Civilian Paint Teams Receive Continuing Funding
NAVSEA has announced that the funding of contractor paint teams will continue without disruption until new, long-term contracts are awarded. The paint teams were funded as a demonstration to verify their value to the Navy for the last two years. That money was set to run out at the end of the Navy's fiscal year, September 30. Due to the program's success in reducing Sailor workload as well a s shipboard maintenance costs, it has been given the go-ahead for existing teams to continue to operate into fiscal year 2002. NAVSEA?s announcement means that even though the long-term contracts have not been formally awarded, funding will continue with money budgeted from next fiscal year?s preservation funds. By NAVSEA Office of Congressional and Public Affairs Source: NAVSEA News Wire
NAVSEA Dahlgren Develops Helpful Device
NAVSEA Dalgren?s Coastal Systems Station (CCS) has developed a hands free communications device. This device could produce life saving results for the individual firefighter who would have an improved ability to communicate in high noise situations. The head contact microphone, usually mounted into the headband of a hat or helmet, transmits spoken words from the wearer through physical contact of a transducer with the human cranium. The device has the ability to reject external noise in excess of 100 decibels. The technology is simple and should be affordable when mass-produced. By rejecting such noise, the microphone assembly could be very useful in a number of high noise environments including fire and police systems…
Navy to Christen RoRo at NASSCO
The Department of the Navy will christen USNS Soderman (T-AKR 317), its newest RoRo cargo ship, to honor a U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient on April 26, 2002 during a 8:40 p.m. ceremony at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), San Diego, Calif. The ship will be named to honor Army Pfc. William A. Soderman, (1912-1980), a native of West Haven, Conn. Pfc. Soderman was assigned to Company K, 9th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division during World War II. On Dec. 17, 1944, Pfc. Soderman defended a key road junction near Rocherath, Belgium. Under severe artillery barrage, mortar and machine gun fire, he remained at his post and successfully held off German counter offenses by disabling three enemy tanks with a bazooka at point blank range before being wounded.
NAVSEA Divers Help Raise History
Naval Sea Systems Command divers, along with National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration divers lifted a piece of naval history out of 240 feet of water off the coast of Cape Hatteras Monday. One hundred forty years after it's sinking, the Union ironclad Monitor is still making headlines. The 30-ton steam engine is once again in the spotlight as a $4.9 million recovery project successfully surfaces with the engine intact. Good weather conditions supported the initial lift of the intact engine. A 90-ton recovery structure was built to bring the engine to the surface. Divers rigged hydraulic hoses to rams and tested their assemblies. Divers verified lift points around the engine and lifted it approximately 24 inches using hydraulic rams at 1930 feet.
Undocking of USS Cole to occur 15 September
USS COLE will be re-launched on 15 September 2001 from a floating dry dock at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, MS. The ship will be moved to a nearby outfitting pier for completion of remaining work and will be returned to the Fleet in April 2002. The Naval Sea Systems Command's Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair, Pascagoula, MS (SUPSHIP) oversaw the restoration effort that commenced in March of this year, following the ship's return to the United States. Work aboard COLE consisted of structural repairs to replace areas damaged in the 12 October 2000 explosion in Aden, replacement of damaged or unserviceable equipment, and removal and evaluation and/or re-certification of critical systems such as shafting and propellers.
