The Norfolk Ship Support Activity (NSSA) Gas Turbine Maintenance Assist Team (GTMAT) initiated repair work on USS McFaul (DDG 74) July 8.
The GTMAT is part of a Naval Sea Systems Command initiative established to find, fix and document discrepancies found within the fleet and is spending two weeks aboard USS McFaul conducting preventative maintenance checks. Already, the team inspected and repaired four LM2500 gas turbine engines and enclosures.
USS McFaul is scheduled to undergo a continuous maintenance availability later this summer, and the GTMAT work will go a long way in ensuring that systems they help to maintain will need only minor fixes.
“Our goal is to make sure these ships are as mission ready as possible, and in some cases that includes getting them ready for long shipyard layups,” said GTMAT Team Leader Petty Officer 1st Class Shad Majors .
Working in concert with the ship’s crew, the GTMAT inspects gas turbine equipment and documents any deficiencies found. The team then assists the crew with ordering of parts and preliminary repairs. Once parts are received, the team works alongside the crew to make any necessary repairs.
“ GTMAT has been an invaluable resource to this ship and many ships in this fleet. They have provided a lot of information to our junior sailors and we already see it paying off. Time and knowledge are valuable commodities and they brought it to the plate,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Padora, USS McFaul’s Main Engine Room #2 leading petty officer .
GTMAT team members are chosen for being experts in the field of gas turbine repair, and they pride themselves on the support they provide to afloat sailors.
“Our support is different than many others because we are not simply there just to point out the problems and leave. We are there to find the problems and guide sailors on how to correct those problems to ensure they don’t persist in the future,” said Majors. “When GTMAT departs a ship, their main goal is to have the engines ready to answer the bell. We’ll leave [the crew] feeling better prepared to handle any issues they should encounter.”
[mappress] Press release, July 19, 2013