OCTOBER 2003

Editor’s Note: Shortly after his appointment as president of ElectricBoat, John Casey sat down with EB News to participate in the following question and answer session.

What are the major challenges facing ElectricBoat in 2003 and 2004?

The first challenge we’re facing is the delivery of two shipsnext year – the first of the Virginia class and the last of the Sea-wolf class. We haven’t delivered a ship in over six years, so thisis going to be very demanding. Virginia will go to sea in thespring and be delivered in the middle of the year; Jimmy Carter

INSIDE

Fire-Extinguisher Program Has Employees Learn By Doing • 2

General Dynamics Third Quarter • 3

Earned Hours • 3

Lean Six Sigma: Deneen Thaxton Provides A Primer • 6

Retirees • 8

New System Improves Process-Improvement Program • 8

Cdr. David Bartholomew Of The Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) • 9

Classifieds • 10

Service Awards • 11

Employee’s Memorabilia CollectionExpands With Virginia Christening • 12

continued on page 4

At a banquet on Oct. 17, Electric Boat inducted its latest group of Distinguished Shipbuilders and honored them for their 40 years of service with the company. This year’s honorees are, bottom row from left: Kenneth T. Guarneri, William B. Ferguson, Richard T. Morgan, Thomas C. Nunes, John G. Prokop, Alexander M. Fraser, Reed J. Davignon,Robert J. Rosso, Mary E. Sousa, Pauline M. Passarello, Patricia A. Rossi, Walter W. Greenhalgh, Ernest L. Currier, Paul A. Losacano, Fred N. Vocatura, Richard P. Sobanski, Robert K. Ness, Ernest F. Messier, Jeffrey C. Pritchard. Middle Row from left are: Jackson E. Morgan, John R. Burbine, Denzel L. Andrews, Stanley T. Menitz, Robert C. Collins,Carl J. Kvist, Ronald A. Drouin, William G. Vaiciulis, Vincent J. Nadolny, Paul T. Terry, Larry A. Yering, Stephen N. Wells, Keith L. Bradshaw, Joan Haberek, Ralph J. Lodyko, Ronald G. Leuchner, Gerald D. Gent. Top Row from left are: Brent G. Weimer, Ronald V. DeCarolis Arnold Kortick, James E. Welch, Richard A. Sears, Anthony E. Falcone, Norman Laroche, Robert B. Boyle, Donald P. Noel, Edward R. Goode, William D. Bak, Joseph F. Woycik, Richard H. Surprenant, Janis L. Pike, Brian J. Lumnah, Alfred C. Malchiodi,Ronald D. Meadows, Edward W. Haik. Missing from the photo are: Manuel J. Arruda, Donald F. Bartlett, John R. Bashaw, James J. Brown, Jr., Everett F. Church, Dominic Q. Cirioni, Jr., James T. Cunningham, Hendrick J. Facas, Richard A. Lambert, Robert W. Mayor, David H. Matthews, Robert D. Panciera, Roy K. Rock.

Q&Awith John Casey

John Casey

Electric Boat Honors Distinguished Shipbuilders – Class of 2003

2 I October 2003 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

From left, EB firefighter Mark Nall (662) looks on as Ernest Cassidy (229)and Leon Gay (227) practice the proper use of a fire extinguisher. Get-ting ready to take his turn is Darrell Stevens (226).

Asserting that tradespeople arethe first line of defenseagainst shipyard fires, the

Electric Boat Fire Department has estab-lished an extinguisher-training programthat gives employees hands-on practice.

“We haven’t had any major incidentson the boats,” said firefighter Mark Nall(662), who has taught the majority ofextinguisher classes since the programbegan in August. “Our company hasdone very well, and that’s because ourtrades are working well to make sure wedon’t have fires.”

Nevertheless, the EBFD wantsemployees to know the proper extin-guisher procedures by heart, and figuredthe best way would be to let them dis-charge one – using a traffic cone in placeof a real blaze.

“Remember the acronym PASS,” Nalltold about a dozen employees during a

recent class. “P is to pull the pin, A is toaim the discharge horn at the base of thefire, S is to squeeze or squash the lever,and S is to sweep side to side.”

At that, employees stepped forward,grabbed an extinguisher and gave it a try.A cloud of carbon dioxide – the gas usedin EB’s extinguishers – quickly engulfedthe traffic cone, and then disappearedjust as rapidly.

Nall said EB uses CO2 because itdoesn’t leave corrosive residue behind orconduct electricity. However, it displacesoxygen. So if an extinguisher is usedindoors – particularly in a confined space– employees should evacuate until thearea can be recertified for safe entry.

And Nall stressed that the fire depart-ment should be contacted whenever anextinguisher is used – even if a fire hasalready been put out. If nothing else, afully charged extinguisher would need toreplace the used one.

National Fire Prevention Week is inOctober, Nall said, so the timing wasappropriate for the extinguisher classes.They are held twice a week as part ofEB’s safety-awareness training program.“Prevention is the most important partof firefighting, and these people aredoing a great job.”

