JANUARY 2006

Improvement Initiatives Extend To Towels, Coveralls • 2

MTC Members Receive $150 For 2005 Safety Performance • 3

Marine Group Update • 4

Process-Improvement EffortDevelops Keys To Success • 5

Health Matters • 7

Thaxton: The State Of ProcessImprovement • 8

EB Completes Conversion Of USS Ohio, First Of Four Transformational Submarines For The U.S. Navy • 9

Classifieds • 10

Service Awards • 11

Ship Talk

Standing on stagingalongside Hawaii (SSN-776), Electric BoatPresident John Casey,third from left, discussesship-construction techniques with Secretary of the NavyDonald Winter, whotoured Electric Boat earlier this month. At left is Capt. DaveJohnson, the Navy’s Virginia-class programmanager, and Rolf Zeis-ing, the Naval Reactorsrepresentative. At right isCmdr. Dave Solm,prospective commandingofficer of Hawaii.

continued on page 3

INSIDE Electric Boat Hosts Navy Secretary

Acknowledging the company’s long-standing relationship with theNavy and its synergies with the

submarine base in Groton, Secretary of theNavy Donald Winter traveled to ElectricBoat Jan. 19 to learn firsthand about EB’scapabilities and the challenges it faces.

Before assuming the Navy’s top civilianjob, Winter was president of NorthropGrumman’s Mission Systems Sector. He wassworn into office Jan. 3.

Winter’s visit included a meeting with thecompany’s top management as well as MTCPresident Ken DelaCruz and MDA-UAWPresident John Worobey. While at the ship-

yard, he toured the new-construction subma-rine Hawaii (SSN-776), scheduled for a Junechristening, and USS Virginia (SSN-774), inthe shipyard for its Post-Shakedown Avail-ability. Winter also toured the Quonset Pointfacility. “It’s been a great day,” he said.

At a press briefing held after the Grotontour, Winter said his visit would provide himwith a better understanding of the issues fac-ing Electric Boat, the shipbuilding industryand the Navy. In response to a reporter’squestion, he declined to be specific about theNavy’s shipbuilding plans, but stated his con-cern about maintaining the naval shipbuild-ing industry’s institutional knowledge.

S hop towels and coveralls are twoof the most frequently useditems in the Electric Boat ship-

yard. They are also two of the mostbasic.

But for the employees who have longprovided the hands-on distribution, col-lection and management of the textiles,they are anything but basic.

Enter a trio of recent process improve-ments – two for the shop towels and onefor the coveralls. Since taking effect in2005, the shop-towel improvements,which led to the creation of self-servicebins for employees, have helped boost theefficiency of the painter tool cribs. Andthe coverall improvement has proved tobe a big money-saver, with the promise ofcontinued savings in the years to come.

“They’ve made things more efficient,”painter working leader and tool cribattendant Ed Badessa (251) said of thenew bins, which dispense clean towelsand accept soiled ones. “People can nowtake what they need, instead of comingto the tool crib window.

“It took up a lot of our time, becauseeverybody needs clean towels and bags,”he said of the old towel-distribution sys-tem, in which the items were handed outindividually by the attendants. “With thenew system, everything’s right there forthem and they can take what they want.”

Steel trades foreman Doug Roszelle(229), who oversaw the shop-towelprocess improvements, said the new sys-tem not only saves the tool crib atten-dants’ time, but it also greatly enhancesthe way soiled towels are collected.

“We used to collect the used towels inbarrels, which, in addition to having agenerally unkempt appearance, were

prone to an infusion of rainwater,” hesaid. “That would force us to dispose ofthe mixture as hazardous waste at a costof $450 per barrel.

“This was a good environmentalchange,” Roszelle continued. “Employeesknow that the towels need to be returned,and the new collection bins make it mucheasier for them to do so.”

The towels are rented from Coyne Tex-tile Services, which collects the soiledones, launders them and brings themback. The new bins, Roszelle said, elimi-nate the need for EB employees to pro-vide any hands-on distribution of thetowels at all. Plus, they feature a disposalcart that EB’s Coyne representative, JackBourke, can easily roll into his truck,unlike the barrels, from which he had tolift heavy bags of soiled towels.

“It was absolutely back-breaking,”Bourke said. “But then EB came up withthis idea, and it’s fantastic.”

The coverall process improvement,which took effect a year ago, didn’tchange the way they are distributed – thetool cribs still issue and collect them. Butit did greatly reduce EB’s costs.

