IN THIS ISSUE
Building Virginia-Class Modules
Storm Team’s Powerful Performance
Yardlines
Photo by Chris Oxley
Susan Ford Bales Visits CVN 78
LOOK INSIDE FOR THE 2012 NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING CALENDAR
A Publication of Newport News Shipbuilding
November/December 2011
Ship’s
Sponsor
VIEWS CVN 78
PROGRESS
On Oct. 11, Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late
President Gerald R. Ford and sponsor of his namesake
ship, visited Newport News Shipbuilding.
Bales helped erect and position a section of the aircraft
carrier’s main deck, connect instrumentation wiring and
operate watertight doors. She also observed mechanized
welding operations.
“When she talked to us she showed great concern
about what we were doing and she asked questions. It
was really delightful to see that she was so interested in
the ship’s progress.”
“I appreciate all the work that has been done by the
shipbuilders,” Bales said. “My brothers and friends ask
me about the ship and I feel I need to know as much as
I can. Part of visiting, touching, seeing and feeling it is
so I can learn and talk about the ship. The progress is
phenomenal.”
Another attendee at the lunch, CVN 78 Painter Lindell
Toombs, said he was “impressed with Bales wanting to
be part of the CVN 78 team.” He added, “It’s important
for the ship’s sponsor to see the progress we are making
on the ship so she will see that the taxpayers and the
government are getting a quality product and that our
workmanship is second to none.”
Master Shipbuilder and Welder Samuel Stanley attended
the lunch with Bales and thought she was great.
Bales received an update on Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78)
construction progress since her last visit in August 2010.
Following the briefing, Bales toured the ship named for
her father with shipyard leadership, ascended the
1,050-ton crane to get a bird’s-eye view of the shipyard,
and had lunch with CVN 78 shipbuilders.
Dear Shipbuilders:
As the year comes to a close, I’d like to take this
opportunity to thank you for a successful 2011.
This was a special year for us, marking our
125th anniversary as well as again becoming
an independent company and taking back our
legacy Newport News Shipbuilding name. It
was also an eventful year for our shipbuilding
programs, and included in this issue of
Yardlines is a 2012 calendar that highlights in
photographs many of our accomplishments.
“It has been more than a year since my last visit and the
ship has changed immensely,” Bales said. “Every day it
becomes a more important part of my family, especially
with the loss of my mother. It’s one more way to continue
my father’s legacy so that people will understand who he
was and what he was about.”
As Newport News Shipbuilders, it’s up to
each of us to continue our tradition of “Always
Good Ships,” and this means meeting our
commitments of safety, quality, cost and
schedule. As you read the articles in this and
future issues of Yardlines, and as you use your
calendar next year, I hope you will be proud
of the work we’re doing today to continue our
125-year tradition of building the best and
highest-quality ships in the world.
I appreciate the contributions each and every
one of you make as we work together to build
upon our distinguished past and create an even
brighter future.
Sincerely,
Matt Mulherin
President, Newport News Shipbuilding
Gerald R. Ford Ship’s Sponsor Susan Ford Bales
views construction of the aircraft carrier named for her
father from the top of the 1050–ton gantry crane with
CVN 78 Construction Director Geoff Hummel. Photo
by Chris Oxley.
hours of testing and inspection that originally were not
in the module-level work scope,” said VCS Construction
Director Jay Rowe.
There’s a certain rhythm that develops when you build
the same thing over and over again. And the craftsmen
who are assembling Virginia-class submarine (VCS)
modules in the three-acre Covered Modular Assembly
Facility (CMAF) never miss a beat.
This group of 250 or so craftsmen has been building
the same sails, auxiliary machinery rooms (AMR) and
habitability modules for every submarine in the class.
“As soon as we finish a module for one boat, we roll to
the next one,” said Pipefitter Martha Willis. “We’ve been
able to really develop this repetitive skill.”
That success has allowed the team to take on additional
work without impacting the schedule and provide
downstream customers with a product that’s as close to
100 percent complete as it can get.
That repetition has allowed the team to climb the
learning curve quickly while continually finding ways
to produce each module a little better and faster than
the last one. As a result, they’ve shaved months off the
schedule for each module.
