Getting out of the yards

[unhappycamper]

Getting out of the yards
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Sep 29, 2007 8:44:53 EDT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The ever-rising cost of new warships — and the demands on the Navy to slash expenses elsewhere — ironically could benefit deck-plate sailors. That’s because yard maintenance periods may get shorter.

In a Sept. 18 address before the Fleet Maintenance Symposium hosted by the American Society of Naval Engineers, Vice Adm. Mel Williams, deputy commander of Fleet Forces Command, asked for ways to shorten the amount of time ships spend in the shipyard, making them more available under the Fleet Response Plan.

~snip~

In addition to dropping carrier crews to less than one-fifth of the their current size, ONR identifies “desired outcomes” of 10 percent fewer crewmen on existing submarines, a 50 percent reduction in manning on future submarines, a 75-person total crew for the littoral combat ship and 125 sailors to man the destroyer of the future, DDG 1000.

But in the end, Dean noted, the burden often falls to the individual sailor. He said times have changed since his days as an electrician’s mate, when an ever-present senior chief made sure the work was done correctly.

“Nowadays, there’s a computer and a CD-ROM and a little self-help kit, and occasionally a book,” he said. “Back in the day when I went through nuclear power school and through prototype, we were always taught you open the book with one hand and you’re doing the procedure with the other to make sure you don’t miss any steps.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/09/navy_maintenance_070929w/

[Captain Hilts]

1. The 'Up or Out' program makes no sense for enlisted personnnel...

why can't a guy spend a career as a first class? If he wants to watch the dials of the nuke tea kettle for 30 cruises, let him!