Roszelle, who oversaw this processimprovement as well, said EB used topurchase all its coveralls at a cost of upto $63 each. Coyne Textile would thenlaunder them for $1.14 each per week.However, Roszelle discovered that EBcould rent the coveralls from Coyne forjust 26 cents more per week, with laun-dry fees included.

“We saved an estimated $144,000 inthe first year of the rental programalone,” Roszelle said. “And that shouldcontinue year after year.”

Roszelle said EB uses various types ofcoveralls – for example, orange for leadwork and gray for general use – and allof them are available for rent. When thecoveralls wear out and need replacing,which is pretty often, there is no extracharge to EB. There is also no additionalcost to add more pairs to the rotation,other than the increased rental fee.

“We got the graving docks up and run-ning with no startup cost,” he said.“Without the rental program, it would’vecost us $45,000 to buy new coveralls forthat area of the shipyard.”

The rental program, Roszelle said, hasalso allowed EB to place its previouslypurchased coveralls aside as an emer-gency reserve, pulling them out duringoccasional high-use periods, such as dur-ing blast and paint jobs. Then, afterCoyne launders them, EB puts themback into storage.

Steel trades Superintendent RonDonovan (226) praised Roszelle and histeam for these and other recent processimprovements.

“They’ve improved the availability andquality of our tools and equipment,” hesaid, “while at the same time keepingsafety as the number 1 priority and sav-ing us thousands of overhead dollars.

“It’s a real success story,” Donovanconcluded.

2 I January 2006 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Painter Gerald Holly (251) helps himself to some shop towels at a new distribution/collection bin infront of the painters’ wet dock tool crib.

Improvement Initiatives ExtendTo Towels, Coveralls

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I January 2006 I 3

continued from page 1

Dan Barrett, Editor

Dean R. Courtney, Contributing 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

Emaildbarrett@ebmail.gdeb.com

Addressing the media, EB President John Casey described the company’s goals asunchanged but urgent – achieving a built rate of two ships per year and obtainingdesign work for a new-generation nuclear submarine. Reaching these objectives is criti-cally important both for Electric Boat and the nation, said Casey.

Eligible MTC members havereceived $150 (minus withhold-ings) safety recognition awards

for meeting 2005 safety goals.The 2005 Safety Recognition Program

comprised three elements relating toemployees’ safe work practices and theirefforts to reduce on-the-job injuries:

1. $50 for meeting a Lost Workday InjuryRate (LWIR) of 3.5 or less for the period ofSeptember through December 2005.

2. $75 for the successful completion of the“16J” Safety Awareness Program by a min-imum of 75 percent of MTC Operationsemployees.

3. $75 for the formation of nine SafetyAction Teams and the implementation of aminimum of 18 new safety initiatives.

The first goal – Lost Workday InjuryRate – was not met. However, participationin the “16J” Safety Awareness Program farexceeded the 75 percent minimum goal;additionally, the MTC successfully formed10 Safety Action Teams and implemented29 safety initiatives. The $150 award is thesum for meeting two of the three goals.

Both MTC President Ken DelaCruz andOperations Director Mike Alu praised theMTC workforce for their efforts to improveshipyard health and safety.

According to DelaCruz, “We must con-tinually improve the safety of our work-place. We want everyone to go home at theend of their shift in the same condition aswhen they came to work.”

Alu added, “The successful completionof the two elements of the 2005 SafetyRecognition Program will make the ship-yard a safer place in 2006 and beyond.”

MTC Members Receive $150 For 2005 Safety Performance

4 I January 2006 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

U.S. Navy Awards BIW $64M For LeadYard Services

BATH, Maine

The U.S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works(BIW) a $64 million contract to provide LeadYard Services for the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke

Class AEGIS Destroyer Program and FFG-7 PerryClass Frigate Program.

BIW will provide expert design, planning and mate-rial support services for maintenance and moderniza-tion. Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30,2010. BIW is the lead shipbuilder for the DDG-51 Classand a leading designer and builder of complex surfacecombatants for the U.S. Navy. Since 1991, BIW hasmanufactured and delivered 25 Arleigh Burke-classdestroyers, the most technologically advanced surfacecombatant in the world, to the U.S. Navy. Six additionalships are currently under construction in Bath, andthree more are under contract for delivery by 2010.

SAN DIEGO

National Steel and ShipbuildingCompany (NASSCO) hasbeen awarded a seven-year

contract for the continuous maintenanceand repair of four LSD-41/49 class shipsand four LPD-4 class ships for the U.S.Navy. The contract includes one dry-docking and 12 non-docking availabilitiesand has an estimated total value of $200million.