Rowe said, “Experience is the key.” The same key group
of craftspeople has worked on each module and has
extensively documented its work and lessons learned.
The group is applying that knowledge going forward.
And, their work area has become a real life classroom for
the apprentices who rotate in and out. “It used to take us 10 months to outfit an AMR. Now
we do it in seven months and have added hundreds of
“We’ve watched our craftspeople come up with great
ideas and work with other departments to solve
problems,” Rowe explained. “They are proving ship
by ship that if we give them what they need, they will
provide high quality, schedule attainment, and high
levels of customer satisfaction. That’s just what the
CMAF team does every day.”
Machine Installer Wayne Horrell agrees, “Our team
has earned the reputation for delivering at 99.7 percent
complete and we are constantly fighting for the threetenths of one percent. We’re pretty proud of what we do
every day. We are Newport News Shipbuilders.”
Craftsmen building a sail for the Virginia-class submarine (VCS) Mississippi use
knowledge from repeatedly building VCS modules to improve schedules, quality and
customer satisfaction. Photo by John Whalen.
Hurricane Irene may not have lived up to its initial
forecast as the “storm of the century,” but it still packed
a punch. With the hurricane season over, the late August
storm will soon be forgotten and it’s the work of nearly
400 shipbuilders who helped prepare, monitor and clean
up after her that will be remembered.
“The teams of shipbuilders that worked before, during
and after the storm are unsung heroes of the shipyard,”
said Joe Dvorak, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS)
director & deputy of Operations. “Facilities & Waterfront
Support (FWS) and all the other teams that had a hand in
this work did an outstanding job.”
A week before local news outlets began reporting on
Irene, the tropical storm was being closely tracked by a
handful of FWS employees in Building 66’s Storm Center.
These shipbuilders regularly keep an eye on the weather
to ensure NNS is prepared for any weather conditions
that could affect shipyard operations.
By the time Irene strengthened to become the first major
hurricane of the season for NNS, teams of shipbuilders
from FWS, Programs, Security, IT, and many others
were 72 hours into executing the shipyard’s storm
preparedness plan. “Prepping for the storm was a
massive effort,” said Timothy Emerson, a ventilation
specialist. “Each team had separate checklists of things
to do. We started almost a week ahead of time and it was
a lot of hard work.”
Shipyard preparations included tying down storm
mooring lines, placing barges and tugs in the dry docks,
lining building entrances with sand bags, securing
cranes, removing gangways and putting away loose
construction materials and tools. “Anything that could
become windborne or damaged, we had to put away or
tie down,” said Alphonso Lovelace and Andrew Meekins,
members of the Dry Dock Operations team.
Pier 3 shipbuilders James Shepherd, Melvin Dillard,
Henry Peele and Wesley Lane said they were pulled in a
lot of different directions. They also tied mooring lines
to secure USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is undergoing
a complex overhaul and refueling at the shipyard, and
assisted the Navy.
During the storm, almost 200 shipbuilders stayed behind
the gates to monitor the shipyard and jump into action if
and when they were needed.
Though not carrying the force it was predicted to have,
the combination of its slow movement, the change of
wind from northeast to northwest as well as a high tide
and a full moon made Irene “a little more challenging and
unpredictable than past hurricanes,” Dvorak explained.
“The wind was pushing a lot of water from the river
into the shipyard,” Lovelace said. “We saw spray from
the river as high as 15 feet coming across a two-story
building. I had never seen anything like this.”
Even before Irene’s tail winds died down, shipyard crews
began picking up wood, rocks and other debris that had
been blown and deposited into the shipyard. Wet vacs
were used to remove water from roads and trailer loads
of sand bags were stored away. In less than eight hours,
the riggers and maintenance crews untied hundreds of
cranes and put back equipment, structures and floatables
that were safely stored prior to the storm.
“We were fortunate the shipyard never lost power and
it sustained very minor damage,” said Rich Kutchen,
one of the engineers responsible for inspecting and
assessing the storm damage. “Because of all the work
the teams put in, you could barely tell that Irene was here
at all.”