Welder Ernest Cassidy (229), who tookthe class recently, found it worthwhile.“In an emergency, a lot of people wouldjust grab an extinguisher and not knowthey have to pull the pin, or not knowhow to aim it,” he said. “A lot could hap-pen in an extra 30 seconds while they’retrying to figure it out.”

Fire-Extinguisher Program Has Employees Learn By DoingNational Fire Prevention Week isin October, so the timing wasappropriate for the extinguisherclasses.

Dan Barrett, Editor

Dean R. Jacobowitz, Contributing Editor

Bob Gallo, Gary Hall, Gary Slater, Photography

Crystal Smith, Editorial Assistant

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

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I October 2003 I 3

Earned Hours:Where We Stand

FALLS CHURCH, Va.

General Dynamics hasreported 2003 third quarterrevenues of $4.4 billion, a 35

percent increase over 2002 third quarterrevenues of $3.3 billion. Netearnings in the 2003 third quar-ter were $262 million, or $1.32per share on a fully dilutedbasis, compared with 2002 thirdquarter net earnings of $268million, or $1.32 per share fullydiluted. The quarter endedSept. 28.

Sales for the first nine monthsof 2003 were $11.8 billion, comparedwith $9.9 billion for the first nine monthsof 2002, an increase of 19 percent. Netearnings for the first nine months of 2003were $725 million, or $3.64 per share on afully diluted basis. Net earnings in thesame period for 2002 were $760 million,or $3.74 per share fully diluted.

Net cash provided by operating activi-ties totaled $368 million in the quarterand $826 million year-to-date. Free cashflow, defined as net cash provided byoperating activities less capital expendi-tures, was $320 million in the quarterand $711 million for the first ninemonths of 2003.

Funded backlog at the 2003 nine-month point is $24.3 billion, and totalbacklog is $38.7 billion, compared with$21.6 billion and $29.5 billion, respec-tively, at this point last year.

“In the quarter, we experienced signif-icant organic sales growth, respectableearnings performance, very strong cashgeneration and strong order intakeresulting in a significant backlogincrease,” said Nicholas D. Chabraja,General Dynamics chairman and CEO.

“Earnings were impacted negativelyby a significant charge in our MarineSystems group for commercial ship-building at NASSCO that was essen-tially offset by a favorable tax event in

the quarter,” said Chabraja.“The Information Systems and Tech-

nology segment continues to performwell with good sales and earningsgrowth. As expected, the acquisition of

Veridian Corporation wascompleted in the third quarter,and it is quickly being inte-grated,” said Chabraja.“Another important addition,Digital System Resources wasalso completed in this period,expanding our depth in sup-port of intelligence customers.

''Gulfstream’s operatingearnings continued the sequential quar-ter-over-quarter improvement they havebeen generating through this year, over-coming continuing, albeit diminishing,charges on pre-owned aircraft sales andrestructuring costs. Gulfstream contin-ued to improve operations by taking costout of the business, reducing its inven-tory of pre-owned aircraft available forsale, and experiencing price stabilizationin both pre-owned and new aircraft salesactivity,” Chabraja said.

“The Combat Systems group alsoexperienced strong sales and earningsgrowth. The acquisition of Interconti-nental Manufacturing (IMCO) closed inthe quarter, broadening our participationin the production of aviation munitions.In addition to the positive effect ofadding IMCO, the Combat Systemsgroup benefited significantly from thecontinued integration of GM Defense,and from increased activity at Santa Bar-bara Sistemas related to the Leopardtank program,” said Chabraja.

“In addition, the Marine Systemsgroup received the largest single orderfor submarines ever placed by theUnited States Navy, boosting its totalbacklog to $18.6 billion. This gives thegroup additional opportunities toenhance performance into the nextdecade,” he said.

General Dynamics Third QuarterRevenues Increase 35 Percent

Net earnings in

the 2003 third

quarter

were

$262 million

4 I October 2003 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

has to be put in the water, go to sea and bedelivered by the end of 2004. Those areextremely important events.

The second item is the repair work. Wehaven’t been involved in repair work to theextent we will be next year in over 25years. The first of these major tasks is theUSS Augusta (SSN-710) Interim DryDock. That ship will arrive in the middle ofNovember and be redelivered to the Navyin the middle of 2004. The USS Seawolf(SSN-21) will be back for a very significantSelected Restricted Availability and theUSS Springfield (SSN-761) will be here fora Depot Modernization Period. Those arevery significant tasks and very differenttasks – and we’ve been out of that kind ofwork for quite some time.

The third item is the fact that we’re goingto be engaged in decentralized operations ina rather large way. The SSGN programstarts up in earnest on the West Coast withthe USS Ohio (SSBN-726) and ultimatelywe’ll be doing the same sort of work atNorfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia. Sowe’ll have two distinct, remote operationswhere we’ll be engaged in significant con-

version work on the first four Trident ships.In parallel with that, we have to maintain

our excellence in engineering and maintainthe size of the engineering business. Theengineering contracts of the past have beenrather large design-type contracts; the engi-neering contracts of the future are likely tobe many and smaller in size. I think a goodexample of our engineering expertise isoccurring in the Multi-Mission Platformprogram, where we were able to take thelessons from the Virginia program andapply them to the MMP. Now we’re takingthe lessons from the MMP and applyingthem to the design work on SSGN. We’redefinitely headed in the right direction. Inthe future, though, it’s very likely that theduration of the tasks and the size of thetasks will be smaller, but greater in number.