All eight ships are scheduled to behomeported in San Diego during thecontract period. They are the USS Ger-mantown (LSD-42), USS Comstock(LSD-45), USS Rushmore (LSD-7) andUSS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52); and theUSS Ogden (LPD-5), USS Cleveland

(LPD-7), USS Dubuque (LPD-8) andUSS Denver (LPD-9).

The LSD and LPD amphibious shipstransport Marines and their combatequipment to areas throughout theworld, and launch and support landingcraft and helicopters during amphibiousassault and other military operations.

NASSCO President Frederick J. Harrissaid, “With the award of this contract,the Navy has selected NASSCO to be thesingle prime contractor for continuousmaintenance of all amphibious classes ofships homeported on the West Coast.”Harris noted that since 1997, NASSCOhas been providing maintenance andrepair services on five LHA-class andLHD-class ships for the U.S. Navy under

a nine-year contract.“This LSD/LPD contract demon-

strates our team’s capability to maintainand repair San Diego’s homeported fleetto support the high demands of currentNavy operations,” Harris added. “We arededicated to meeting the long-term main-tenance and repair needs of these com-plex ships at the lowest cost and on theshortest schedules.”

Harris said the advantages of long-term maintenance contracts include moreefficient production and lower costs forthe Navy, facilitated by staffing continuityat the shipyards, improved planning andpurchasing and the transfer of experiencebetween ship availabilities.

Electric Boat has been awarded a $13.9 million contract bythe U.S. Navy to manage and support nuclear-maintenancework for submarines homeported at the submarine base in

Groton.Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will operate the

Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) at the subma-rine base through September 2006. The company will provide projectmanagement, planning, training and radiological-control services tosupport maintenance, modernization and repairs in support of oper-ational submarines. A core group of about 22 Electric Boat employ-ees is assigned to the NRMD, with surge groups of up to 110 ship-yard employees for short periods.

If all options are exercised and funded, the contract will be worth$61.8 million over three years.

Electric Boat Awarded $13.9 Million Contract For Navy Nuclear Work

U.S. Navy Awards NASSCO Long-Term Multi-ShipLSD/LPD Maintenance And Repair Contract

Marine Group Update

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I January 2006 I 5

Issuing keys for Electric Boat’s mobilelifts used to give members of theLifting & Handling Department fre-

quent headaches.The keys would often get lost, and the

procedure itself required riggers to checktraining records manually and then keep ahandwritten log. In all, they’d spend up toan hour a day, every day, handing out thekeys.

But thanks to a process improvementimplemented just last month, the keys arenow issued electronically by the Building260 and graving-dock steel-trades toolcribs, freeing up time that the riggers cannow devote to other duties, such as mak-ing sure the lifts are properly maintained.

“Bottom line, there was little control ofthe units,” said rigger general foremanMark Mills (230). “We thought aboutassigning someone to it full time, but itwouldn’t be cost-effective.”

So the riggers sought the assistance ofsteel trades foreman Doug Roszelle (229),

EB’s resident expert when it comes to toolcrib technology. Roszelle quickly realizedthat the tool cribs could efficiently take overthe key distribution, as long as some modi-fications could be made to EB’s onlinetraining-records system. He spent the nextfew months working with the TrainingDepartment and the tool-crib software ven-dor to make the changes happen.

Now, getting a lift key is as effortless asgetting anything else from a tool crib.

“When someone asks for a key, the sys-tem automatically checks for three differ-ent training records,” explained Roszelle.“If the employee’s training is up to date,he’ll get a key. If not, he won’t.”

And because the tool crib systemrequires a lift key to be returned the nextday or the employee is locked out of thesystem, Roszelle said lost keys are a thingof the past.

“We should save significant money justin key replacements,” he said.

Rigger Paul Gauvin (230), who had fre-

quently been assigned to hand out the keysmanually, said the new system not onlyallows EB to keep better control of thelifts, but it also helps him keep better trackof lift maintenance and repair issues.

“Lift inspection cards are given out andcollected with each key,” he explained, “soit’s easy for me to collect them on a regularbasis. Then I can take care of any prob-lems that crop up.”

Roszelle said the new system is expectedto have other benefits as well, such as elim-inating unnecessary aerial-lift and fall-pro-tection training. It will now be easy to seewho is using the lifts and who isn’t, hesaid, allowing the trades to pare their listof employees required to take the threetraining classes to only those who regu-larly use the lifts.

