TRANSCRIPT EPISODE 21
FOCUS NNS
(BRYAN)
CREW ON SITE AND STRUCTURE COMPLETE FOR CVN 78…I’M BRYAN MOORE
AND THIS IS FOCUS NNS.
WE’RE HERE IN DOWNTOWN NEWPORT NEWS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF
THE NEW NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING APPRENTICE SCHOOL. COMING UP A
LITTLE LATER IN OUR FEATURE FOCUS…WE’LL TAKE YOU ON A TOUR. AND
NEWPORT NEWS SHOWS OFF ITS PATRIOTISM AT THE PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL
BUT FIRST ON DECK…
CVN 78 GERALD R. FORD IS 100% STRUCTURALLY COMPLETE. AS JEREMY
BUSTIN WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION TELLS US… CVN 78 IS NOT
READY FOR CREW MOVE ABOARD BUT THE CREW IS HERE AND READY TO
WORK.
(JEREMY)
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HUNDREDS OF SHIPBUILDERS HAVE CUT, MOLDED
AND WELDED OVER 41,000 TONS OF STRUCTURAL STEEL TO SHAPE AND FORM
THE WORLDS NEXT GREAT U.S. NAVY VESSEL NAMED FOR THE 38TH PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, GERALD R. FORD.
WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE FINAL MODULE, THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF
CVN 78 IS NOW COMPLETE. SHIPBUILDERS WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO GET
THIS SHIP READY WERE ON HAND TO WITNESS THE FINAL STRUCTURAL
MILESTONE.
(ROLF BARTSCHI)
IT MEANS THE SHIP IS GETTING CLOSER TO COMING TO LIFE, THE CREW WILL
TAKE SYSTEMS, START TO OPERATE AND THAT’S A BIG, BIG, STEP FROM WHERE
WE WERE BY STRUCTURALLY ERECTING THE SHIP, WELDING UNITS TOGETHER
AND NOW WERE GETTING SYSTEMS READY AND ACTUALLY MOVING FLUID
THROUGH PIPING SYSTEMS AND ENERGIZING ELECTRICAL GEAR, SO IT’S A
HUGE STEP.
(JEREMY)
A WEEK LATER, THE CREW BEGAN ARRIVING AND THE CVN 78 CARRIER
CONSTRUCTION TEAM HELD A SPECIAL RIBBON CUTTING AND MOVING IN
CEREMONY TO WELCOME THEM..ALTHOUGH THE CREW IS NOT MOVING
ABOARD SHIP, THEY ARE NOW ON SITE IN SHIPYARD OFFICES AND THERE IS
PLENTY OF WORK TO BE DONE.
(CAP. JOHN F. MEIR)
YOU CAN SEE THE CREW HERE THE BEGINNING OF THE CREW, THE START OF
OUR FACILITY HERE WE’RE GOING TO BE OPERATING ON UNTIL THE SHIP IS
FULLY READY TO HAVE US ON BOARD, BUT WE ARE WELL ON THE WAY.
(JEREMY)
NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDERS WILL BE WORKING ALONGSIDE CREW MEMBERS
TO MAKE SURE THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE
NEW SHIP WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF THE SAILORS AND THE REST OF
THE CREW.
(ENSIGN LEAH ROBERTS)
IT FEELS LIKE THE SHIP IS COMING TOGETHER AND ITS PURPOSE IS BEING
SERVED, PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEIR PLACES AND LEARNING THEIR JOBS AND I
THINK WE HAVE A GREAT START AND A GREAT CREW HERE
(LT. COMMANDER GREG LEVEQUE)
ALL OF THE CREW IS VERY EXCITED TO BE ON BOARD THE FIRST OF ITS CLASS
AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO FINISHING THE WORK
HERE AND TAKING THE SHIP OUT TO SEA.
(JEREMY)
THE CREW IS EAGER TO GET ON THE SHIP AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
FIRST TIME THE FORD TOUCHES THE JAMES RIVER WHEN DRY DOCK 12 IS
FLOODED IN OCTOBER.
NOW THAT THE GERALD R. FORD IS STRUCTURALLY COMPLETE, THE NEXT BIG
MILESTONE IS THE CHRISTENING FOLLOWED BY THE LAUNCH OF THIS FIRST IN
CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
FOR FOCUS NNS, I’M JEREMY BUSTIN. BACK TO YOU, BRYAN.
(BRYAN)
THANK YOU JEREMY… AND UP NEXT FOR CVN 78 IS THE CHRISTENING
CEREMONY WHICH IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 9. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE
NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUIDLING WEBSITE FOR UPDATES ON THE CHRISTENING
AND HOW YOU CAN ATTEND.
NOW LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE YARD…
--THE NEWEST VIRGINIA-CLASS SUBMARINE, MINNESOTA…SSN 783…IS DELIVERED
TO THE US NAVY!