Facilities & Waterfront Support Services teammates (L to R) Greenie
Greenhow, Andrew Meekins, and Alphonso Lovelace were among the more
than 400 shipbuilders who helped prepare the shipyard before Hurricane Irene. Photo
by Ricky Thompson
Alfred Flythe, the winner of the Newport News
Shipbuilding Safety Song Contest, has been writing music
for nine years. After a committee selected four of the
nearly 30 song entries for voting, shipbuilders decided that
his song, “Safety First,” was the best.
Flythe, a shipfitter in the Covered Modular Assembly
Facility, has worked at the shipyard for two years. He
began writing “Safety First” in September as soon as he
learned about the contest.
The hip-hop style song includes important themes of the
shipyard’s ongoing commitment to safety. On writing the
lyrics, Flythe explains, “I considered all of the different
environments in the yard. One minute we’re outside
working and then we’re indoors. Knowing all of the
different safety factors that come into play is important.”
“You gotta recognize, evaluate, control the situation
Cause that’s the best way to keep the clinic rooms vacant
No matter if you’re welding, pipefitting or painting
Safety is the most important part of our occupation”
Excerpt from “Safety First”
“Through the lyrics of his song, Flythe clearly
demonstrates that he understands the importance of
safety,” said Flythe’s Supervisor Jim Rentz. “Our entire
team is proud of the song he wrote to reinforce the
importance of safety and to help keep our shipbuilders
safe every day on the job.”
Flythe has been inspired by rap icons such as Eminem,
Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne and Drake. While Flythe’s dream of
becoming a rapper is very much alive, he admits that
finding time for his music is a challenge. “Because
of work, I really don’t have time to pursue it as much
as I would like, but when I get a chance like this I take
advantage of it,” he said.
The music video for “Safety First” can be viewed on the
Huntington Ingalls YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/
huntingtoningalls.
Shipfitter Alfred Flythe, winner of the shipyard’s Safety Song Contest, received
$1,000 for penning “Safety First.” The lyrics to Flythe’s song underscore Newport News
Shipbuilding’s commitment to safety. Photo by John Whalen
Classic
THE MAKING OF A
On Veterans Day, millions of viewers
watched ESPN’s live coverage of the
first Quicken Loans Carrier Classic
men’s basketball game. And while the
game was played on the flat top of
the Newport News Shipbuilding-built
USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the pride for
shipbuilders didn’t end there. When
Tar Heels forward Tyler Zeller and
guard Justin Watts raised the 86-pound
trophy, a few shipbuilders in particular
shared a proud moment with the
University of North Carolina.
The Carrier Classic trophy was
conceived, designed and created by a
group of Newport News shipbuilders
that led the unique project to build
it. The shipbuilders included Graphic
Designer LaMar Smith, Photographer
Ricky Thompson, Engineering
Designer Paul Evans, Pattern Shop
Supervisors Lance Pruitt and Tom
Brown, as well as other craftsmen
from the Pattern Shop and Foundry.
Typically, Newport News Shipbuilding
(NNS) pattern makers work behind the
scenes. They carve wood and create
patterns for molds that eventually
manufacture elements of a ship.
“Since NNS was one of the key
sponsors of the event, it made sense for
our shipbuilders to design and build a
trophy for this event that replicated the
work they achieve on a regular basis,”
Pruitt said. “I think we let everybody in
the shop have a part in the project, so
that everybody could sit and watch the
game and say they worked on it.”
The special trophy required distinctive
materials so the shipbuilders decided
to cast it out of pewter, a metal that
had not been touched in the shipyard
since the 1980s. The Foundry most
often works with brass, steel and
other common metals. Research was
required to achieve the proper recipe
for the right levels of pewter. The
decision to use pewter also presented a
heavier challenge.
“We were hoping to keep the trophy
well under 100 pounds, but pewter is
really heavy. We were doing everything
we could to try and lighten it as
much as possible, but it was really
challenging,” Brown said.
New ideas were continuously circulated
and tested among the shipbuilders
before starting the final product. The
color for the base of the trophy was
achieved by mixing multiple colors of
spray paint and wood finishing stains.
“It’s kind of an unusual color, but is
really hard to duplicate because you
don’t usually mix spray paints and
stains with the result of being able to
see the wood grains,” explained Pattern
Maker George LaFrance.
