting to a contracted workforce, the deployed team—comprisedof gas turbine systems technicians, enginemen, and machinist’s mates—worked alongside the ship's force to execute the job organically.
"This evolution on Pinckney was a masterclass in technical discipline and procedural execution," saidU.S. NavyCapt. Bill Albert, commanding officer of SIMA San Diego. "Our Sailorsshowed extreme grit and tenacity andlearned firsthand the absolute necessity of strict procedural compliance. As the foundation of our war fighting force, this evolution presented a unique opportunity to elevate the expertise of both our SIMA and ship’s forceSailors.”
SIMA aims to develop adaptive and innovative Sailors who are empowered and self-sufficient.Sailors assigned toSIMA conduct maintenance on operational equipment while rotating through multiple repair shops during their tour to expose them to a broader range of systems and troubleshooting experiences.Following their tours at SIMA, these Sailors will return to the fleet, taking their knowledge and skills with them to enhance combat readiness across the force.
Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet ensures fleet commanders are equipped with personnel, materiel and trainingrequiredto project credible naval power at sea, ashore, at home and abroad.
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2026 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 574484 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Foundry in Action: SIMA San Diego develops proficiency aboard USS Pinckney, by PO1 Sara Eshleman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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