FEBRUARY 2007

Q&A With John Casey • 2

GD Reports 16.3 Percent Growth Of Earnings • 3

Six EB Engineers Recognized • 4

Apprentice Alumni AssociationOffers Scholarships • 5

An Enlightening Experience ForCompany, Union • 5

EB Hosts WPI To Discuss PossibleFuture Collaborations • 6

Marine Group Roundup / Retirees • 7

Health Matters • 8 / 9

Classifieds • 10

Process Improvement ReducesPrep Time / Service Awards • 11

The second ship of theVirginia class, USSTexas (SSN-775), arrivesat the Groton shipyard tobegin its post-shake-down availability.

INSIDE

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the major waterfront activities this year is the

post-shakedown availability for USS Texas (SSN-775). In the following

exchange, EB President John Casey describes the importance of the

job to the success of the of the company in 2007 and beyond.

Story on page 2.

CASEY PUTS TEXAS PSA IN PERSPECTIVE

2 I February 2007 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Would you describe the impor-tance of the USS Texas post-shakedown availability to thecompany’s overall performancethis year?

The 775 PSA was assigned to ElectricBoat primarily because the Navy wantedto minimize duplication of learning onthe mold-in-place material installation.A couple of years ago, the 775 job wasnot in our working plan, but now thatthe job has been assigned to us, it repre-sents approximately 600 to 700 jobs overthe current calendar year.

Because 2007 is a gap year – ElectricBoat won’t deliver a ship this calendaryear – this PSA is extremely significantto the business. Both the timing andscope of this post-shakedown availabil-ity will provide a substantial bufferbetween the deliveries of Hawaii andNew Hampshire. So this task isextremely important to us and the Navyas we continue on a single learningcurve, taking the lessons we learned onthe USS Virginia post-shakedown avail-ability and applying them on USSTexas.

In addition, we’ll be engaged in thefirst modification of the vessel with thechange-out of the electrical power mod-ules. That will demonstrate very clearlyElectric Boat’s ability to combine engi-neering and design activities with con-struction events, and ultimately willresult in the upgrade of the electric planton the Texas.

Altogether, about one-third of the

company’s non-Quonset Point construc-tion activity will be associated with thePSA. It’s quite significant.

How important is this PSA to the company’s financial performance this year?

The key factor for the company finan-cially is to maintain a level of effort thatallows us to sustain the infrastructurethat is necessary to support the productwe build. Each time we bring a task likethis into the shipyard, we help reduceoverhead costs and reduce costs to theoverall Virginia program. So it’s veryimportant financially to the companythat we succeed in this. Any additionalmaintenance and modernization activitywe can bring into the shipyard will alsohelp us reduce overhead costs.

Can you describe the importanceof the job to the Virginia pro-gram overall?

The Navy needs its Virginia-classships to be deployed, and ultimately themeasure of success is how well we areable to support the Navy by getting theships back to sea. Technically, the job isvery important and helps support theNavy’s overall initiative of achieving a$2 billion ship. It helps us move in thedirection of reducing overall programcosts, which would enable the Navy toprocure a ship for less than they’re pay-ing today and ultimately achieve a largerforce structure.

Are there any other majorissues coming up during theyear that you’d like to discuss?

One of the more significant activitiesis the Virginia program’s Design forAffordability initiative, which has fourmajor aspects. The first relates to designchanges to the vessel that will allow usto reduce the cost of buying compo-nents, and manufacturing and assem-bling the vessel. The second aspectwould be a schedule reduction – short-ening the time required to actually buildthe ship. That would also help us avoidsome of the peaks and valleys we expe-rience in manning during the construc-tion process. The third would be toincrease efficiency on the waterfront,and the fourth would focus on theprocesses we use to order and purchasematerials. The Navy is encouraging us towork closely with our teammate toachieve progress in these areas and bringthe cost of Virginia-class ships into the$2 billion range.

˚

Q&Awith John Casey

Dan Barrett, Editor

Bob Gallo,Gary Slater, Gary Hall, Photography

Electric Boat News ispublished monthly by thePublic Affairs Department, 75 Eastern Point Road,Groton, CT 06340

Phone (860) 433-8202

Fax (860) 433-8054

Email dbarrett@.gdeb.com

GD Reports 16.3 Percent Growth OfEarnings From Continuing Operations InFourth Quarter 2006; Revenues Increase13 PercentFull-year 2006 earnings from continuing operations increase 18.1percent, revenues rise 14.7 percent

FALLS CHURCH, Va.