“There were a lot of things we had todo up front to make this process improve-ment a reality,” he said, “but now thateverything’s done, it’s working like acharm.”

Process-Improvement Effort Develops Keys To Success

From left, Building 260 toolcrib attendant Charlie Sprague(229) shows riggerPaul Gauvin (230)how mobile lift keysare issued electronically.Before a newprocess improve-ment took effectlast month, Gauvinand other riggersused to spend up to an hour a dayissuing the keysmanually.

HEALTH MATTERS

Bob Hurley, MD Medical Director

"To cease smoking is the

easiest thing I ever did;

I ought to know because I have

done it a thousand times.”

- Mark Twain

Tobacco and SmokingWhen you consider how you can live a

happy, healthy and productive life, avoid-ing tobacco is the best single thing youcan do for yourself and your family.Tobacco use is such an important sub-ject I think we should spend some timereviewing its history. For both smokersand non-smokers, it’ll be worth yourtime.

The PastIt might surprise you to know that sci-

entists believe the tobacco plant origi-nated in North and South Americaaround 6,000 years ago. There have beentraces of nicotine found in humanremains in Africa and the Near East, yetit appears that tobacco use originated inthe Americas. By the time of the birth ofChrist, tobacco was a widespread grow-ing plant and utilized by the indigenouspeople.

As the Mayan civilization expandedfrom its base in Central America in 470-630 AD, splinter tribes brought bothsmoking and rolling of tobacco to anarea that is now Mississippi and Ten-

loss of productivity in the U.S. work forcefrom tobacco use is $140 billion per year.

Although lawsuits had been broughtagainst the tobacco companies as far backas the 1930s, only recently has litigationbeen successful against large tobaccocompanies. In 1994, Mississippi becameone of the first states to argue thattobacco companies should compensatethe states for the health care of individu-als harmed by smoking. This eventuallyled to a Master Settlement Agreement in1998 between 46 states and four tobaccocompanies, which agreed to pay the states$206 billion over 25 years. This settlementheld the promise that smoking-controlprograms had gained the advantage andthat smoking cessation was possible in ourlifetime. With this renewed vigor, anti-smoking activists expected a cornucopiaof new smoking cessation and tobaccocontrol programs. The settlement didimplement new restrictions on advertisingand the sale and promotion of tobaccoproducts. Over 14,000 billboards weretorn down and replaced with anti-smok-ing messages. The ban included advertis-ing at stadiums, in public transit andshopping areas. Movie and cartoon adver-tising also was banned.

If state legislatures had acted in the bestinterest of the public, all should have beenwell. But three years after the settlement,only five states were using about 25 per-cent of the settlement money as recom-mended by the CDC for tobacco preven-tion programs. The majority of the statesspent much less. Connecticut, for example,has never ranked above 43rd in the appro-priate use of tobacco settlement money.Why should you or anyone care about thismisuse? Because 1 million teenagers takeup smoking every year. Statistics consis-tently show that 80 percent of adultsmokers started smoking before the age of18. Every day 4,000 young people under18 try their first cigarette; many try theirfirst tobacco product at 12.

The battle for our children’s health isnot over. Tobacco companies continue tomanipulate behaviors of children byspending $15 billion annually in the U.S.

6 I January 2006 I ELECTRIC BOAT

nessee. The Aztecs propagated the ritualof mixing tobacco with resins from otherplants and smoking it with great cere-mony in a pipe. Indians of lower socialstature rolled tobacco leaves into a crudecigar. The habit spread rapidly to othertribes. Shards of an 11th century potteryvessel found in Guatemala reveal aMayan smoking a roll of tobacco leavestied with a string. The Mayan term forthis? Sik’ar.

It’s Worth NotingIn his journal, Christopher Columbus

detailed the reverence given tobacco bythe inhabitants of the New World. Aftersetting foot on one of the islands in theBahamas inhabited by the Arawaks, hewas presented gifts of “....fruit, woodenspears, and certain dried leaves whichgave off a distinctive fragrance.” Think-ing Columbus was a deity, the Arawaksgave him offerings of their most treas-ured possessions – including tobacco.

Later these highly valued leaves wouldbe introduced to Europe by the monkRamon Pane. Accompanying Columbuson his initial expedition, Pane wrote elo-quently about the smoking habits ofIndians. Upon his return to Spain, heintroduced the aristocracy to tobacco;some might argue he unleashed a plagueupon the civilized world that dwarfs allwar and other diseases combined interms of human suffering.

