Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) completed an emergent maintenance availability for USS O’Kane (DDG 77) five days early on Jan. 22. The work repaired failures that prevented the ship from getting underway to conduct a mission essential exercise.
SWRMC’s Waterfront Operations, Engineering, Contracts, and Finance Departments collaborated with industry partners to successfully complete the seven-week availability.
“Teamwork has proven to be an essential part of SWMRC’s success,” said Capt. David Hart, SWRMC, commanding officer. “Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and over the holidays, the team’s dedication and perseverance are a testament to SWRMC’s commitment to on-time delivery.”
SWRMC rapidly responded to O’Kane’s request for assistance after the failure of their Main Engine Reduction Gear (MRG) with a seven-week emergent availability to inspect and replace the faulty bearings and perform a two-phase lube oil flush. Additionally, the Maintenance Team supported a concurrent previously scheduled Continuous Maintenance Availability (CMAV), restoring operations to numerous systems, including a primary air conditioner and two sea water service pumps. These necessary auxiliary systems ensured that the ship was safe to return to sea while fully mission ready.
“The project’s success is attributed to the collaboration between the government and [prime contractor] Epsilon,” said SWRMC’s Project Manager Raymond Hutton who led the effort. “And the ability to work together affects the quality of service that we provide to the Fleet.”
Hutton’s efforts to coordinate the contractor and support codes were critical to meeting the accelerated timeline. Shipbuilding Specialists Rico Vinas and Scott Stahley oversaw the ongoing work and attended numerous checkpoints to ensure satisfactory workmanship throughout the 24/7 operations. SWRMC’s Main Propulsion Technical Matter Experts (TME) Rommel Dimalanta and Alfonso Ponce provided technical oversight to ensure repairs were made correctly and met requirements. Hydraulics TME Jesse Sunde assisted with the two-phase flush requirements, which ensured system cleanliness and ongoing satisfactory operation of the MRG.
SWRMC Project Support Engineers Amy Downing and Juan Avila also provided technical guidance, support, and communication between all parties to ensure the repairs were technically correct while efficiently progressing the efforts.
SWRMC is meeting its mission to provide superior ship maintenance, modernization, technical support, and training for the Pacific Fleet.
For more information on SWRMC, please visit https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/RMC/SWRMC.