General Dynamics has reportedfinancial results for the fourthquarter and full year of 2006,

which ended December 31. (All per-sharedata reported below has been adjusted toreflect a two-for-one stock split thatoccurred March 24, 2006.)

Fourth-Quarter ResultsGeneral Dynamics’ earnings from contin-uing operations in the fourth quarter of2006 were $463 million, or $1.13 per shareon a fully diluted basis, an increase of 16.3percent compared to 2005 fourth-quarterearnings from continuing operations of$398 million, or $0.98 per share fullydiluted. Revenue for the fourth quarter of2006 was $6.5 billion, compared to fourth-quarter 2005 revenue of $5.8 billion.

Full-year 2006 ResultsEarnings from continuing operations for2006 grew by 18.1 percent to $1.71 billion,or $4.20 per share on a fully diluted basis,compared with earnings of $1.45 billion,or $3.58 fully diluted, in 2005. Revenuefor the full year of 2006 was $24.1 billion,compared with $21 billion for 2005, anincrease of 14.7 percent.

CashNet cash provided by operating activitiesfrom continuing operations totaled $824million in the quarter and $2.16 billion forthe year. Free cash flow from operations,defined as net cash provided by operatingactivities from continuing operations lesscapital expenditures, was $687 million inthe quarter and $1.82 billion for the year.

BacklogThe company’s funded backlog grew byapproximately $1 billion in the fourthquarter of 2006, to $32.7 billion; itincreased $4.5 billion compared to year-end 2005. Total backlog at year-end 2006was $43.7 billion.

MarginsCompany-wide operating margins for thefull year increased by 50 basis points over2005, to 10.9 percent. Operating marginsfor the fourth quarter increased to 10.8percent from 10.6 percent for fourth-quarter 2005.

Net EarningsGeneral Dynamics’ net earnings for thefourth quarter of 2006 were $408 million,including charges in discontinued opera-tions related to the anticipated sale of thecompany’s coal mining operations, com-pared to fourth-quarter 2005 net earningsof $406 million. Net earnings for the fullyear, including a gain in discontinuedoperations from the sale of the company’saggregates business, were $1.86 billion in2006, compared to $1.46 billion in 2005.

“General Dynamics generated solidreturns in the fourth quarter of 2006, cap-ping another very strong year,” said Gen-eral Dynamics Chairman and Chief Exec-utive Officer Nicholas D. Chabraja. “Rev-enue and earnings grew substantially overthe fourth quarter of 2005, and full-yearearnings per share from continuing opera-tions grew by 17.3 percent over last year,on a revenue increase of 14.7 percent. Freecash flow from operations in the year ofover $1.8 billion once again represents avery efficient conversion of net earningsinto cash, a ratio of 107 percent.”

We do not tolerate violentbehavior at any workplace,whether committed by oragainst our employees. Thefollowing behaviors areprohibited: making threat-ening remarks; causingphysical injury to someoneelse; intentionally damag-ing someone else’s prop-erty; or acting aggressivelyin a way that causes some-one else to be intimidatedor fear injury.

Report workplace violenceto your supervisor, unionsteward, HumanResources, Security, ethicsofficer (860-433-1278), orthe GD Ethics hotline(800-433-8442).

Remember – when indoubt, always ask.

EB BusinessEthics andConductWorkplace Violence

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I February 2007 I 3

4 I January 2007 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Six Electric Boat engineers wererecognized as Modern DayTechnology Leaders at the 21st

annual Black Engineer of the YearAwards Conference held in Baltimore,Md., earlier this month.

The honorees are: Anthony Brooks(473); Dave Johnson (429); PatriceMcDermott (904); Bernard Schmidt(210); Terence Spruill (414); and JasonWhite (201).

Hosted by the Career Communica-tions Group, the conference recognizesAfrican Americans who have demon-strated excellence in science, engineeringand technology, leadership in their com-munities, and commitment to recruitingand retaining minorities in companiesacross the nation.

The six Electric Boat engineers wereamong 29 General Dynamics technolo-gists recognized at the conference. All 29were also honored at a separate GD-sponsored event held during the confer-ence. They were selected by the editors ofU.S. Black Engineer and Information

Six EB Engineers Recognized At Black Engineer Of The Year Conference

Technology magazine, and will be profiledin the February issue of the publication.

Additionally, their achievements wererecognized at a ceremony in the Technol-ogy Center’s 10th floor conference room.

“We’re happy we could nominateyou,” said Bob Nardone, VP – HR, “butthis occasion is really about recognizingyour contributions to Electric Boat. Wewanted to recognize you for your effortsand accomplishments.”