The PresentThe single greatest risk to an individ-

ual’s health is tobacco smoke, whetherinhaled by primary methods or by sec-ondhand smoke. Some estimates put thenumber of Americans who die every yearfrom tobacco exposure at more than465,000. The World Health Organizationestimates that, if left unchecked, smok-ing-related diseases will kill 10 millionpeople per year worldwide by 2020.

Often individuals or tobacco compa-nies argue that smoking is an individualright, but many other experts agree thatsmoking is a societal issue, based uponthe magnitude of suffering and costsassociated with its use. The estimated

continued on page 7

In Connecticut alone, Big Tobacco spends$157 million.

And what of the tobacco settlementmoney? According to one estimate, Con-necticut has received over $800 million tocombat tobacco addiction since 1998, yethas spent less than 1 percent of that totalon prevention programs.

With the rates of teenage smoking hov-ering at traditional levels rather thandecreasing, smokers and non-smokersalike can agree when it comes to the healthof our children. Working together, we canextinguish the concept that tobacco is asafe or acceptable product. By banningtobacco products both in our homes andworkplaces, we take the first steps inchanging a culture of manipulation aspropagated by Big Tobacco.

You can read more information on thissubject matter on the web pages of theAmerican Heart Association, AmericanLung Association, American Cancer soci-ety and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Electric Boat recognizes employees for military service

At a recent luncheon in the Technology Center’s 10th floor conference room, EB President John Casey and members of his staff honored seven employeeswho returned to work from active military duty during 2005. Recognized were, from left, Jeremy Hart (274), Air Force Reserve; Elizabeth Cordon (459), ArmyNational Guard; Joseph Correia (274), Navy Reserve; Armand Allen (453), Army Reserve; Nicholas White (251), Navy Reserve; Ted Larson (411), Marine CorpsReserve; and Richard Marroquin (251), Army Reserve. Additionally, Casey accepted a plaque from the group behalf of Electric Boat for the company’s continuing support of employees called up to active duty.

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I January 2006 I 7

"Statistically Speaking"If you were to fully understand a group of 100 people in a typical

organization, you’d find:

P one uses cocaineP five have diagnosed diabetesP five have undiagnosed diabetesP seven use marijuanaP 10 are heavy drinkersP 25 have high cholesterolP 27 have cardiovascular disease

P 30 smokeP 35 are overweight by 20 percent

or more

P 50 don’t wear seatbelts regularlyP 50 feel moderate stressP 60 have sedentary jobs

While this obviously doesn’t apply to all organizations, it ought to give youpause. All of these conditions are risk factors that – if undetected oruntreated – will shorten your life. The good news is that modern medicinehas reliable treatments/recommendations for everything on the list. Whydon’t you make an appointment to see your family doctor for a physicalexamination or a chat about health and wellness? If you’re having otherissues, why not get in touch with our Employee Assistance Program? Ben-efits and the Yard Hospital have the contact numbers and remember, thecalls are confidential.

continued from page 6

Employer Support of theGuard and Reserve on

Q &AEDITOR’S NOTE: As director of process andmanufacturing engineering, Deneen Thaxtonoversees efforts throughout the company to helpits various organizations operate more smoothlyand effectively, with less waste and fewerunnecessary steps. In the following exchange,she discusses the state of process improvementat Electric Boat today.

Would you provide a brief defini-tion of Process Engineering andLean Six Sigma?

Process Engineering helps employeesimprove their safety, quality, efficiencyand job satisfaction by helping them eval-uate and execute process change. We usemethods like Lean Six Sigma to betterunderstand our processes and solvetough problems. These tools are intendedto help teams discover new informationabout their processes to help them figureout how to choose successful solutions.I’ve found that people know what iswrong – they live the frustrations everyday – and have great ideas on how to fixit. We simply provide a way for them tocollect all the ideas and select the onesthat will most improve the process.

Our primary goal is to complete proj-ects that improve our performance to thebusiness objectives, but we also help the

leadership team learn to manage theirprocesses and help our employeesdevelop leadership skills through theLean Six Sigma training. Providing thebest value in what we do is the best “salespitch” we can make to obtain new work.

Where do the project submis-sions come from?

One way is through a process-improve-ment database that everyone can accessthrough our homepage on the intranet.Anyone can submit a recommendationfor process improvement. Most of theproposals we get are from employees whowant to make improvements in their ownareas, investigate the use of new tools andtechnology, or eliminate wasteful steps.Everyone should feel empowered todevelop improvement ideas with processowners or leadership.

What’s a black belt/green belt?What do they do? How many doyou have?