Upon finishing the trophy, there
was a great sense of pride from the
shipbuilders who played a part in the
design and completion of the finished
product. But the pride felt as a result of
the shop-wide project was not about
the work they had accomplished.
Instead, it was for the contribution to
the service members who have made
sacrifices in past and current wars.
“Sometimes it’s easy to forget that
we’re here to help our military carry on
and defend our freedom,” said Pattern
Maker Jeffery Tucker. “This is a small
part of that, but it’s good recognition
for what we do in the shipyard. It gives
you that warm fuzzy feeling inside.”
Pattern Maker Kenny Hill puts the finishing touches
on the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic trophy. Photo by
Ricky Thompson
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS)
President Matt Mulherin is at center
court for the presentation of the
Quicken Loans Carrier Classic trophy
to the winning University of North
Carolina Tar Heels team. Sharing the
spotlight, on Mulherin’s right, are
shipbuilders (L-R) LaMar Smith,
Lance Pruitt and Paul Evans, who
helped design and build the trophy.
The first-of-its-kind basketball game
was held on the flight deck of the
NNS-built USS Carl Vinson to honor
U.S. military veterans.
Photo by Ricky Thompson
AT
CENTER
COURT
Working with Thomas Nelson and
other community colleges, technical
schools and workforce centers in
Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina
has helped NNS increase the
numbers of welders being trained in
one of the shipyard’s oldest trades.
“The training materials we donate
to schools and colleges have helped
improve the pipeline of trained
welders in the region,” said Larry
Baranowski, manager, production
and maintenance training.
Each year, Newport News
Shipbuilding (NNS) welds thousands
of steel components together to
build nuclear-powered ships for the
Navy, creating a steady demand for
highly-skilled welders. In the last
three years, NNS has trained more
than 1,000 welders at its Welding
School located in the north yard to
help meet the demand.
“The training here is really top of
the line, everything that is done is
of the highest quality,” said Mason
Karafa, a student in the NNS welding
program. “There are no cutting
corners. If you do, it’s not going to
help you or the shipyard in the long
run. When you’re building aircraft
carriers and submarines, there’s no
room for mistakes.”
Trainees at the NNS Welding School
learn the art of fusing steel at high
temperatures through a combination
of hands-on and computer-based
training. To increase the number
of students being trained, NNS
has adapted its high-tech welding
curriculum to create a 10-disk,
12-week comprehensive program
for students. Donations of the
welding program and equipment are
making it possible for students in
three states to gain experience and
jumpstart their careers.
WELDING
PIPELINE
If we can decrease the trainees’ time
in the Welding School by providing
training prior to being hired, we
save money. By being exposed to
welding techniques and the welding
environment prior to being hired,
future employees are much more
likely to succeed on the job.”
NNS employee Terry La Point helped
coordinate a recent donation of the
Welding School program to four
colleges located near the Savannah
River Nuclear site – a facility NNS
manages and operates with partners
of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions,
LLC (SRNS). La Point said, “There is
a growing demand for welders in the
nuclear industry.”
SRNS executive vice president
Fred Dohse said, “Newport News
Shipbuilding is acknowledged as
a world leader in training welders
for the shipbuilding and repair
industry. We are pleased to have
the opportunity to be a part of this
generous effort that will create or
significantly improve the welding
classes offered to interested
students throughout the region.”
Karafa sums up the pride and value
of the training he is receiving. “I’m
not only training to be a welder, but
to be one of the best welders in the
world,” he said.
the
Nuclear
Age
This is the final article in the series commemorating
Newport News Shipbuilding’s (NNS) 125th anniversary.
In the fall of 1960, Newport News Shipbuilding launched
Enterprise (CVN 65), the Navy fleet’s first nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier. It would sail around the world in just 64
days and would travel more than 200,000 miles before
needing its first refueling – and 300,000 more before
needing another.
The advent of nuclear power forever changed the future of
the shipyard and its shipbuilders. It was a decade before “Big E” came to life that employees
started studying the atom. Soon after, the shipyard would
establish an atomic power design department. And
with the shipyard’s first contracts for nuclear-powered
vessels, like Enterprise, the Skipjack-class submarine
Shark and the boomer submarine Robert E. Lee, hundreds
of shipbuilders would move into nuclear-power related
jobs and into departments dedicated to its development.