Pete Halvordson, VP- Engineering,said there was a common thread runningthrough the careers of the six award win-ners. “You have all responded to the chal-lenges presented to you, but more signifi-cantly, you created challenges for your-selves,” he said, explaining that membersof the group have pursued assignments indifferent areas of the business by takingadvantage of rotational opportunities.

“For Electric Boat to be successful,I’m thoroughly convinced that we need adiversity of ideas and backgrounds tostay on the path,” said EB PresidentJohn Casey. “The only way we can

remain at the top of our game is toensure that we have people who cansolve problems and resolve issues in avariety of ways.”

Modern Day Technology Leaders

Anthony Brooks joined the companyas a nuclear engineer after graduatingfrom the University of Connecticut in2002. Since then, he has worked in sev-eral organizations including NuclearOperations, RadCon Engineering,Nuclear Audit and Assessment, NuclearEngineering and Nuclear Test. He isactive in community outreach throughhis church and the Electric Boat BlackEngineering Council. He is a member ofthe American Society of MechanicalEngineers and an alumnus of theNational Society of Black Engineers.

After serving in the U.S. Navy subma-rine force from 1971-1977, David John-son came to Electric Boat where hespent 16 years in the Ships Test Organi-zation, applying his Navy experience andtechnical skills in maintenance and mod-ernization, and new construction. Pro-

Anthony Brooks Bernard Schmidt Dave Johnson

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I February 2007 I 5

moted to engineering specialist last year,he has been responsible for various Sea-wolf and Trident electrical systems andcomponents, including control and powersystems, system design and constructionsupport, and project engineering.

A 2001 graduate of MIT with a degreein mechanical engineering, PatriceMcDermott has completed a variety ofassignments since joining Electric Boat.These have included working as a fluidsystem engineer on the new aircraft car-rier propulsion plant design, as a fluidmechanics engineer engaged in pipe stressanalysis, and as a mechanical engineerinvolved in major lifts at Quonset Point.She is now a pipe shop foreman at Quon-set Point where she is applying her Lean

Six Sigma training to develop and imple-ment process-improvement initiatives.

Bernard Schmidt joined Electric in2003 and has taken on assignments incomponent engineering, operations,maintenance and modernization, con-tracts and process engineering. As aLean Six Sigma Black Belt, he works atall levels of the organization to improveperformance in safety, quality, cost andschedule. This involves mentoring lead-ership and line employees so that theycan make data-driven decisions andbetter manage processes. Schmidtearned a B.S. degree in chemical engi-neering from the University ofRochester and an M.S. degree in pro-duction and operations management

from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.Following his graduation from North

Carolina Agricultural and TechnicalState University with a degree inmechanical engineering, Terence T.Spruill began his career at Electric Boatin 1998 as a project engineer responsiblefor the delivery of Virginia-class pumpswithin budget and on schedule. He joinedthe Nuclear Shift Test Engineeringorganization in 2002, and is now a seniorengineer in the Reactor Plant PlanningYard’s fluid systems group. Additionally,Spruill volunteers with MentorNet, an e-mentoring network connecting mentorsfrom industry and academia with collegestudents, and is a recruiter for ElectricBoat.

Jason White Patrice McDermott Terence Spruill

Apprentice Alumni Association Offers Scholarships

The Electric Boat Apprentice Alumni Association(EBAAA) is offering three educational scholarshipawards of $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 to graduating

high school students.The awards will be given to children of EBAAA members on

the basis of scholastic achievement and desire to continue theireducation.

Applications can be obtained from any member of theEBAAA board of directors and must be submitted by April 9.

For more information, call Mark Antrop, ext. 34640, or AndyPeacock, ext. 33024.

EB Hosts WPI To Discuss Possible Future Collaborations

Dr. Gretar Tryggvason, head of themechanical engineering departmentat Worcester Polytechnic Institute,

joked that when he tells people that he workswith bubbles, “It’s at some cost to my dignity.”

But during a presentation to about 75 peoplefrom Electric Boat in January, titled, “Computa-tions on Cartesian Grids,” Tryggvason notedthat figuring out bubbly flows and microstruc-tures could lead to breakthroughs in energy, orperhaps solve the mystery of the Bermuda trian-gle — one theory is that methane released at thesea bottom might make the water in that arealess dense, and cause ships to sink.

For Electric Boat, he said, research into bub-

bly flows could have particularly significantimpact in understanding the phenomenon ofcavitation. Cavitation can be destructive to mar-itime equipment — or to a submarine’s stealth— because the noise makes the ship easier tofind. But it might also be a boon to submarines,because “bubble induced drag reduction” couldgive them a burst of speed when they need it.