A black or green belt is a title used byindustry to describe a person trained inproblem solving methods. The primarydifference between the two is that theblack belt has more statistical trainingand can integrate multiple smaller proj-ects to achieve more global objectives.We’ve trained about 40 black belts and 60green belts in the last three years. In fact,we’re just starting another green belt classthis month. The training is intense. Ittakes four months for a green belt andtwo years for a black belt to complete, sothe belts have a good deal of experienceby the time they’ve finished training.

Where do you find candi-dates?

Either through the jobpostings or director

nominations.

You’re three years into this program. Where do you standnow? What measurable resultshave you achieved?

Last year EB realized $3.6 million inhard savings and $8 million in soft sav-ings through various process improve-ments. Hard savings can be directly con-nected to a contract or overhead savings.Soft savings are less tangible, like reduc-ing span time or decreasing injury rates.Hard savings are great, but what’s reallyvaluable are the process changes that aretaking place. We measure changes in met-rics such as recordable injuries, cycle time,defects and labor hours as well as dollarsand cents.

Teams have worked on more than 700projects. Some examples are:

Operations ProjectsP Hull butts defects at Groton downfrom 22 percent to less than 2 percent

P Frame defects at Quonset Point signif-icantly reduced

P Rapid-improvement events provideinstant results (Deficiency Form/ Defi-ciency List/ Deficiency Report Processand Wet Dock Paint Tool Crib)

P TGI close-out rates improved, savingmore than $170,000 in 2005

P Paint shop – blast and paint processrevamped

P Developed plan for carpenters toreduce cycle time for hull-coating installa-tion to win PSA work on USS Virginia(SSN-774)

Engineering and Design ProjectsP Costs for high-end engineering analy-sis using the Marlin computer serverdropped from $402,000 per year to$177,000 per year with the addition ofnew system hardware.

P ER-prevention project assigneddesigners to help the trades directly onthe deck plates so that ERs don’t need tobe written.

Thaxton: The State Of Process Improvement

8 I January 2006 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

DeneenThaxton

PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD, Wash.

Electric Boat has completed its con-version of USS Ohio (SSGN-726),the first of four Trident sub-

marines to be reconfigured as multimissionvessels optimized for covert tactical strikeand special operations support.

Ohio’s conversion, undertaken in conjunc-tion with the ship’s midlife refueling, pro-vides the Navy with its first truly transfor-mational platform. Ohio will be joined bythree additional Tridents undergoing conver-sion to SSGNs – USS Michigan at the ship-yard here, and USS Florida and USS Geor-gia at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia.The conversions are being performed undera $1.4 billion contract awarded to ElectricBoat in 2002; work is scheduled for comple-tion in 2007.

Each SSGN will carry up to 154 Toma-hawk cruise missiles and support up to 66Special Operations Forces for an extendedtime. General Dynamics Advanced Infor-mation Systems in Pittsfield, Mass., is thesystem integrator for the missile-control sys-tem. SSGNs will also serve as platforms todevelop and test new weapons systems, sen-sors and operational concepts that couldfurther transform naval warfare. These pay-loads will include large unmanned underseavehicles and off-board sensors.

“The on-time conversion of USS Ohiofrom a strategic-missile submarine to aguided-missile and special warfare platformis a tribute to the collective efforts of themen and women of Electric Boat, PugetSound Naval Shipyard, the Navy’s StrategicSystems Program and the Naval Sea Sys-tems Command SSGN program office,” saidEB President John Casey. “Their contribu-tions have provided the Navy with a power-ful warship that embodies unparalleledcapabilities as well as the opportunity tointegrate new technologies and payloads inthe future.”

Casey noted that the conversion – com-prising design, manufacturing, installationand at-sea testing – was completed only threeyears after the Navy decided to move for-ward with the program. “That’s a remarkable

achievement,” he said.Referring to the overall

SSGN conversion program,Casey said, “Work on USSFlorida is proceeding smartly– in fact, its sea trial is ontrack to follow the lead-shiptrial by only three months.This will enable us to providethe U.S. Navy with a secondtransformational platformover a shorter-than-normaltime frame, and at a conver-sion cost still lower than thelead ship’s.”