Employees would take classes in reactor theory. Shipways
would be lengthened, buildings erected and crane facilities
upgraded. New safety departments would spring to life
and a whole new nuclear world would be born at NNS.
Today, the yard has built entire classes of ships fueled by
the atom. From the Nimitz-class carriers to the new Gerald
R. Ford class of ships, from early fleet ballistic missile
submarines to the new Virginia class, the future of the
shipyard, the future careers of shipbuilders and the future
of the U.S. Navy is integrally connected to nuclear power.
With Enterprise, thousands of employees have had a hand
in the ship’s construction, its overhauls and its refuelings
over the past half century since the ship was launched.
In fact, many of the shipyard’s Master Shipbuilders, who
have 40 or more years of continuous service, have spent
their careers in parallel with the aircraft carrier’s career.
In the years following World War II, when the strength
of the atom was first being realized, employees couldn’t
have predicted the impact nuclear power would have on
NNS. And it’s likely that shipbuilders are working on new
technology today that will re-shape the yard’s future for
the next 50 years to come.
USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is moved
pier side for outfitting in 1960. The ship is celebrating its 50th year in service. Photo
from Newport News Shipbuilding Achives.
As a child, Britta Brown Zambrana always had a special
passion for math and science. That passion turned
into a reality when she was selected to attend a high
school summer program at NASA aimed at increasing
the number of women and minorities in the STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. That
opportunity opened many doors for Zambrana, including
full scholarships to both Spelman College and Georgia
Tech to pursue degrees in math and engineering.
After graduation, Zambrana returned to Virginia to begin
her career at Newport News Shipbuilding as an engineer
and has continued to hold various positions of increasing
responsibility. Currently, she is an audit supervisor for the
Nuclear Engineering division.
Technology
In early November, Zambrana was recognized at the 2011
Women of Color STEM Awards Conference in Dallas. The
conference honored outstanding women from across the
U.S. in STEM fields. She received the Technology All-Star
award for demonstrating excellence in the workplace and
community.
“Winning this award has been a great honor and
privilege,” Zambrana said. “To be nominated for this
type of recognition from my senior management team is
a humbling experience. I am extremely appreciative and
grateful for the opportunity.”
Diversity is a crucial element of a team. The key to success
is understanding and accepting the differences of each
team member, and then using them to enhance the way a
team analyzes situations and makes decisions.
I appreciate every experience and mentoring moment
that every leader in this company has provided me,”
Zambrana said. “As I continue to grow and mature in
the shipbuilding industry, I will apply the lessons I have
learned and continue to build relationships, so that I can
always be part of the team that builds great ships.”
Zambrana plans to continue her education and her
mentoring relationships with youth interested in STEM.
“It is important that women of color are involved in STEM.
All-Star
Pursues Her Passion
Britta Brown Zambrana received a Technology AllStar Award on Nov. 4 at the 2011 Women of Color STEM
Awards Conference for demonstrating excellence in the
workplace and community. Photo by Chris Oxley
Long Service
Long Service
MASTER SHIPBUILDERS
OCTOBER
MASTER SHIPBUILDERS
NOVEMBER
Samuel Burton
45 years
Frank Carroll Jr.
40 years
Elton Cook
40 years
Jerry Costello
45 years
Dorothy Eaton
40 years
Eldridge Firth
40 years
Leon Bailey
40 years
Junie Bell
40 years
Larry Bridgman
45 years
Benjamin Brokenburr
40 years
Marvin Cabe
40 years
Thomas Callaghan
40 years
Steve Groce
40 years
Roy Hoffman Jr.
50 years
Jerry Howell
40 years
Jim Lynskey II
40 years
Jon Martin
40 years
Tom Modlin
40 years
Walter Davis
40 years
Theodore Daye
40 years
Harry Fisher III
40 years
Steve Hall
40 years
Edward Hammond
40 years
Ralph Hunt
40 years
Jimmy Norris
45 years
Linwood Outlaw
45 years
Eddie Owens
40 years
Ralph Roberts
40 years
Robert South III
45 years
Walter Spencer Jr.
