Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment – San Diego (PNSY DET-SD) has delivered 15 consecutive availabilities early or on time since October 2025. Most recently, achieving an on-time deployment of USS Scranton (SSN 756) to support operational needs in the Pacific.
The PNSY DET-SD workforce has maintained this high level of performance despite challenges, demonstrating unwavering dedication to the mission and the fleet.
Even as project schedules increased with two or three concurrent availabilities taking place at one time, PNSY DET-SD leadership effectively prioritized tasks to ensure mission execution. With Shipyard Commander Capt. Jesse Nice’s three lines of effort as their guide, the team has cultivated expertise, executed authority at the appropriate levels and employed innovative methods to execute work.
“Our focus has been on building team alignment. Not just between shops and codes, but between Ship's Force, squadron, the base and other service providers. We all must work as a team to meet the operational tempo of intermediate-level maintenance. Our team identified several areas where we needed to improve our lines of authority, responsibility and accountability,” said Tony Giles, PNSY DET-SD director. “When we started to close these gaps, we saw improvement in team understanding and have seen an improving trend for the past number of months.”
This emphasis on clarity of roles and accountability at the organizational level has also shaped how the team approaches planning and execution of work packages.
“Above and beyond the great work that the detachment's employees have been executing, this planning team has leveraged what work is essential to the mission and right-sized the work package to focus on critical work,” said Cmdr. Christopher Roche, production management assistant. “By not overcommitting in the initial planning phase, the detachment is able to maintain flexibility and accommodate the inevitable growth of emergent work requirements.”
This combination of realistic planning and relentless teamwork forms the foundation of the detachment’s impressive 15-availability streak. By defining clear lines of accountability and authority during the initial planning phases, leadership has built an incredibly resilient organization. Ultimately, PNSY DET-SD continues to prove that a united, strategically focused workforce is the most critical asset in overcoming adversity and sustaining operational success.