Electric Boat Completes Conversion OfUSS Ohio, First Of Four TransformationalSubmarines For The U.S. Navy

Support OrganizationsP Planners improve electricalwork orders to reduce trade re-work on Virginia-class ships

P Buyers gain electronic tool tomanage workload

P Streamlined security patrolssave $60,000 per month

P Support print job project elimi-nated more than 100,000 unneces-sary print outs

P URO MRC 3 cycle timereduced

Where do you go from here?This year is going to be a big

one – it’s very important that wecontinue to be efficient and effec-tive to bring more business into thecompany. We have a number ofnew initiatives to help us performbetter on all of our contracts. Forexample, we’re developing a Sup-plier Lean Program, where we’llteach suppliers how to be Lean sothat their products come in to usfaster and at higher quality levels.

We’re working with many organ-izations – I’ll use Operations as anexample – to take a step back andlook at how we’re managing thebusiness – what the flow of mate-rial, people, information andequipment is and what it shouldbe. It’s really a value-stream analy-sis of the whole product line.

We’re also working with theSupervisor of Shipbuildingthe Navy. They send representa-tives to our process-managementtraining and green belt trainingand they work with us on someprojects.

But the most exciting part of thejob is working with the peopletowards common goals. Every dayI meet someone who has a greatidea and is energized to make theirpart of the business better. It’sincredibly satisfying!

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I January 2006 I 9

USS Ohio leaves Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state for sea trials.

and

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AMERICAN GIRL DOLL CLOTHES& FURNITURE. Fisher Price DollHouse, dollhouse furniture, newballerina porcelain doll, Crissy doll,metal Tonka dump truck, 1981Buddy L 4x4. 401-596-5788.

ATHENA SPEAKER SYSTEM. 2 WS-100, 1 WS-60, 2 AS-B1.2 withstands, 1 AS-P6000 sub woofer.$700. Bowflex Ultimate. 410 lbs.resistance, lat and leg attachment.$1,000. 448-1718.

BOWFLEX ULTIMATE FITNESSMACHINE. Excellent condition,book and video. Must sell. Asking$950. 886-0441.

CRAFTSMAN COMPOUND MITERSAW 12.” DeWalt blade, optionalclamps, good condition. $125 OBO.572-4441.

FIREPLACE-LIKE STOVE. Jotul-GF3Allagash, direct vent (gas withpropane converter), ivory porcelainenamel, used one season. $1,000.Lowery piano. Good condition.$1,200. Vintage pedestal sink. $50.572-1689 evenings.

FIREPLACE TOOL SET. 2-1/2 quartercast-iron steam kettle. $50. L.L. BeanMen’s suede jacket, new condition.$75. 376-8768.

FOR THREE-TO-FIVE-YEAR-OLD.Motorcycle w/battery. $100. 443-0687

GAZELLE EDGE. Total-body fitnessmachine (Tony Little), brand new,box never opened. $70. 401-596-5055.

POOL SHARK POOL CLEANER. In-ground pool model GW7500, new,never been opened. $229. 599-3266, leave message.

SEWING MACHINE. Like new,model 1455, includes foot-controlpedal, instruction manual, sewingdesk and needles. $70. Table,48”x30,” one-inch-thick top, metallegs. $10. 848-3504.

STAR WARS 8-TRACK TAPE. 1940s3-strand Austrian crystal necklace,ladies’ camel-hair coat with fake-furcollar, like new, medium. Also,draperies, crutches. 401-596-5788.

TV/VCR Combination. 20-inch RCA,excellent condition. $75. 445-6075.

MOTORCYCLE

HONDA 1987. TRX 250X, 4-wheeler,4-stroke, reverse, light (head), kickstart, Moose handlebars, swingarm skid plate, Nerf bars. $1,000.444-2203.

REAL ESTATE /RENTALS

APARTMENT FOR RENT - WestWarwick. 2 br/1 ba. Great location,close to Quonset. Heat, hot water,cable TV, 2-car parking. $895 permonth. First month and securityrequired. 401-368-6420.

APARTMENT FOR RENT – West-erly. Large 2 bedroom w/off-streetparking and big yard. Gas heat,close to Rte. 95, 20-minute ride toEB and casinos. Walking distanceto gym, town and Wilcox Park. 10-minute ride to beaches. $750 plusutilities. 401-596-1599.

CAPE COD RENTAL - Four Bed-room well kept Cape in Falmouth,Mass. Great location for all localactivities and launchpad to rest ofCape. $1,000/wk. 572-0434.

WANTED

MASSAGE TABLE. Portable. 443-0687.

CATEGORY choose from

Dan Barrett,

EB Classified, Dept. 605,

Station J88-10.