40 years
Vincent Jones
40 years
Kenny Kilmon
40 years
Ronald Liles
40 years
Frank Morrow
40 years
Clarence Raynor
40 years
Michael Roberts
40 years
Shirl Thomas
40 years
Tom Thomas
40 years
Rufus Turner
40 years
Michael Voglewede
40 years
Roy Walton
40 years
Willie White Jr.
40 years
Larry Simmons
40 years
Willie Spencer
40 years
Ernest Stubbs
40 years
Harvey Tomlin
40 years
Ethelria Townes
40 years
Lyle Ward
45 years
Everett Wilkerson
40 years
Alexander Williams
40 years
Robert Willis
45 years
Bobby Womack
40 years
James Worthington
45 years
Larry Wood
40 years
Yardlines is published 10 times a year for the employees of Newport News Shipbuilding.
This issue of Yardlines was produced by: Jeremy Bustin, Gina Chew-Holman, Mike Dillard, Christie Miller, Eugene Phillips,
LaMar Smith, Susan Sumner and Lauren Ward. Additional writing services by Barlow Communications. Photographs by: Chris
Oxley, Ricky Thompson and John Whalen
Send comments, questions and story ideas to Yardlines editor: gina.chewholman@hii-nns.com or call 757·380·2627.
Look for more news at huntingtoningalls.com/nns.
HIIndustries
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Huntington Ingalls
Long Service
OCTOBER
45 YEARS
Samuel C. Burton X42
Jerry L. Costello X87
Robert L. Fish X67
James R. Norris X87
Linwood G. Outlaw A572
Robert R. South III X88
Robert L. Willis E45
James L. Worthington X36
40 YEARS
Frank Carroll Jr. X18
Elton I. Cook X42
Dorothy J. Eaton O55
Eldridge P. Firth O58
Norwood S. Groce X87
Alvin W. Hamlin X33
Larry R. Harrell X11
Jerry T. Howell M53
James E. Lynskey II O43
Jon L. Martin E65
Thomas E. Modlin O31
Jerome Moody X42
Eddie G. Owens X11
Ralph E. Roberts X70
Walter R. Spencer Jr. O43
Heber E. Sullivan X88
Shirl T. Thomas O51
Thomas G. Thomas X70
Rufus D. Turner X71
Michael E. Voglewede O38
Roy L. Walton O38
Willie B. White Jr. M53
Everett M. Wilkerson X43
Alexander Williams X18
Bobby L. Womack X11
35 YEARS
Charles Q. Armstrong X36
Robert L. Artis X33
Gerald M. Barnes X18
George H. Blizzard X33
James R. Blotter X36
David W. Byrum O40
Howard C. Cary Jr. X33
Samuel W. Cherry Jr. X36
Gary V. Coakley O51
Vincenzo J. Coppa X10
Sherman Evans O43
Raymond L. Faulk X36
Forrest D. Flythe O09
Charles Futrell X11
Mark E. Hageman O43
Ronald L. Hall X36
Marvin A. Johnson X33
Tyrone Jones X18
Quinton L. Jordan X76
Daniel P. LaCross X31
Merelyn M. Lee X36
David E. Long X36
George W. Love X43
Gene E. Magruder X33
Donald A. McCann M30
David H. McCarthy X82
Emmett L. Mitchell X36
Mark K. Morin E89
Karen M. Powell X67
David E. Robinson X42
Judy C. Simmons X33
Frederick D. Sparks X33
James K. Stewart X42
Ronald O. Summers X18
Bradley M. Thomas X74
David G. Tilman O22
Kevin P. Turpin X42
Richard L. Walther II X18
Kerry M. Welch X36
Janice K. Wyatte O53
30 YEARS
James R. Absher E26
Connie K. Barlow O26
Dennis K. Byrum X42
Stephen R. Cottrell E82
Reginald A. Council E12
Raymond L. Crawford E85
Karen M. Dabney E07
Brian A. Dyson E56
Albert N. Firth Jr. X32
James E. Flaim O36
John R. Gambill Jr. E22
Robert J. Goforth K07
Lionel S. Hughes E25
Michael R. Johnson O98
Kevin P. Lamb O57
Charles R. Lyon E62
Nancy L. Mazzanti O53
Timothy E. McCaw O67
Vera L. McCracken O53
John H. McCroskey E84