Generating a layer of bubbles around a hullform, he said, can generate at least a 20 percentdecrease in drag, and possibly much more, hesaid. So understanding bubbles in a turbulentlayer boundary is critically important.

Tryggvason was one of a dozen WPI faculty

6 I February 2007 I ELECTRIC BOAT

At a time when Electric Boatdid not have enough work forall of its outside electricians, it

was also looking to modernize the light-ing in many of its buildings. So the com-pany and the union cooperated on a pro-gram that preserved some jobs by puttingthe electricians to work inside.

As a result of the work those electri-cians have accomplished, the companywill save an estimated $120,000 on elec-tricity costs, and those savings are likelyto mount as the program continues.

“We had some naysayers and somecritics when we started,” said electricianRichard L. McCombs (229). “But weworked hard to find a way to let our peo-ple do it, and the project was a big suc-cess, a win for both sides. The companysaved money, we proved our people coulddo it, and we saved a few jobs.”

Maintenance Superintendent Mark A.Rapuano said the experience hasprompted the company to consider howmuch more work it can undertake withshipyard trades workers.

“In the past, this work would havebeen outsourced,” Rapuano said. “Now,the success of this program has openedsome other potential opportunities. Wemeasured and used our findings to show

An Enlightening Experience For Company, Unionthat EB trades could compete.” Forinstance, the facilities department hastaken on a half dozen sheet metal work-ers to do heating and cooling duct work,as well as four additional electricians forroutine maintenance work.

Facilities Black Belt Jeff Cohen (670)said the company began replacing out-dated and inefficient fixtures several yearsago. Older T12 fluorescent lights arebeing replaced with newer T8 lights,which produce as much light with 25watts of power as the older fixtures didwith 40 watts.

In addition, Groton Utilities funds upto 50 percent of the cost of materials andlabor through its energy conservationfund. That reduces the cost of the newequipment by enough to shorten the pay-back period from energy savings to lessthan a year in some cases.

If the company could find a way to savejobs at the same time it was saving elec-tricity, it was very interested, Cohen said.

So after training three electricians toinstall the updated lighting, Cohen saidthe company used two buildings as anexperiment: the lighting in Building 78(Benefits building) was modernized byEB employees; and lighting in Building45A (Annex to Old SUPSHIP) was

refurbished by a contractor.The results were clear: The job done by

EB electricians on Building 45A and fouradditional buildings averaged $20 per fix-ture compared to the contractor baseline.

Over the five buildings, Cohen said,EB estimates that it saved $7,200 in up-front costs, which will make the paybackperiod from energy savings even shorter.And there have been no injuries since theproject got under way, he said. “Theteam quickly became incredibly inde-pendent and self-motivated,” Cohen said,crediting facilities electrician John Gif-ford and outside electricians Jerry West,Joe Jurczyk and Charlie Hartley withbeing responsible for the project’s success.And with another 200,000 to 300,000square feet of building space left to mod-ernize, Cohen said, the opportunities foradditional savings are significant.

Cohen also stated the project wouldnot have succeeded without the supportof Electrical Superintendent Brian Cana-van and his management team, who will-ingly loaned out valuable people at atime when limited staff were available, aswell as the willingness of Director ofFacilities Bruce Hart to take a risk andtry a new approach.

continued on page 10

WPI President Dr. DennisBerkey addresses a gathering of Electric Boatemployees during a visit to thecompany earlier this month.

NASSCO Is Awarded Maintenance andRepair Contract for Amphibious AssaultShips

SAN DIEGO

NASSCO has been awarded a seven-year contract for the mainte-nance and repair of San Diego-based LHA and LHD class amphibiousassault ships. The contract includes options to be exercised by the U.S.Navy through fiscal year 2013. The value of the contract, if all optionsare exercised, could total about $400 million.

“For nearly a decade, NASSCO has been the Navy’s prime contractorfor the maintenance and repair of all the large-deck amphibious ships inthe San Diego Navy port,” said Frederick J. Harris, NASSCO president.“We are pleased to again lead the regional repair team that will providethe long-term support and upkeep for these vital expeditionary warfareships.”