You’ve been at the company formost of your working life. Whatdo you see as Electric Boat’sstrengths?

Without question, the single biggeststrength of Electric Boat is its people. Wehave excellent facilities here; we haveexcellent design capabilities and design

tools – but the people who do the workclearly represent Electric Boat’s strength.There’s a very significant level of technol-ogy here and the ability to integrate thattechnology from design into the final prod-uct is what separates us from many otherbusinesses. And again, I’ll use the model ofthe MMP, which for all intents and pur-poses is the equivalent of a full submarinedesign and construction program. Fouryears ago, it was basically nothing morethan a concept. During those four years, wecompleted the conceptual development andwe completed the detailed design. And notonly did we build a 2,500-ton hull sectionat Quonset Point and ship that to Grotonand integrate it into the ship, but we wereable to do that while building the rest of avery complex submarine. So our ability toadapt to technological changes anddemands within that program is a goodexample of how our people deal with tech-nology and how we integrate that technol-ogy between engineering and constructionfunctions.

I think we’re very resilient at ElectricBoat. We’ve gone through some very chal-lenging periods in the last 10 years and

QuestionsAndAnswersWith JohnCasey

continued from page 1

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I October 2003 I 5

we’ve gone through them very successfully.We’re persistent. We very seldom get our-selves in a situation where we have a prob-lem that we let get us down. We’ve beenable to push through them. We’ve beenvery adaptable as we’ve worked throughthe teaming arrangement – working veryclosely with a company that had been avery fierce competitor. These are just a fewof our strengths. There are many, manymore, but these are the ones I wouldemphasize.

Could you address the other sideof the coin – where and how canwe get better?

The only criticisms I’ve heard fall intotwo areas. One is ‘Are we as affordable aswe can be?’ I think we’re widely recognizedas being competent and capable, but some-times we are criticized for our cost. In reality,however, I think we are affordable. We haveto be conscious of this – we cannot afford tobe arrogant in any way. I think there’s a dan-ger due to the complexity of our product thatwe can be somewhat technically arrogant.We have to be very careful that we remainwilling to learn and willing to adapt andaccept new ideas and challenges, regardlessof the source of those ideas. We have to beever vigilant of falling into the trap where weassume we have all the answers.

Would you describe your visionfor the future of Electric Boat?

I would like to see the continued develop-ment of our ability to coalesce as an organi-zation, so that there are very few organiza-tional boundaries. I want to see us workseamlessly throughout the organization sothat each and every person feels very com-fortable dealing with other parts of the com-pany. This vision is going to be put the testthis coming year with our decentralizedoperations. We’re going to rely on the localorganizations to handle their own business,while at the same time, enabling them leanback on the main body of the organizationhere for support. The kinds of programs thatwe can bring to fruition in a much shorterperiod of time will help us become moreaffordable, and help get submarine technol-

ogy into the fleet more quickly. We need tobe able to support the Navy’s requirementsin areas like communications between ourproduct and the rest of the armed forces, andin areas like the payloads our product bringsto bear. I think we have to be adaptable tothe missions of our product to keep it rele-vant in the world of the future, not the worldof the past. It’s very clear that we’ve beendoing that, but my vision is to continue to besuccessful and aggressive in adapting ourexisting core competencies to the needs ofthe 21st century.

I also think it’s absolutely critical that wecontinue to rely on our people, and that weremain a strong financial performer. Our

status as a business is highly respected andI believe strongly that we must remain ahigh-performance business.

What can individual employeesdo to help attain that vision?

I think for any one individual, the mostimportant part of what they do is expressedin the word attitude. What is the attitudethey bring in with them every day? I haveworked very hard in most of my previousassignments trying to ensure that manage-ment is willing to listen to what the peoplehave to say because so many good ideashave come from the workforce. It’s impor-tant to me that we listen to one another. Weneed to take advantage of other people’sexperience and knowledge. In order for usto be successful, it’s absolutely essentialthat we listen and learn from one anotherand to use each other’s ideas to more com-pletely develop our own.

What didn’t we ask that weshould have?

One area I’d like to talk about is leader-ship. One of the areas that’s especiallyimportant is the need for leaders to under-stand the difference between raw intelli-gence and emotional intelligence – how ouremotions and interactions with othersimpact them or inspire them, or conversely,fail to inspire them.

Another principle that’s essential to instillamong the leaders at Electric Boat is theimportance of prioritization. Specifically,they need to set as their priorities the peo-ple, the product and the performance of thebusiness.

The other metrics we’ve used both atQuonset Point and the shipyard very suc-cessfully over the last 10 years involve whatI call the four basic concepts – safety as ourhighest priority, the quality of the product,schedule performance and cost performance.And we must constantly try to improve uponour performance in those areas.