MINNESOTA SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED SEA TRIALS WITH ALL SYSTEMS,
COMPONENTS AND COMPARTMENTS BEING TESTED.
THE SUBMARINE SUBMERGED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND OPERATED AT HIGH
SPEEDS ON THE SURFACE AND UNDER WATER.
MINNESOTA WAS DELIVERED IN EARLY JUNE ABOUT 11 MONTHS AHEAD OF ITS
CONTRACTED DELIVERY DATE.
--NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING HELD A DEDICATION CEREMONY IN MAY FOR
THE 11TH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOME. THE WYNDER FAMILY WAS ON HAND
TO DEDICATE THEIR HOME AND RECEIVE THE KEYS.
RON MURRAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF QUALITY AND PROCESS EXCELLENCE SPOKE
AT THE EVENT AND HELPED CUT THE RIBBON ON THE 1,400-SQUARE-FOOT,
THREE-BEDROOM HOME LOCATED IN HAMPTON.
-NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING SHOWS OFF ITS PATRIOTISM AT THE VIRGINIA
BEACH PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL. MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE CROWDED THE
VIRGINIA BEACH BOARDWALK AND OCEAN FRONT OVER THE THREE DAY
EVENT WHICH NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING SPONSORED. THE PATRIOTIC
FESTIVAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR MILITARY.
SHIPBUILDERS TALKED TO EVENT GOERS ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS AND OUR
PEOPLE AND HANDED OUT NNS MEMENTOS. PART OF THE CELEBRATION
FEATURED AN INCREDIBLE AIR SHOW.
(BRYAN)
AS WE MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW…WE’RE HERE AT THE
CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING APPRENTICE
SCHOOL…ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN DOWNTOWN NEWPORT NEWS IN THE
RECENT MONTHS HAS SEEN THE TRANSFORMATION.
FROM THE OUTSIDE…TO THE INSIDE…FROM GROUND FLOOR LEVEL RIGHT UP
TO THE ROOF…THE NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL IS COMING
TOGETHER AND BRINGING A NEW EXCITEMENT TO DOWNTOWN NEWPORT
NEWS.
WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE WITH THE APPRENTICE
SCHOOL’S DAN BROOKMAN TO SEE THE PROGRESS FIRST HAND.
(DAN BROOKMAN)
IF YOU NOTICE, THE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED WITH A LOT OF GLASS WHICH IS
UNUSUAL FOR A SHIPYARD BUILDING BUT IT’S MEANT TO BE OPEN AND
INVITING AND THE GLASS STRUCTURE WITH THE CANOPY OUT HERE IS ALL
GOING TO BE GLASS AS WELL BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE BANNERS THAT
WILL FOCUS ON OUR THREE SHIPS, CRAFTSMANSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP AND
LEADERSHIP SO THOSE WILL BE THE BANNERS FLYING OUT IN FRONT OF THE
SCHOOL.
(BRYAN)
FROM 175 NEW APARTMENTS TO A NEW GYMNASIUM WITH MORE ROOM FOR
SEATING AND FACILITIES FOR BOTH MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SPORTS PLUS
INCREASED CLASSROOM SPACE THROUGHOUT….THE APPRENTICE SCHOOL
WILL BRING STUDENTS AND FACULTY TOGETHER TO LEARN THE ART OF
SHIPBUILDING IN A STATE OF THE ART FACILITY.
(DAN BROOKMAN)
“IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXISTING BUILDING WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW, IT’S A LITTLE
LESS THAN 20,000 SQUARE FEET WITH EIGHT CLASSROOMS AND ONE
CONFERENCE ROOM. RIGHT NOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE 24 CLASSROOMS AND
FOUR CONFERENCE ROOMS SO WE HAVE INCREASED THE SIZE BY THREE TIMES
SO THAT WILL ALLOW US TO BRING THE APPRENTICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY
TAKING CLASSES AT THOMAS NELSON AND TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
THAT ARE OFF-SITE AND BRING THEM BACK ON-SITE..SO WE ARE EXCITED
ABOUT BRINGING EVERYONE BACK TOGETHER”
THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR DOWNTOWN
NEWPORT NEWS…REVITALIZING THE AREA NOT ONLY WITH THE SCHOOL AND
APARTMENTS….BUT RETAIL AND RESTAURANT SPACE.
(BRYAN)
THE NEW APPRENTICE SCHOOL WILL BE OFFICIALLY DEDICATED AT THE END OF
THE YEAR.
WELL …THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF FOCUS NNS. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK
OUT THE LATEST NEWS ON OUR SHIPBUILDING WEBSITE. THE LATEST EDITION
OF CURRENTS IS THERE AS WELL AS THE LATEST EDITION OF YARDLINES
AND IF YOU HAVE A STORY IDEA FOR FOCUS NNS…EMAIL US AT
FOCUSNNS@HII-NNS.COM.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING, I’M BRYAN MOORE.