Under the contract, NASSCO will perform 12 scheduled maintenanceavailabilities aboard USS Tarawa (LHA-1), USS Peleliu (LHA-5), USSEssex (LHD-2), USS Boxer (LHD-4), USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) and the Makin Island (LHD-8), once the latter is commissioned andhomeported in San Diego next year. NASSCO has the largest floatingdrydock in San Diego, permitting the full range of service to these ships.NASSCO was first awarded a seven-year contract for maintenance ofLHA and LHD class ships in December 1997, and received a two-yearextension in October 2002. The initial award under the contract is$63,000 for the pre-planning work leading to the scheduled maintenanceavailability of USS Boxer in June 2007.

NASSCO is the only major ship construction and repair yard on theWest Coast of the United States. In addition to its ship repair business,NASSCO has five T-AKE class ships under construction for delivery tothe Navy and will soon begin construction on a series of nine productcarriers for U.S. Shipping Partners L.P.

BIW Awarded $257M to CompleteDDG-1000 Detail Design

BATH, Maine

The U.S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works a $257.4 million con-tract option to complete the detail design of the DDG-1000 ZumwaltClass Destroyer. The contract being modified was awarded in August2006; this option exercise brings the total value of the Bath Iron Worksdetail-design effort to $337.4 million.

MARINECONTRACTROUNDUP

Retirees100 Michael Farago Jr.

33 yearsForeman

221 Cora E. Rogers30 yearsAdministrative Clerk II

226 Michael A. Fusaro30 yearsShipfitter 1/C

241 Robert W. Adair Jr.29 yearsO/S Electrician 1/C

242 Richard A. Rice37 yearsO/S Machinist W/L

333 Daniel A. Rearick39 yearsWarehouseman 1/C

355 Anthony G. Piche31 yearsPlanning Spec. Sr.

403 Pamela M. Edson33 yearsStaff Bus. Dev. Rep.

403 Frank A. Skewes Jr.33 yearsEngineer, Principal

411 Daniel P. Kitchel36 yearsSupervisor, Engineer

431 Bryan E. Burdick39 yearsStaff Engineer

433 Brent B. Woodward32 yearsEngineer, Principal

438 William N. Joseph Jr.40 yearsRadCon Specialist

445 Robert H. Rubio40 yearsProject Manager, Eng.

449 Stephen J. Bush31 yearsTest Engineer, Principal

456 Erna Sheyfer11 yearsElect. Sr. Designer

467 George M. Furgueson36 yearsEngineering Specialist

495 Richard A. Aldred33 yearsEngineer, Principal

505 Edward R. Pacheco5 yearsJanitor

601 Irene H. McGuire27 yearsExec. Asst.-Event Coordinator

615 Lucille M. Hall21 yearsFinancial Analyst Sr.

626 Kenneth W. Landry Jr.40 yearsFinancial Analyst Projects

646 John C. James28 yearsHR Specialist

650 Herbert F. Englund37 yearsMgr. of Change Control

650 Frederic L. Ward Jr.33 yearsContract Manager

792 Merrill A. Beckwith30 yearsForeman

804 Ruby M. Bowman28 yearsData Processor Sr.

857 Daniel M. Sasur38 yearsChief Planning Site

962 John R. Chabot32 yearsForeman

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I February 2007 I 7

HEALTH MATTERS

Bob Hurley, MD Medical Director

What causes pathologic gambling?

Many experts think that pathologicgambling is an addiction because of the“rush” you feel when you win and losemoney. Your experiences and personalitytype also play a large part. One recentreport from a neurological journaldescribed the centers within the brainthat sustain stimulation are very similarto those affected by snorting cocaine.

How is pathologic gamblingtreated?

Pathologic gambling can be treated,yet you should know it is difficult. This isbecause pathologic gamblers often haveirrational or magical thoughts in whichthey believe they have the ability to con-trol random or chance events by relyingon superstitious behavior or methods.

Your family doctor or EAP counselorcan help you and your loved ones. First,you have to admit you have a gamblingproblem by telling your family andfriends. Second, you can join GamblersAnonymous, a self-help group for prob-lem gamblers. Your family and friendscan join Gam-Anon. This is a group thathelps families and friends deal with aloved one who is a pathologic gambler.

Your doctor may refer you to a mentalhealth expert for more help. This helpmay involve talking about your gamblingproblem. It may also include adviceabout how to understand your gamblingurge and how to handle it. Treatment forpathologic gambling may also includetreatment for depression or substanceabuse, if present.