Our basic challenge at Electric Boat is tosustain the success that we’ve had. We’reon a successful roll right now. The trick isto remain on that roll and extend the suc-cessful run we’ve had well into the future.

John Casey poses Five Questions; encourages employeesto respondAt a series of employee meetings ear-

lier this month, EB President John

Casey posed a series of five questions

relating to the status and future of the

business, and invited anyone inter-

ested to respond.

The questions are:

■ What are the biggest challenges the

organization is facing (or will face) in

the near future?

■ Why is the organization facing (or

going to face) these challenges?

■ What are the most promising unex-

ploited opportunities for growth?

■ What would need to happen for the

organization to exploit the potential of

these opportunities?

■ If you were me, what would you

focus your attention on?

You can submit responses twoways:

■ On Lotus Notes – type “EB Five

Questions” in the “To:” field.

■ Or you can send them through

interoffice mail addressed to: Five

Questions. No other address informa-

tion is required.

Casey will address the responses in a

future issue of the Electric Boat News.

Editor’s Note: earlier this year, Electric Boatembarked on a process-improvement program thatis designed to support the company’s continuedgrowth and success. Called Lean Six Sigma, theeffort is being led by Deneen Thaxton, director ofprocess and manufacturing engineering. A Q&Awith Thaxton on Lean Six Sigma follows:

What is Lean Six Sigma?Lean Six Sigma is a set of problem-

solving techniques used to streamline busi-ness processes. Think of Lean as eliminat-ing cumbersome or unnecessary steps andSix Sigma as a way to make sure ourprocesses are consistently providing thehighest quality. The most importantaspect of Lean Six Sigma is that decisionsare made based on data, not managementperception or gut feel.

Why are we doing Lean Six Sigma?Electric Boat has a tremendous challenge

in performing on our backlog and winningnew business. While we’ve always beencommitted to excellence in our products, wehaven’t always paid enough attention to ourprocesses. To make “breakthrough”changein the organization, we need to make ourprocesses perform too.

What are the roles in the Lean SixSigma effort?

Every project will have a champion.Champions help gather data to clearlydescribe a problem and provide a specificgoal to achieve. They also support theteams formed to solve these problems. ABlack Belt or Green Belt will evaluate theproblem, and lead a team to develop solu-tions. They are trained in the use of theLean Six Sigma problem-solving tools.Black Belt and Green Belt candidatesundergo five weeks of rigorous trainingover a period of five months. Process own-ers are responsible for implementing processchange and for managing the processes intheir areas.

Is Lean Six Sigma a “program ofthe month”?

No. In fact, Lean Six Sigma builds uponexisting process improvement activities like

our lean initiatives and the continuousprocess improvement program. It’s simplyanother tool for us to continue to meet ourbusiness goals and prepare us to win morework for the future. We did a trial run oftwelve projects this summer and have beenamazed by the results. The best evidence ofour commitment to Lean Six Sigma is seenin the company’s 2004 Strategic Plan.

What are the benefits of Lean SixSigma?

Lean Six Sigma is a data-based decision-making tool that will give us the disciplineto perform detailed process analyses beforemaking changes to processes. This helps usimplement effective and sustainableimprovements. The tool set that we’re learn-ing takes the emotion and guesswork out ofdecision making and drives decisions basedon the data.

How will Lean Six Sigma impactour employees?

It’s important for everyone to realize that

this program is not about job reduction.The goal is to improve the performance ofthe business and increase throughput. Weare going to involve the employees in theprocess reviews, get their input and makethem part of the solution. The employeesare the subject-matter experts and are anintegral part of the solutions and their ulti-mate implementations.

What is the current status of theprogram?

We are just finishing our first Lean SixSigma projects. These first projects areexpected to save over $1 million in a 12-month period of implementation. BlackBelts are committed full time to the pro-gram for a period of two years, while GreenBelts have a part-time commitment and stayin their functional organizations. We will beposting for additional Black Belts in thenear future. These positions provide anopportunity to develop leadership skills andsolve high-value issues for the company.

What is the plan for the projectgoing forward?

The senior management team is nowselecting the next round of projects. Theseprojects will be worked by our currentBlack Belts and Green Belts and by the nextclass of candidates. Our goal is to build onthe momentum gained by our first groupand to continue to involve our employees inprocess-improvement at Electric Boat. Forinformation regarding this effort, refer tothe Improvement Initiatives web-site accessi-ble through the EB Intranet Homepage.

How can employees get involvedwith Lean Six Sigma and processimprovement?

One way employees can get involved is byidentifying Improvement Initiatives via theform on the EB Intranet web-site. Your ideashould be for a process you are involvedwith and you should expect to be part ofthe team that works out the solution.Upcoming Lean Six Sigma positions will beposted soon.

6 I October 2003 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Deneen Thaxton

LEAN SIX SIGMA:DENEEN THAXTON

PROVIDES A PRIMER

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I October 2003 I 7

Participants in Electric Boat’sLean Six Sigma initiative gatheredin the Technology Center earlierthis month to recognize employeeswho have completed training pro-grams and to present updates on aseries of projects now under way.

