Electric Boat APRIL 2005 INSIDE Alvarez Is Electric Boat’s Recipient Of GD Technical Excellence Award • 2 Engineers Tout Job-Rotation Program As Professional Growth Opportunity • 4 Chabraja Recognizes EB Representatives For Environmental, Safety And Health Hawaii Takes Shape As Sail Is Landed Accomplishments • 5 Industry Group Seeks Congressional On The Submarine’s Hull Support For Submarine Programs • 6 Keep Your Explanation Of Benefits • 6 he Hawaii (SSN-776) is looking more like a submarine these EB’s lifting and EBAC Names Recipients Of 2004 Awards • 7 days, especially following the events of April 5. handling trades On that early spring day, Dept. 230 personnel successfully lower the sail Apprentice Program Seeks Former T onto the incom- Students For Teaching Spots • 8 landed the sail on the partial hull, a key event that comes much earlier for plete hull of the the Hawaii than it did for the lead ship of the class, USS Virginia (SSN- Contract Roundup • 9 Hawaii (SSN-776) 774), more than two years ago. Classified • 10 earlier this month But as important as the sail move was, the crane operator, the riggers in Building 260. Service Awards • 11 and their supervisors say it was just another day in the shipyard. NASSCO Delivers The Double-Hull Oil Tanker “It’s good for the company to get the sail installed, but to me it’s just a Alaskan Explorer To BP Oil Shipping • 12 continued on page 3 Alvarez Is Electric Boat’s Recipient Of General Dynamics Technical Excellence Award ngineering Project Manager opment of advanced hull concepts for tencies as discriminators that enable us to Austin Alvarez will receive a future submarine concepts. develop, transition and integrate tech- E General Dynamics Technol- One of 15 technology area team lead- nologies into submarine platforms, lead- ogy Excellence Award for his contribu- ers, he is responsible for overall coordina- ing to new design and construction work. tions to Electric Boat over a 37-year tion of shock and structures technology Some examples of recent and planned career, most recently for his work on the development across all departments and technology transitions are the SSN-688 Graving Dock 3 redesign project. submarine platforms. Throughout the Class Vertical Launch System, the Sea- Alvarez will be honored May 5, along past year, Alvarez, a Professional Engi- wolf propulsor and the proposed Vir- with other General Dynamics technolo- neer with a civil engineering background, ginia-class Multi-Mission Module,” he gists, at a corporate ceremony to be held has demonstrated his wide-ranging tech- said. at the Ritz Carlton in Crystal City, Va. nical expertise by establishing himself as Among his recent accomplishments, As project manager for Applied the team leader of a group of technical Alvarez: Mechanics and the leader of the Shock experts, which are key to the graving and Structures Technology Area Team, dock redesign effort. n Coordinated the development of a Alvarez oversees internal research and “I’m honored to receive this award for short-term repair concept to reconstitute development activities in the areas of the many engineers and technologists Cell S-2 and long-term repair design of a computational structural mechanics, who have worked to attain these accom- reinforced concrete wall for Graving computational shock analysis, computa- plishments,” said Alvarez. “The award Dock 3; tional structural acoustics and dynamics demonstrates that the corporation values n Coordinated development of design methods, computational hull structural technical achievement and the relation- design and analysis methods, and devel- ship of the associated technical compe- continued on page 3 2 I April 2005 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS continued from page 1 regular rigging job,” said lead rigger previous Virginia-class sail installations Mike Francischelli (230). “A lot of peo- have been rolled into the formal handling ple think it’s a big task, but if it’s some- procedures that he prepares for both EB thing I’ve got to do, I go do it. The main and Northrop Grumman Newport thing we’re concerned about is getting it News. done safely.” “The total prep of the hull topside was “It’s really no big deal,” said rigger a lessons learned from the 774,” he said. foreman John Sheppo (230), adding that Sheppo said many employees deserve moving heavy components is routine for credit for a job well done on the 776 sail, his crew. What’s more notable about the not just the lifting and handling employ- Dan Barrett, sail move, he said, is that it incorporated ees. Shipfitters and other trades, he said, Editor some lessons learned from the Virginia contributed to the successful effort, Dean R. Courtney, and Texas (SSN-775). which included pre-installation work on Contributing Editor “We actually changed the rigging the sail