Treatment goals for patients who arepathologic gamblers or patients who arebeing treated for depression or alco-holism tend to be similar in that theyfocus on restoring a normal way ofthinking and living to patients. A varietyof approaches are used. Modeled afterAlcoholics Anonymous, GamblersAnonymous is the primary self-help

My Big Night

The two things I remember most aboutmy big night at the craps tables were theintense stimulation of senses and mentaleuphoria. I felt and looked simply mar-velous as I stood by the table dressed inmy tuxedo, while controlling a hugemound of chips at my fingertips. I hadsuch command of the dice, I swear Icould will the combinations to fall withmy bets. Others could sense my prowessand flocked to play with the winner. Andwith every roll that euphoria grew despitea streak of losing that only egged me on.The need to get that winning streak andfeeling back was so captivating that Icouldn’t walk away.

Gambling

Continued growth of the gamblingindustry both here in Connecticut andnationally has raised concerns about thepossible increase in the prevalence ofproblem and pathologic gambling. Fiftyyears ago only 61 percent of the popula-tion gambled in some manner. By 1991 inthe United States, 80 percent gambled,assisted by the passage of laws that allowssome form of gambling in all but twostates in the union.

continued on page 9

What is pathologic gambling?

Pathologic gambling and problemgambling affect approximately 15 millionAmericans and is quite common inyoung people. We reserve the term“pathologic gambling” for individualswho meet strict criteria found in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual ofMental Disorders, which is used by psy-chiatrists and other mental health coun-selors to characterize these conditions.Those afflicted with true pathologicgambling can’t control their impulses togamble. Despite losing substantial sumsof money with resultant financial, workand relationship troubles, a pathologicgambler is unable to stop.

There are lesser conditions such as“problem gambling,” “probable patho-logic gambling” and “gambling addic-tion,” which describe behaviors that maynot meet specific criteria for pathologicgambling. As with many psychologicalconditions, the disorder is found in everysocial class, in men or women of anyage, and is difficult to treat. This failureof treatment is based on the lack of anaccepted systematic process of educat-ing, screening and treating pathologicgamblers. The current recommendationis to educate individuals about theimpact the pathologic gambler’s behav-ior has on the family and its associationwith other disorders such as depressionand alcoholism.

Depression, drinking and takingdrugs often go along with pathologicgambling. In addition, pathologic gam-blers are also more likely to think aboutcommitting suicide. This appears to besupported by public health data whichnotes that Las Vegas and Atlantic Cityhave some of the highest suicide rates inthe nation. Other known associationsare felony convictions, spouse and childabuse, and unemployment. Like manyother addictions gamblers may hide ordeny gambling-related problems, result-ing in the condition being overlookedand undiagnosed.

8 I February 2007 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

group and uses a 12-step, abstinence-based treatment program.

Behavioral, cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies appear to be themost successful treatment approaches.Occasionally, medicines are utilized totreat coexisting depression.

Back at the Tables

In retrospect I’ll admit I ignored thevoices calling for me to quit. I foolishlysigned a note against my house to covermy losses and in one final attempt toreverse my fortunes, I rattled the dice inmy closed fist, blew on them and letthem roll towards the end of the table asevery eye strained to view the outcome.

As the dice left my hands the rush ofexcitement was nearly as perfect a feelingas I had ever had ... until the dealer cried

out, “Snake eyes!” Then slowly my sensi-bilities returned and with the epiphany of“hey wait a minute,” I found myself sit-ting upright in my bed covered in sweatand feeling as if I had just lost the farm.I have to admit it took several hours andsome reassurance to secure the feelingthat I hadn’t gambled away my home.The experience of my big night out wasenough for me to see gambling for whatit is and isn’t. Sadly, the endnote is thatfor some, this scenario has, is or will betheir reality. If you have or know others that havesuspected pathologic gambling behaviors,a review of the web sites below or a callto one of our EAP counselors is the best“chance” you may take.

UHC/United Behavioral Health:1-866-743-6551, access code: 11060

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I February 2007 I 9

HealthNet/Center for Work and Family:860-437-2188

Where can I go to get moreinformation?

You can call the National Council onProblem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700.You can also get information on theInternet at the following Web site:http://www.ncpgambling.org. Thisorganization can help you find localchapters of Gamblers Anonymous andGam-Anon. It can also help you findlocal counselors who are experienced intreating pathologic gamblers. GamblersAnonymous can be reached by calling1-213-386-8789. You can also reachGamblers Anonymous at the followingWeb site: http://www.gamblersanony-mous.org

If you know someone who may have a problem with gambling, why not share this quick survey provided byGamblers Anonymous.

Did you ever lose time from work due to gambling?

Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

Did gambling ever affect your reputation?

Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debtsor otherwise solve financial difficulties?

Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possi-ble and win back your losses?

After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and winmore?

Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?

Were you reluctant to use gambling money for normalexpenditures?