These projects involve a range ofactivities across all aspects of thecompany’s business. Description ofsome of the projects follow:

HULL BUTT WELD DEFECT RATE:■ Problem Statement:Hull-butt weld defect rates at Grotonincreased on SSN-776, 774 & 23 on lastnine hull butts compared with the histori-cal rate.■ Objective: Bring hull butt defect rate back down tothe historical rate by 2005. Four hullbutts scheduled for 2004.

REDUCTION OF MECHANICALDRAWING DETAILING DEFECTS■ Problem Statement:FY02/03 Technical Product Quality datahas identified an average defect rate onmechanical, 2D drawings.■ Objective:Decrease the detailing defect rate by atleast 50 percent.

VENDOR WELD PROCEDUREAPPROVAL PROCESS■ Problem Statement:Vendor weld procedures take an exces-sively long time to obtain approval fromElectric Boat and SupShip. The incomingprocedures and qualification data havenumerous errors and are frequentlyreworked by the vendor several timesprior to approval. In some cases thedelayed approval prevents material fromsupporting acquisition schedules.■ Objective:By November 2003, put in place the con-trols that will reduce the approval processfor a vendor-weld procedure to a maxi-mum of 30 days after submittal andachieve a 14-day average cycle time.

REDUCE PERCENTAGE OF PURCHASED MATERIAL SENTTO RECEIPT INSPECTION■ Problem Statement:Incoming purchased material, which issent to Receipt Inspection at Groton andQuonset Point, is not processed in atimely manner to support constructiontrades. On average, 25 percent of allincoming material is routed to ReceiptInspection, but only 3 percent actuallyundergoes physical inspection. Balance isaccepted based upon review of vendorcertification.■ Initial Project Objective:Reduce percentage of purchased materialthat is sent to Receipt Inspection from 25percent to 13 percent by Nov. 15, 2003

The other projects described at the ses-sion were: Improve Process to Select Typeof Design; Deliverables for Virginia-classTech Insertions; Reduce Urgent ERCycle Time; Eliminate Duplicate Con-nector Data; Lean Diversion/MRRProcess; Reduce Agenda Statusing Time;Reduce VIRs; Lean Critical AlignmentProcess; and Improve Weld Arc Time.

Lean Six Sigma Initiative Participants Gather To Recognize Employees,And Present Updates On Projects Under Way

Recognized as Lean Six Sigma Green Belts were, from left, Bob St.Amore, Kevin O’Donnell, Tabitha Nier, Marc Macintosh, EB PresidentJohn Casey, Dick Murphy, Bob Imbruglio, Harold Haugeto, ColleenBauer and Steve Torkarski. Missing from the photo are Mark Paskoski,Gene Stirlen, Nic Iacono and John Gentile (SOSG).

These employees were honored for attaining Black Belt status in theLean Six Sigma program, from left, Roland Vigneault, Charles Wood,Bob Burrell, Chris Barrett, EB President John Casey, Scott Flynn, AndyFaiss, Joe Bollentin and Nancy Beckwith.

8 I October 2003 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Retirees

341 Arthur A. Peluso37 yearsEng Suppt – Non Met Lab

448 Albert E. Messore22 yearsEngineer

452 Daniel L. Hovenstine Jr33 yearsDesign Tech – Piping

452 Richard P. Santoro37 yearsDesign Tech – Piping

455 Nancy L. Fells23 yearsA/A Administrative Aide

459 John J. Jakubielski24 yearsArrgt Sr Designer

615 Allan J. Bistany28 yearsFinancial Anal, Sys

915 Normand G.Gosselin30 yearsInstall Mech I

957 Robert J. McPeakJr36 yearsPlanning Specialist

962 Richard D. Corey38 yearsMaint Tch III

Electric Boat’s process-improvementprogram has undergone some processimprovements of its own through the

development of a project tracking system thatprovides an enhanced capability to share ideasand lessons learned throughout the company.

“You can add more value to your projects byentering them into the database and capturingwhat’s been accomplished so other people canlearn from it,” said Rock Martel (200), chief ofprocess improvement for Groton Operations. Hewas speaking to dozens of tradespeople, foremenand planners during a recent demonstration ofthe new system at the Groton shipyard’s weeklyprocess-improvement meeting.

The system, implemented this summer, was

modeled after a database used at Quonset Pointto track the improvement activities there. Thenew, more robust tracking system now in place isavailable for use by every functional area at EB.

Martel urged employees to use the system forevery process improvement, large and small.

“I would imagine that every day we havesomething good going on within the company,”he said. “We just haven’t registered all thoseactivities in the system.”

Entering every process improvement projectinto the new system will not only allow others tobenefit from the lessons learned, Martel said, butit will also help recognize the high level ofemployee participation.

GravingDock GateRepairs

The gate to GravingDock 2 is lifted out of thewater last month for ashort barge trip toThames Shipyard inNew London, where it isnow undergoing routinepreventive maintenanceand repairs. Facilitiesengineering specialistHank Sneed (502) saidThames Shipyard per-formed identical workon the Graving Dock 1gate last winter. “Wehad to really look at theschedule to ensure we’dhave another gravingdock available if theNavy needed it,” he saidof the gate maintenanceprojects. “The schedulefor both graving docksgets quite busy for thenext few years, so it wasa matter of doing it nowor waiting a long time.”

