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Pacific Fleet Commander, Fleet Master Chief visit Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

03 November 2015

From Sean Hughes, PHNSY&IMF Public Affairs

Adm. Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Pacific Fleet Master Chief Suz Whitman visited Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Nov. 2 to learn details of the command's mission, workload and innovation initiatives.

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - Adm. Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Fleet Master Chief Suz Whitman visited Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF) to learn details of the command's mission, workload and innovation initiatives here Nov. 2.

"Between Pearl Harbor maintenance of homeported ships, Guam support and AOR voyage repairs and emergency response, the visit really drove the point of the command's importance home," said Swift. The command's submarine and surface fleet-maintenance mission is centered at Pearl Harbor and extends across the Asia-Pacific region.

Swift and Whitman toured drydocks and industrial facilities to learn from shipyard leaders and workers how they keep up with increased fleet nuclear and non-nuclear workload, improve Virginia-Class submarine maintenance, train new apprentices, partner with the private-sector repair industry and academia, and maintain stewardship responsibilities in facilities and historic preservation.

"It's all so amazing, from the historic and heritage perspective to the education connections, along with the nature of the work itself in routine and emergent repairs," Swift said.

While visiting a submarine project in drydock, Swift, Whitman and the project team discussed new waterfront technology initiatives such as waterfront wireless connectivity and implementation of electronic tablets, the need for accelerated development of new maintenance personnel to manage fleet workload, and in caring for the submarine crew's quality of life.

"All the levels of maintenance you're responsible for, and what you're doing in finding -- and making -- opportunities to innovate is remarkable," Swift told Shipyard Commander Capt. Jamie Kalowsky. "It's good to see the command taking these opportunities."

PHNSY&IMF is the State of Hawaii's largest industrial employer, with nearly 5,000 civilian and more than 500 military personnel. The command was established as a mid-Pacific coaling and repair station in 1908, and over 107 years of global and mission advancement later, the command remains a key component to national security in the Asia-Pacific region.

To learn more about how PHNSY&IMF keeps the U.S. Pacific Fleet "Fit to Fight," connect with us online on Facebook and Twitter.

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