By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Ryan Pitt, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
NORFOLK – Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) are taking steps to change the length of Machinery Repairman (MR) “A” school, which would improve the abilities of all junior MRs in the Fleet.
Within the ship’s MR shop, two junior MRs, Machinery Repairman Fireman Karly Zelayasaravia, from San Diego, and Machinery Repairman 3rd Class Bryan Chaparrovazquez, from Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, are spearheading a capstone project. Their part is to measure the average time needed to manufacture a pump shaft to adjust the school’s curriculum.
The pump shaft is a culmination of almost everything a lathe can do. Sailors combine different techniques such as threading, turning, facing, and grooving to create the final product. All of these techniques create their own characteristics when it comes to recreating different pieces for the ship.
“The “A” school process that we go through equips all MRs with the tools they need to perform the basic functions required of us to work with our machines in the Fleet,” said Machinery Repairman 2nd Class Kody Kratz, from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “This capstone project could greatly improve the vital skills that make our rate unique. The reason we were developed in the early 19th century was to reproduce and fabricate often unavailable parts while out at sea.”
The shop’s leading petty officer is proud to see her junior Sailors working on a project like this and sees the importance of it for future MRs in the Fleet.
“As someone who previously instructed MR “A” school, I know the kind of effect this will have on helping our rate excel as a whole,” said Machinery Repairman 1st Class Rashida Grear, from Denver. “The kind of accuracy and hard work it takes to manage a task like this is no small feat, and is something the Fleet absolutely needs. I’m happy my Sailors can help make that a standard.”
When a piece of equipment is broken and requires immediate repair, MRs use their training on a variety of specialized equipment and machines to fabricate something quickly and accurately to maintain the ship’s combat readiness.
“If something happened and we were out to sea, we would need to be able to have those traits and skills so everyone in our shop could work on something different. Having this specialized training and knowledge coming straight out of “A” school would be considered our new baseline. This new baseline could be the thing that allows us to fight back and potentially save the ship,” said Kratz.
The two MRs are eager to help with this project to improve the skills of all MRs Fleet-wide.
“Working with these machines and specific tools can sometimes be pretty difficult, especially if you’re not working with them on a regular basis,” said Zelayasaravia. “That is even more of a reason for us to be working on this project so it can potentially be added to our curriculum in “A” school.”
Getting this kind of hands-on experience for Sailors during “A” school was a need the MR community recognized and is taking steps to make it happen.
“The higher-ranked MRs are working to strike a deal with Big Navy. They wrote the instructions and outlines of the additional program for the MR community, and are trying to see this rate not just survive, but grow and prosper,” said Kratz.
Specialized skills that MRs possess must be constantly honed. If they are not, those skills will most likely be lost. Therefore, constant training and learning is an integral part of an MRs career.
“This training is important for junior MRs to learn because if a piece of the ship is broken and needs to be fixed quickly we can rely on more people in the shop to help out,” said Zelayasaravia.
It takes every department on a ship to maintain combat readiness, and the GHWB machinery repairmen are trying to help the entire Fleet reach its goal.