Tugboats assist USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as she transits down the James River while moving from dry dock to a nearby pier at Northop Grumman Newport News shipyard. Carl Vinson is currently undergoing her scheduled refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. The RCOH is an extensive yard period that all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers go through near the mid-point of their 50-year life cycle. During RCOH Carl Vinson’s nuclear fuel will be replenished and the ship’s services and infrastructure will be upgraded to make her the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet and prepared for another 25 years of service. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Campbell (RELEASED) As USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) prepares for its Crew Move Aboard (CMA) this August, Sailors assigned to the ship's zone management division are coordinating efforts to ensure essential spaces are completed and ready when Sailors begin to live and work aboard once again.
Sailors assigned to the zone management team are experienced deckplate leaders, often first class petty officers, who oversee designated areas of the ship and facilitate ship's force production and integration with the shipyard project team.
"We have made tremendous progress throughout RCOH, and we're working hard to make our CMA deadline," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (AW/SW) William Davis, leading petty officer for the division. "It has and will take a lot of work, but we are committed to meeting our goals."
In preparation for CMA, Carl Vinson zone managers coordinated the installation of new decking material for hundreds of shipboard spaces. They also provide oversight on required system testing procedures, completing a sizeable portion of testing required to facilitate the crew's return to the ship.
"It has taken an enormous amount of planning and preparation to get this far," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Gary Sanders. "With all of the jobs we're responsible for, the fact that we have kept everything so organized is really amazing."
The direct efforts of the Sailors assigned to the zone management division helped the project team prepare more than 1,000 spaces, many which are key living spaces aboard ship and essential to CMA.
"We have all these jobs in and out of our system in a very timely and efficient manner," said Sanders. "The number of jobs we're working on changes hourly, and with every day that we work, we accomplish a huge amount of progress for the ship and the crew."
Carl Vinson is undergoing its scheduled RCOH at Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard. The RCOH is an extensive yard period that all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers go through near the mid-point of their 50-year life cycle.
During RCOH Carl Vinson's nuclear fuel will be replenished and the ship's services and infrastructure will be upgraded to make her the most state-of-the-art aircraft carrier in the fleet and prepare for another 25 years or more of service.