Employees without e-mail can submit their ads throughinteroffice 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:

AppliancesAutos / TrucksAuto PartsBoats

ComputersFurnitureMiscellaneousMotorcycles

PetsReal Estate /Rentals

Real Estate /SalesWanted

10 I January 2006 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

$Classified241 Robert W. Perkins

27 yearsOS Electrician 1/C

241 Raymond J. Sczesny9 yearsOS Electrician 1/C

242 Angelo Meringolo32 yearsOS Machinist 1/C

252 George Clohecy31 yearsGeneral Foreman

271 Henry A. Doucette29 yearsArea Superintendent

431 Gary A. Sherman29 yearsR&D Test Man-Mec 1/C

438 Dennison W. Maynard41 yearsDosimetry Tech 1/C

445 John D. Tamburri28 yearsTest Engineer Specialist

605 Neil D. Ruenzel19 yearsDirector of Communications

685 William A. Caldwell31 yearsSr. Ship Super

702 Peter H. Sperling17 yearsSr. Eng. Asst.

705 Cecil L. Hampton20 yearsSupervisor of Logistics

740 George Niforos31 yearsSr. Mgt. Systems Specialist

962 Bruce D. Pinel31 yearsManager of Eng. Services

Retirees

252 Richard A. Miller333 Paul R. Shinn Jr.417 Frank C. Briggs Jr.

330 Sandra G. Perry333 Patrick R. Fitzjarrald403 Ellen D. Benoit404 Norman J. Kozek629 Janet Silverman970 Alfred E. Coletti

200 Michael J. Alu243 Richard W. Silvia251 Frank T. Glynn321 Charles E. Cox321 Alvin A. Daniels333 Carol L. Bridgman501 James H. Everett Jr.501 John L. Gifford Sr.626 Deborah E. Wisniewski650 John Sanquedolce915 William K. Batzle Jr.

228 Louis J. Riccio230 Arnold C. Brine230 William J. Riley230 Joel A. Sadowski241 Joseph J. Jurczyk243 Robert G. Lavoie252 Joseph F. Hague III252 Douglas A. Leach405 Andrew P. Stockton421 Ronald T. McGauthier795 David M. Johnson804 Russell D. Perry904 Wayne N. Joyal915 Steven B. Carlow921 Manual F. Adriano921 George A. Tremblay924 Kenneth C. Andoscia935 Howard W. Fleming950 Paul J. Hilario951 Steven D. Hunt951 Arthur J. Jaehnig Jr.951 Michael B. Staulo957 Charles M. Beverly962 Joseph C. Bullock

226 Thomas J. Purcell230 Richard J. Maderia251 Ruth Ann Bellinger251 Sandra J. Hewitt251 Joseph J. Johnson Jr.251 Gilbert Perez251 Kent D. Swan252 Robin L. Vuto272 Robert F. Driscoll333 Peter G. Chenail355 Michael W. Kuja404 Christopher Brown424 Henry J. Gondek445 Oliver W. Eichner452 Kenneth E. Burrows II452 Robert P. Canova452 Cathy L. Mansour452 Gerald D. Peckham459 Richard E. Wheeler Jr.472 Joseph P. Wessell II492 Peter W. Strout495 Joseph Savino604 Joseph A. MacKinnon650 William K. Blaisdell

Service Awards

45 years

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I January 2006 I 11

25 years

40 years

226 Michael P. Gouvin242 Ronald W. Lufkin243 James L. Hensley Jr.252 Thomas M. Belisle252 James E. Demanche252 John J. Leake252 Richard Longo411 Frederick J. Vanriper414 Kevin M. Kunka415 Kevin A. Cabral425 Katherine M. Martinek445 Luke P. Cappiello452 James A. Ferris456 Michael L. Gardner459 Robert J. Faraci459 Robert W. Virga462 James A. Burke463 Thomas A. Walther464 David J. Nelson495 John T. Deneka545 Mark J. Barney615 Anne M. Coburn626 Steven P. Aguiar663 Kazuko F. Frink706 Robert W. Sanders744 Charles E. Couch924 Timothy D. DiCarlo950 William A. Desimone951 Mark P. Lafleur962 Raymond J. Perry

20 years30 years

35 years

STANDARD PRESORTU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DGROTON, CT

PERMIT NO. 392

The lead ship of theVirginia class, SSN-774, enters GravingDock 1 earlier thismonth to begins itsPost-ShakedownAvailability (PSA).This work comprisesmaintenance, repairs,alterations, testingand other activitiesand is scheduled forcompletion inNovember 2006. The total fundedvalue of the PSA is$54.8 million.

USS Virginia returns to shipyard for post-shakedown work