New System Improves Process-Improvement

continued on page 9

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I October 2003 I 9

As the prospective command-ing officer (PCO) of theJimmy Carter (SSN-23),

Cdr. David Bartholomew is fullyengaged in preparing the one-of-a-kindsubmarine and its crew for sea trials anddelivery next year.

A 1983 graduate of the U.S. NavalAcademy and a Medfield, Mass., native,Bartholomew has served on four SSNs –three of them built at Electric Boat. Hisassignments have included serving asexecutive office of USS San Juan (SSN-751) and as commanding officer of USSAnnapolis (SSN-760), on which he com-pleted two deployments. He now lives inNew London with his wife, Jennifer, aLong Island native who is a physicaltherapist, and his three daughters – Erin,Meghan and Jenna.

“I haven’t served on a new-construc-tion boat previously so there are somethings that are new to me,” saidBartholomew. “But in all reality, it’samazing how many things are not thatdifferent from fleet work. There is atremendous amount of hard workrequired – both by Electric Boat andship’s force – to deliver a submarine. Iappreciate the shipyard efforts even morenow that I’ve seen this process in action.”

According to Bartholomew, the majorissue he faces is the same faced by allcommanding officers – ensuring that his

crew is ready to take the boat to sea.“Having recently come from the fleetmyself and having a chief of the boat,MMCM (SS) Shawn Burke who is aserved COB, we have a seasoned team,which hopefully will lead to a smoothdelivery and integration into the fleet,”he said. “We have placed a high priorityon getting our new crew members to seato hone their skills before we deliver, andthis is paying big dividends.”

Few ships, if any, have undergone amodification as complex and in such acompressed period of time as the inser-

tion of the Multi Mission Platform(MMP) during the construction process,Bartholomew said. “This design / build /test concept has been really remarkableto watch,” he said. “The teams put inplace by Electric Boat have impressivelystepped up to this challenge and done afantastic job. We are in the middle oftesting the new systems and look for-ward to taking them to sea.”

When completed, the Jimmy Carterwill be 453 feet long, with a 40-footbeam and a 12,000-ton displacement –making it the largest SSN in service. Inaddition to the capabilities provided bythe MMP, it will carry the baseline Sea-wolf-class weapons loadout – more than50 weapons for anti-submarine, anti-sur-face ship, strike warfare and mine war-fare missions. The Jimmy Carter’s crewof 150 personnel is slightly larger thanthe standard SSN complement. “We willcall Bangor Submarine Base in Washing-ton State our new home in 2005,”Bartholomew said.

“I’m very excited about command-ing the Jimmy Carter,” he said.“Although we together have many hur-dles still to overcome, I’m confidentthat with EB’s fine shipbuilding teamand my talented crew, we’ll have asmooth transition to the fleet and bethe finest warfighting asset that thesubmarine force has ever had.”

Cdr. David Bartholomew of the Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)

Senior planning specialist Peggy Lutze(355) provided a number of user tips thatwill maximize the system’s value, such asgiving self-explanatory titles to project.This makes it easier for others to find aparticular project if they are working in arelated area, or to avoid duplication ofeffort.

Employees can input process improve-ments into the tracking system throughthe EB intranet home page under“Improvement Initiatives.” For employees

without computer access, or without thetime to fill out the electronic forms, paperforms will continue to be accepted.

The tracking system was designed byMartel, Colleen Bauer (400), BobImbruglio (900), Darcy Peruzotti (330)and Joe Bollentin (355). It was developedby Mike Krupansky, Espen Lauter andAngela BenEzra (all of 604). Al Remondi(463) provided project oversight.

So far, hundreds of ongoing projectshave been entered into the system, andmany more completed projects will be

back-fed into the system in the comingweeks.

“Employees’ feedback to the new sys-tem has been very positive, and we’re con-tinuing to make it better,” Bollentin said.

“Even though it’s still a work in process,I’ve already been contacted by other Gen-eral Dynamics companies looking to seehow they can make use of something likethis, or even gain access to ours,” saidImbruglio.

Cdr. David Bartholomew

continued from page 8

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after 11 a.m.

FREEZER – Chest, large, very old

but still works; FREE. 446-1940.

REFRIGERATOR – Kitchenaid,

large side-by-side, 5 years old, ice

& water dispenser in door, black,

runs & looks fine; $350 or best

offer. 230-0663.

AUTOS/TRUCKS

AUDI 5000S, 1987 – runs, looks

good, dependable, good on gas,

123k miles; $1,800 or best offer.

439-1008.

CAMARO Z-28, 1986 – 114k miles,

blue, cd player, t-tops, new

exhaust, 305 motor; $1,500 or best

offer. 739-0376 or 912-9257.

CHEVROLET EL CAMINO, 1978 –

excellent condition; $4,500 or best

offer. 446-1940.