following its arrival from New- Terrie Pangilinan, arrangement to make it a lot easier for us port News in March. Editorial Assistant this time,” he said. Crane operator Mike Stoner (230) Bob Teple (271), area superintendent agreed that teamwork was the key to the Bob Gallo, Gary Slater, for the Hawaii sail, said the sail was not successful lift. “This job went really well, Gary Hall, only installed on schedule, but is further and I think it was an effort on every- Photography along in its construction than the Vir- body’s part, from engineering and plan- ginia sail was at the same juncture. ning all the way to the riggers,” he said. Electric Boat News is “Most of the components inside are “It was nice to be a part of this event.” published monthly by the sold already,” he said, using the term that Stoner said the Hawaii now looks Public Affairs Department, 75 Eastern Point Road, denotes Navy approval. “We don’t have more like it should. “The sail makes the Groton, CT 06340 to backtrack to re-establish anything. boat look like a boat, instead of just a That’s a good improvement.” cylinder.” Phone (860) 433-8202 Engineering specialist Gary Herzig Fax (860) 433-8054 (467) said lessons learned from the two Email [email protected] continued from page 2 concepts for long-term repair of Graving Docks 1 and 2; n Presented a paper on “Virginia Class Multi-Mission Module Balanced Approach to Submarine Shock” at a Virginia Beach, Va., symposium; nServed as principal investigator for more than $1 million in funding under an Office of Naval Research (ONR) contract to develop,assess and integrate ship technologies; n Participated in a NAVSEA-sponsored, Independent TempAlt Review Team, leading to various shock recommendations; nServed as leader ofthe Shock and Structures Integration Team for Virginia class multi-mission module structural development efforts with the Navy, and n Managed the development of IR&D and CR&D efforts to improve structural engi- neering software and processes, producing significant cost reductions. ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I April 2005 I 3 With the USS Spring- Engineers Tout Job-Rotation Program field (SSN-761) in dry- dock behind them, Steve Kestler, Adam As Professionl Growth Opportunity Giuliano and Wally Rapoza, from left, atrick Saggal began his Electric Boat word and attract more applicants. review a work pack- age for the boat’s career less than two years ago, joining the “If you’re interested, send me a resume and I’ll Depot Modernization company as an acoustic engineer. He sit down with Jackson Morgan and we’ll review it,” P Period. Kestler (210) enjoyed the work, but he knew other opportunities said HR Specialist Bo Miller (648), who created and Giuliano (210) are were waiting for him around the corner. the program with Morgan (400), director of engi- both working on the “After about a year and a half, I wanted to see neering, and Dan Dinneen (100), superintendent of Springfield as part of what else was out there,” Saggal (210) told the machinists. “Then we’ll sit down and talk to you, the Rotation for Pro- audience at a recent Open Forum on the com- and we’ll try to make a match that’s good for you fessional Development pany’s Rotation for Professional Development. and the company. – Kestler as an outside “So I came to one of these meetings, just like your- “We want it to be a win-win situation,” Miller machinist foreman selves. Next thing you know, I’m a foreman at continued. “We want it to be good for your career, and Giuliano as an Quonset Point.” plus we want to be able to help out some of the area superintendent. Begun in late 2002, the rotation continues to organizations at Electric Boat.” Rapoza (271), an area superintendent and attract energetic engineers who are looking for a With 50 engineers now active in the program, shipyard veteran, is change of pace, as well as personal and profes- plus a few who have completed their rotations, a providing on-the-job sional growth. The Organizational & Management number of groups and departments have already guidance. Development group, which oversees the program, benefited. has held several Open Forums to help spread the continued on page 5 4 I April 2005 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS Chabraja Recognizes EB Representatives For Environmental, Safety And Health Accomplishments D Chairman and CEO business units become in compliance “This is the legacy that you have per- Nicholas D. Chabraja has with internationally known management sonally made and I am proud of all of G recognized the efforts of the systems. Your senior leadership agreed you who accomplished this, as well as corporate Environmental, Safety and and anteed up the goal to a full certifica- being personally proud to lead such a Health Council to obtain international tion requirement.