Did gambling make you careless of yourself or your family?

Have you ever gambled longer than you had planned?

Have you ever gambled to escape worry and trouble?

Have you ever committed or considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling?

Has gambling caused you to have difficulty in sleeping?

Have arguments, disappointment, or frustrations causedyou to gamble?

Have you had an urge to celebrate any good fortune with afew hours of gambling?

Have you ever considered self-destruction as a result ofyour gambling?

Seven or more positive responses suggest pathologicgambling.

Reprinted with permission. Available from Gamblers Anonymous Inter-national Service Office, P.O. Box 17173, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

G A M B L E R S A N O N Y M O U S S U R V E Y

AUTOS

DODGE Caravan 1995. Dark green.Runs well. 188K. V6, 7 passenger,AM/FM/CD. $1,200 OBO. 887-3316.

BOATS

SILVERTON 31 foot. Excellent condi-tion, twin 350 Crusaders – 235 HPeach, 850 hours, electronic package.$49,999 OBO. 303-5537.

FURNITURE

SOLID CHERRY dining room table.6 padded chairs total, 2 armedchairs. 1 lead and fitted pad. $800OBO. 303-5537.

MISCELLANEOUS

BARRECRAFTERS roof top cargohauler. Approx. 65” x 24” or about16 sq. ft. of storage space. Perfectfor skis. Good condition. New $450.Asking $225. 401-377-2259.

SONY home theater surroundsound system, HTDDW670.Includes 8” subwoofer, 4 speakers,remote. New, never used. $175.376-5027.

WEIDER Pro 9735 home gym sys-tem. Offers a selection of weightstations to develop every majormuscle group. 79” H x 70” W x 64”L. $150. 536-2982.

REALESTATE/RENTALS

CAPE COD summer rental. 4 bed-room cape in Falmouth, Mass. Fullyoutfitted and exquisitely located ona quiet, dead-end street with con-venient access to all local attractionsand beyond. $1,000/week. Availabil-ity: 7/14-21; 8/18-23; 8/23-31. Flexibleoff-season schedule. 572-0434.

GROTON City. First floor apartment.Two bedroom with laundry. Nopets. No smoking. $925/month plusutilities. 445-2253.

JEWETT CITY duplex for rent. 3-4bedrooms. Nice sunny apartment. 2bathrooms, big closets, new floor-

ing, paint and windows.Washer/dryer hookups, basementstorage, off-street parking.$975/month + utilities, security &references. 376-0201.

10 I February 2007 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

$ClassifiedCATEGORY choose from

Dan Barrett,

EB Classified, Dept. 605,

Station J88-10.

Employees without e-mail can submit their ads through

interoffice mail to:

ITEM NAME; DESCRIPTION; ASKING PRICE; and

HOME TELEPHONE (include area code if outside 860). Deadline is the 15th of the month.

Maximum of two 25-word ads per employee per issue.

Please include your name, department and work

extension with your ad (not for publication).

To submit a classified ad, send an e-mail

to EBNewsAds@gdeb.com with the following information:

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members who visited EB recently at therequest of EB President John P. Casey, analumnus. Casey noted that more than 100EB employees attended WPI – not tomention his own son – and he viewed thevisit not only as an opportunity to remi-nisce, but to consider ways that WPI andEB might collaborate in the future.

Casey said his experiences at the Mas-sachusetts school not only helped himdevelop into an engineer, but into some-one who could become the leader of aworld renowned shipyard.

“There’s no question I would not bestanding here today had I not attendedWPI,” Casey said, as he presented WPIPresident Dr. Dennis Berkey with a copyof “Legend of Electric Boat,” and thefaculty with their own mementos of thevisit – ball caps sporting the name of theHawaii, the latest submarine delivered to

the Navy by EB.“Higher education is our industry, and

I want to assure you how proud I am tobe associated with an institution where itsgraduates make such a difference in theworld as they do here,” Berkey said.

Berkey said WPI has a national repu-tation for the quality of its curriculum.For instance, it has one of two national-level fire-protection engineering centers.And it continues to grow.

Later this year, WPI will open a128,000-square-foot bioengineering andscience center. Bioengineering is at thepoint where it can be applied to medicine,both for diagnostic and therapeutic pur-poses, Berkey said, and this new centerwill help WPI continue a tradition ofeconomic development in central Massa-chusetts, and across the country.

WPI is a university where studentslearn to work productively in teams,where they learn not only knowledge out

of a textbook, but how to apply it to realworld problems. In fact, prior to theevening reception that Casey hosted, sev-eral WPI professors met with top engi-neers at EB to discuss areas of mutualinterest, and how the school might sup-port EB’s programs through research.