GEO STORM GSI, 1990 – very reli-

able sporty car, still fast, runs well,

automatic, a/c, tape player, clean

interior, body has a few rust spots;

123k miles; $1,100. 889-5190.

HONDA ACCORD, 1993 – 5 speed,

sunroof, many extras, a/c con-

verted to R134, new tires, excellent

condition, 135k miles; $4,300.

437-7873.

HONDA ACCORD WAGON, 1991 –

Silver beige, fully dealer main-

tained (with all service records),

runs and looks great, 129k miles;

$2,500. 536-6776.

AUTO PARTS

WHEELS – 2 Chevy deep dish

alloy wheels from 2001 S-10 with

3-4k mileages snow tires

mounted. Wheels cost $300, sell

for $275 or best offer with tires.

536-2298.

BOATS

19 FT. BAYLINER BOW RIDER,

1988 – galvanized trailer,

inboard/outboard, 30 knots, lower

end just rebuilt, top & side cur-

tains. Runs great, always serviced,

fresh water only, $3,900. 464-6255.

FURNITURE

DINING ROOM CHANDELIER –

brass and glass, 8 candle lights;

best offer. 464-2244.

DOUBLE BED $150; Lazyboy

sleeper sofa 72” long, $400; both

are less than 2 years old. Coffee

table, $40; wooden TV stand, $10.

572-2078 after 6 p.m.

MAGNAVOX CONSOLE – am/fm

with record player; $100; velour

swivel rocker, $35; painting

“Smugglers Cove”, $100; electric-

glass imitation oil lamp, $35.

MATTRESS AND BOX SPRING –

Simmons Beauty Rest, extra firm,

one year old; $500. 446-0234, ask

for Cort.

QUEEN SIZE SLEEP SOFA – three

cushion, beige background with

light blue and earth tone colored

flowers, good/excellent condition;

$150. 822-8978 after 6 p.m.

MISCELLANEOUS

ADULT’S ROCKING CHAIR – metal

bathtub support, Mickey Mouse

earrings, new air purifier, portable

typewriter, knitting & crocheting

books, Native American jewelry,

bridal veil, antique flat irons.

401-596-5788.

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL CLOTHES

and furniture, children’s books,

Fisher Price dollhouse, new porce-

lain doll, dollhouse furniture,

Fisher Price playfarm, doll’s

wooden cradle, lamps.

401-596-5788.

ANTIQUE CAST IRON CLAW

FOOT TUB – restorable condition;

$500 or best offer. 886-8525.

BICYCLE – Schwinn Circuit (1999) –

27 speed Drivetrain Road

Race/Triathlon; $600. 401-599-6348.

MOTOR – for lawn tractor Briggs

& Stratton 14 hp I/C vert. shaft,

good condition, $100; MTD 2 bag

grass catcher for lawn tractor, $75.

401-596-4519.

RUG – like new, brown, good

quality, clean, one piece 6 ft. x 12

ft. $10; one piece 12 ft. x 12 ft.; $20.

464-6255.

SAXOPHONE ALTO, BUNDY –

includes case and music stand.

One owner, condition like new;

$475. 464-0090.

SPINET PIANO – excellent condi-

tion; $600. 376-3157.

WASHER AND DRYER - Kenmore,

very good condition, apartment

size, almond color; $175 for both.

Pioneer am/fm receiver with large

matching speakers, fine condition;

$80, 15 inch TV; $35. 536-6337.

MOTORCYCLES

YAMAHA ENDURO 250 CC, 1974 –

needs work; $125. 739-2153.

PETS

WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER

– pedigree male, 9 years old, avail-

able for stud, negotiable. 437-7873,

evenings.

REAL ESTATE

BUILDING LOT – _ acre, Silver

Springs Shores, Ocala, Florida;

$400. 444-6129.

CONDO – Cancun, Mexico for

rent, Mayan Palace/Riviera Maya,

2br/2ba, sleeps 6,12/20/03 –

12/27/03; $1,800. 376-9029

CONDO – Orlando, Florida for

rent, 2br/2ba, sleeps 6, 2/13/04 –

2/20/04, Daytona 500 week, 1 mile

to Universal Studios, $1,000.

376-9029.

TIMESHARE – Marriott resort,

oceanfront on Hilton Head Island,

South Carolina, floating week 1-7

or 47-49; $6,000. 444-6129.

VERMONT PROPERTY – Ludlow

area, 10.4 acres, partially finished

basement only, telephone, well,

propane heat & appliances, set up

for generator electricity, great

retirement project; $90,000 or best

offer. 739-7104.

WANTED

BEDSPREAD – George Washing-

ton chenille off-white, full size,

excellent condition or close to.

443-0687, leave message.

BOYS BIKE – 12” with training

wheels. 443-0687, leave message.

1/18 DIE CAST CAPS – any make

in box or out; cash on hand. 444-

9011 after 5 p.m.

RIDERS – for Groton 1st shift van

pool. From RI exits 4, 3, & 1. Arrive

at EB 6:25 a.m., depart EB 3:10

p.m. daily, dependable, save gas.

401-377-8791 or 401-539-7207.

10 I October 2003 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

Classified Ad Form

Name

Dept. Ext.