Hubert B. Montague Jr. X43
Donald C. Parker E73
Landon R. Pierce N960
Mark B. Prater X72
William G. Sale A572
James P. Sarvis E84
Patrick E. Scarlett E38
Sheila White E85
William L. White E85
James E. White Jr. E64
Kathleen S. Wilkins T51
25 YEARS
Brian K. Depriest E12
Ramona Y. Johnson X88
Robert W. Matschke X71
Jerome Thomas X72
Anthony W. Webb O64
20 YEARS
Thomas W. Chappell Jr. X15
Thompson A. Sweeney Jr. X88
Tracy W. Warnick X58
NOVEMBER
45 YEARS
Larry L. Bridgman E12
Kenneth R. Clarke O51
Lyle D. Ward X43
40 YEARS
Leon P. Bailey O53
Junie J. Bell X31
Benjamin L. Brokenburr X42
Marvin M. Cabe X70
Thomas A. Callaghan E83
Yvonne Christian O14
Walter J. Davis X31
Theodore A. Daye X71
Harry T. Fisher III O53
Stephen T. Hall O22
Edward S. Hammond X70
Charles H. Hundley Jr. X11
Ralph U. Hunt O53
Vincent L. Jones X88
Asa K. Kilmon O57
Ronald C. Liles O22
Sherman W. Mizelle X43
Franklin W. Morrow O38
Clarence E. Raynor X36
Michael G. Roberts X75
Larry D. Simmons O58
Willie E. Spencer X42
Ernest A. Stubbs X42
Harvey N. Tomlin X42
Ethelria L. Townes O53
Larry B. Wood X31
35 YEARS
Ronnie J. Aaron E81
Frank P. Atwell X33
John F. Cheevers E51
Dean M. Clayton M53
Charlene T. Cooke X32
Thomas G. Daniel O57
Michael L. England O43
Mark D. Garrett X32
Michael G. Goeller E07
Harry R. Hogan Jr. O63
Joseph W. Maben X70
Andrew J. Moore X18
Leonard W. Morris X88
Kenneth L. Pearson O45
Jay L. Ridout X82
Royal M. Rogers X88
Michael C. Routten X32
Marvin O. Sides O39
William P. Sims X87
Melvin L. Smith X33
Alan L. Strickland X32
Roy L. Turner X32
Mark B. Tyo X36
Kevin M. Wells X32
Barry C. White X32
Evelyn J. Williams X36
30 YEARS
Jean M. Armstrong O51
Robert N. Balas T53
Charles R. Basey X88
Richard M. Bennett E57
Michael A. Bova E03
Neal A. Brooks X89
Brian Busin E25
Gerald R. Cady Jr. E85
David R. Cesare E56
Tina A. Chapman O14
James R. Crocker X87
Jack W. Darden O68
David E. Dentel O74
George E. Dick E81
Hercules Etheridge Jr. X71
Duane T. Faircloth X71
Terry L. Ford E62
Troy E. Gross X75
Steve Jakubiak E84
Deborah H. Jordan X82
Mary L. Joyner O67
Joseph J. Kosloski E84
Curtis V. Lett III X84
Betty J. Lewis O36
Paul D. Linton O27
Robert M. Locke E25
Christopher R. McCormick E25
Willie J. Meadows X33
Holly L. Milteer O51
Shelton S. Parson X89
Thomas H. Phillips O15
Timothy F. Randolph M53
Darrel L. Schrock E07
Philip J. Serio X43
Deborah B. Walker O30
Kristin A. Wallis-Thomas E90
Gordon R. Weaver X88
25 YEARS
James T. Breeding T54
Marshall K. Hudson X11
20 YEARS
Carol A. Catoire E86
Bradford M. Hedgepeth O39
Stephanie M. Libby X57
Retirements
SEPTEMBER
Horace M. Askew O46
Michael S. Bailey X67
Melvin P. Cooper X11
Glenn E. Corey O04
Thelma A. Davis X31
Robert G. Donaldson E44
Robert L. Gunter Jr. O11
Raymond Kirk X43
Willie L. Liverman X33
Carthone E. Mitchell X36
John M. Moore X18
Conrad E. Parker X36
William E. Pesola N940
Montie Ridley X33
Hampton V. Snidow Jr. E75
William H. Tynes Jr. X43
Carolyn M. White O71
Glenn D. Williamson O43
James P. Zimmerman X75
OCTOBER
Eddie R. Barefoot X89
Moses H. Brunson O53
Lawrence A. Butler M53
Carolyn S. Campbell E38
Barbara W. Cherry O53
Donald A. Chuyka X71
Ronald A. Dziechciarz X43
Rebecca L. Ellsworth O15
Kenneth Faltz X33
Ronald K. Heichel E58