“The collaborations that your organi-zation and ours can have can be at thevery forefront of science and technology,”Berkey said. “I’m proud to be able to tellyou what your alma mater is all about.It’s really making a difference, addressingsome very hard questions.”

The only deficiency that anyonenoticed during the visit, Berkey joked,was that the visit seemed to be a littleheavy on mechanical engineers and lighton electrical engineers, a specialty that isparticularly important to submarines.“That’s something we will repair as wemove forward with the relationship,”Berkey promised.

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355 Anthony J. Alfieri452 Peter M. Baier459 Steven J.

Buckingham648 Leland P. Miller

229 Bryan T. Way251 Albert J. Daniels341 Elizabeth C. Brevard403 Michael E. Law409 John W. Beiderka416 Robert L. Holden447 Michael J. Yanavich633 Susan A. Willliams642 Warren M. Sidle706 Terrence Fish904 John E. Flis915 Joseph C. Marqus951 Annette M. Bourcier

226 Kevin E. Kumpf242 Robert J. Pontbriand244 Anne S. Frish272 Joseph R. Marino404 Richard N. Smith427 John F. Norosky459 Edward W. Leblanc459 Terrrence M. Leahy459 Dana M. Snow463 Roland R. Trailor Jr.644 Donna M. Padula795 Michael D. Smith904 Tony L. Terry915 Dennis C. Bliven915 John A. Faraone915 John J. Bourque

210 Robert M. Shaw251 Frank R. Vieira272 Jack L. Penney355 Michael J. Gallant403 Wendy L. Deane403 Warren K. Mogan410 Peter H. DiCarlo410 Michael A. Noel411 Charles F. Wahl428 Gary F. Haines448 Peter J. Krause449 Edward W. Day456 Kenneth J. Fontaine456 Brian G. Rocawich464 Michael A. Botieri472 Alan J. Rioux

473 Bethea L. Slocum604 Nellichery R.

Thiyagarajan642 William T. Herrmann915 Joseph C. Olivelli

Service Awards

35 years

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I February 2007 I 11

30 years 25 years 20 years

Process Improvement Reduces Prep Time For Hull Pairing By Two Thirds

Ashipyard process-improvementteam has cut by two thirds thetime required to prepare hull

sections for fit-up and alignment.According to construction engineering

black belt Chris Barrett, this reductiontranslates into a savings of nearly $1.5 mil-lion per ship, a significant achievement inthe company’s overall effort to reduce thecost of Virginia-class submarines.

The improvement project was initiatedin response to hull circularity issues thatemerged as sections are transported fromQuonset Point to Groton at increasing lev-els of completion. As the sections are pop-ulated with more decks, components, pip-ing, cable ways and cables, they havetended to “ovalize,” Barrett said.

Historically, circularity measurementswere completed at Quonset Point beforesections were outfitted. That data was then

compared with the adjacent cylinder’s cir-cularity, and a “best fit” bevel was per-formed before transport to Groton. Withthe Virginia class, however, the degree ofoutfitting performed at Quonset Pointafter the measurements were taken resultedin inaccurate data on the cylinder’s circu-larity in Groton at the hull-butt weldingstage, said Barrett.

To compensate for the discrepancy, theshipyard would “trial pair” the cylinders tobe joined by moving them close together,recording the actual hull measurements,cutting a new bevel and filling in any gapswith weld as needed.

To develop a better solution to the issue,a team was formed comprising Barrett,Kevin Devine, Rick Nelson, Bob Burkle,Charlie Montalbano, Steve Siok, BobStevens, Mark Lafleur, Bob Dupree, GaryHerzig and John Sedor. Additionally, Bar-

rett said, MTC employees provided valu-able input.

Their solution was to take the circularitymeasurements after the outfitted sectionhad arrived at Groton. Additionally, saidBarrett, the team decided to cut the bevelat Groton rather than Quonset Point, andleave extra material at the end of eachcylinder to enable a more efficient pairing.

Steel trades general foreman Bob Burklesaid the process involves a state-of-the artplasma cutting and gouging machine thatuses the same tractor and track employedfor automated welding. Electric Boat is theonly shipyard in the world to use theplasma cutter in an outdoor environment.

The approach was validated to achievepressure hull complete on Hawaii (SSN-776) and is now being applied on all Virginia-class cylinders being joined at Groton.

STANDARD PRESORTU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DGROTON, CT

PERMIT NO. 392