One form per ad; 25 words per ad; two ad maximum perissue. No faxed or phoned-in ads.

Appliances

Autos / Trucks

Auto Parts

Boats

Computers

Furniture

Miscellaneous

Motorcycles

Pets

Real Estate /Rentals

Real Estate /Sales

Wanted

Include item description, price and home telephone (List area code if outside 860)

Circle category:

Mail to Crystal Smith • EB Classifieds • Department 605 • Station J88-10

$Classified

452 Joseph S. Ward

321 Edward R. Goode

229 George M. Hendrickson230 Donald E. Banks241 John J. Johnson243 Daniel P. Bonelli Jr244 William H. Borders Jr246 Harlan A. Trudeau251 Robert A. Mahdi272 David A. Carter431 Ernest A. Doucette Jr456 Robert O. Dodd795 Donald A. Walsh

100 Michael Farago Jr100 George L. Gagnon Sr100 Arthur F. Mansfield III226 Ada Stickland226 Stephen A. Tillman227 J B Lagrone229 Daniel T. Depolito229 Peter A. Matylewicz229 Douglas G. Naehr229 Samuel Santiago230 David E. Bourque

230 Norman P. Rivard Jr241 John Arasimowicz241 Thomas P. Dugas241 Kenneth Lucas241 Michael P. Perry242 Alan S. Hollandersky242 Angelo Meringolo252 Roland P. Beliveau252 Alfred D. Boucher Jr272 Mark T. Casey272 Charles E. Langford272 David K. Winter274 Philip E. Kosma330 John A. Sistare333 Lloyd H. Kennerson341 Anthony J. Pupillo341 Harry W. Wheeler355 Philip J. Stein403 Charles P. Crandall III403 Herbert O. Sturman421 Keith E. Gagne431 John A. Callahan431 Paul E. Contino431 Robert C. Deming431 Louis J. Maggiacomo438 Charles E. Wright Jr443 Wesley K. Bohlke448 James C. Feraco452 John H. Lamourine452 Wesley E. Volle459 Thomas P. Desantis459 Peter O. Smith462 Marc S. Benson495 Frank G. Gonsalves505 Howard M. Dillow545 William T. Lindeborg740 Kevin E. Coe852 Henri L. McNeil

241 Carl F. Bjorge241 Charles R. Hartley241 Joseph B. Schlehofer242 Timothy F. Ricketts243 Robert S. Gaffin243 David C. Goodrow243 Matthew J. Grenier243 Byron F. Lowery244 John A. Spillane246 Lillian M. Yeaton272 Marvin R. Sherriff278 Michael J. Batura330 Carole A. Donnee333 Dennis G. Cleveland355 Thomas E. Besade355 Dana L. Delillo355 Steven G. Lizee355 Richard W. McAuliffe445 Donald E. Wittig449 Jerrold L. Utz452 Raymond A. Peabody III456 John S. Peterson459 Elwin N. Baxter Jr642 John C. James741 Leo N. Lefevre911 Anthony Mazzenga915 Roger A. Pendergraft

Service Awards

45 years

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I October 2003 I 11

25 years

35 years

226 Kevin J. Rough242 John F. Kinney Jr251 Nelson E. Cruz-Cornell252 Geoffroy W. Palmer341 John L. Matthews410 Alan C. Caolo425 Jenoe Gordon448 George M. Geer Jr452 Terrance K. Kenney453 Ronald H. Bose459 James S. Luckey484 Evelyn M. Sullivan494 Kenneth E. Wetmore505 Diane M. Theis545 Robert C. Atkins553 Richard L. Baker Jr615 Judith A. Bogue663 Nancy J. Ager737 Anne M. Frank795 Bruce R. Caron Jr911 Thomas B. Russell915 Dale F. Greene915 Kenneth P. Kirwin915 Gregory A.

Slaugenhaupt

935 Ricardo M. Barboza

20 years

30 years

40 years

Employee’s MemorabiliaCollection Expands WithVirginia Christening

What may be the largest private collection of Elec-tric Boat launch memorabilia grew even largerwith the christening of the Virginia (SSN-774).

Nuclear test engineer Stephen Straub (274), whose collec-tion dates back to the early 1930s, added a green ticket andchristening brochure as soon as he could find them. “They’renothing like the old ones,” he remarked.

Straub’s extensive collection features, among other things,launch tickets for every U.S. submarine built in Groton, start-

ing with the Cuttlefish (SS-171) in 1933.Straub explained that the collection was begun

by his uncle Anthony Silvia, one of the earliestEB employees, and then continued by his fatherFrank Straub, himself an EB retiree.

“I added to it while I was working here, andthen I gave it to Stephen, who’s been adding to itever since,” Frank Straub said.

STANDARD PRESORTU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DGROTON, CT

PERMIT NO. 392

ABOVE: From left, Stephen Straub(274) and his father, EB retiree FrankStraub, display submarine launchmemorabilia that they and a familymember have amassed since the1930s.

RIGHT: A launch ticket from the Cuttle-fish (SS-171), the first U.S. submarinebuilt at the Groton shipyard.