Joan L. Hitt O09
Roy E. Hoffman Jr. E25
Ralph A. Jordan E85
Agnes M. Manson X33
Charles K. Meeks O15
Russell L. Moody X18
Joan O. Neal E18
Francis L. Perry X31
Charles R. Randolph X15
Michael C. Routten X32
Peter J. Routten E22
Thomas W. Short X18
Rudolph P. Smyt O53
Larry L. Spady X18
Harold E. Weissler II E25
History Maker:
Photo by John Whalen
50 YEARS
Roy E. Hoffman Jr. E25
Lloyd D. Joyner Sr.
Growing up in Smithfield, Va.,
L.D. Joyner, a Structural Fabrication
Assembly planner, lived just across
the James River Bridge from
Newport News Shipbuilding. A year
out of high school, Joyner made
his way over that bridge to start his
career at the shipyard as a loftsman.
His first job was to make paper and
wood molds.
“Back then, that’s what you cut the
steel by,” he said. “We would make
the paper and wood molds to the
geometry of the ship. Then they
were sent to the fabrication shop to
cut the steel.”
But it wouldn’t be long before Joyner
would work his way up the ladder
to supervisor and superintendent.
He would eventually find his way
into carrier overhaul work, planning
the replacements of masts, towers,
island houses and sponsons on all
of the carriers that came through the
shipyard.
It’s what he has enjoyed most during
his 53 years of shipbuilding.
“It’s a challenge. A big repair
job – that’s what it is,” he says of
overhaul work. “The people are very
knowledgeable and you have certain
schedules you have to meet. It’s
something different every day.”
In between aircraft carriers, Joyner
was also busy building a family.
He and his wife Betty raised three
girls, Kim, Karen and Dee, and
today, are enjoying doting on their
grandchildren, Matthew and Brian.
Matthew has already graduated from
college and Brian will be headed
there soon to play baseball.
“My plan is to retire and watch him
play,” said Joyner. He’s thrilled
that his children and grandchildren
have had the benefit of college
educations. “There are plenty
of college graduates and a lot of
experienced people in the shipyard.
That’s what makes us world class.”
Joyner is one of those with a lot of
experience, which he applies every
day to whatever job is before him.
“Shipyard teams are like sports
teams,” he said. “Everyone should
strive to be MVP of their section.”
And that’s what Joyner has been
doing for the last half century.
PRST STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
4101 Washington Ave.
Newport News, VA 23607
EAU CLAIRE WI
PERMIT NO. 366
November/December 2011
LOOK INSIDE FOR THE 2012 NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING CALENDAR
Deck Yourself Out
Spear and Gear Style
A variety of Newport News Shipbuilding
merchandise with the “Spear and Gear”
logo – ranging from shirts, hats, mugs, and
backpacks to baby bibs – is now available
online 24/7. Visit the NNS Online Logo Store
at www.huntingtoningalls.com/nns/store or
call 1-800-229-4677, ext. 319 to place an order.
For a specific item or a customized order, ask
for Bob Cary at ext. 302.
NEW MERCHANDISE
ADDED
Read All About It...
The 125th anniversary edition of “Always
Good Ships: Histories of Newport News
Ships” by William A. Fox is now available. To
order a copy of the book, visit:
http://www.alwaysgoodships.com