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Norfolk Elevator Support Unit (ESU) Electrician, Emilio Ongoco and Machinist, Crispin Ongoco, were selected as the AMSEC LLC nominees for the 2010 Virginia Ship Repair Association (VSRA) Junior and Senior Tradespersons of the Year awards. The winners of each of these prestigious awards were determined by a Selection Panel from fields of candidates nominated by various VSRA member companies in recognition of their professional representation of the ship repair industry, personal accomplishments and community leadership achievements. The President of the VSRA, Malcolm Branch, announced the winners on May 18th at a luncheon held at the Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Emilio Ongoco was nominated by AMSEC LLC for his work concurrently implementing SHIPALT 9451D (Aircraft Elevator Communications Upgrade) on both USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) / Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) availabilities at the Northrop Grumman Shipyard (NGSY) following Refueling, Complex Overhaul (RCOH) and new construction, respectively. Installation of this alteration entailed replacing all conventional sound powered telephone circuit components with composite components, capable of withstanding the corrosive effects of salt spray experienced on the weather decks of aircraft carriers. Emilio was able to successfully implement this alteration onboard each aircraft carrier in approximately sixty days. He did this by obtaining the qualifications needed to remove the necessary paint from the ships’ bulkheads and to install the studs used mount the composite communications system components with a stud gun. This innovative approach saved a lot of time and money by obviating the need for engaging the services of a subcontractor to remove paint and the requirement to use welders to install the mounting studs.
Another of Emilio’s innovative accomplishments was the installation of waterproof protective sheathing on all of the CVN 77 aircraft elevator programmable logic control (PLC) system electrical connectors. Although the ship was still in the process of being accepted by the U.S. Navy, many PLC System actuators were already inoperable as a result of moisture intrusion. Emilio drained the water, cleared grounds, reconnected the components and sealed the connections with protective sheathing. This initiative enhanced the operability and reliability of the stanchion actuators. Emilio’s efforts were recognized by the NSWCCD-SSES Code 971 Aircraft Elevator In Service Engineering Agent (ISEA), Chris Petitpren, during testing of the PLC Systems. Emilio was one of seven finalists for the Junior Tradesperson of the Year Award considered by the VSRA Selection Panel.
Crispin Ongoco’s noteworthy accomplishments included providing contractor support to NAVSSES Philadelphia Code 972 in removing damaged fasteners from a door dogging mechanism on No. 2 Cargo / Weapons Elevator (CWE) onboard the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). As a result of misalignment of the dogging linkage, several fasteners were broken. The difficulty in extracting the broken remnants was compounded significantly by the fact that they were located in an inaccessible area behind a structural stiffener. Prior to Crispin’s arrival onboard, several attempts were made to remove the remnants with a drill. This further complicated removal of the remnants since drilling “off center” made it almost impossible to properly position new linkage components in the correct positions on the bulkhead. However, Crispin was able to manufacture a special “jig” to mount a magnetic-based drill and use extended-length drill bits to remove the broken fastener remnants. He then installed “Heli Coil inserts” in the bulkhead to “reposition” new mounting bolt holes in the same locations that they had formerly occupied. Each “Heli Coil insert” was uniquely designed and configured with four set screws uniformly spaced around the circumference of a circular cross-section with a threaded hole drilled in its center. These “Heli Coil inserts” were secured into position in the bulkhead with the set screws and were capable of withstanding the heavy loading experienced during door operation. Crispin’s innovative accomplishment in repairing the LPD-19 CW/E Door dogging device exceeded the capabilities of even “the most experienced” waterfront journeymen and was acknowledged by the NSWCCD Philadelphia, Code 972 Machinery Integration Manager, Richard Wagner. Implementation of this initiative resulted in delivery of a weapons elevator that operated properly and more reliably than was the case prior to the repair being performed.
Crispin was also cited for his work in developing and manufacturing a universal mounting device for aircraft elevator stanchion linear actuators currently installed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). The existing linear actuators were originally manufactured and outfitted with three different mounting configurations. In order to replace a defective actuator with a spare unit, it was previously necessary to disassemble the replacement actuator and “reconfigure” it to match the mounting positioning of the actuator being replaced. In order to make all of the actuators interchangeable, Crispin manufactured a prototype “universal mounting adaptor” that can be attached to each actuator housing, thus enabling any actuator to be mounted in any shipboard location without having to be reconfigured. In addition, Crispin prepared a CADD drawing of the universal mounting adaptor which he presented to Norfolk Ship Support Activity technical representative, Larry Nero, for inclusion as part of a Liaison Action Record (LAR) submitted to the CVN 68 Class Aircraft Carrier Planning Yard (NNSY) recommending that all stanchion actuators be equipped with the universal adaptor. Assuming that each of the eighty-one stanchion actuators on each aircraft carrier will fail once per operating cycle (a conservative estimate) and that four man-hours of labor would be required to reconfigure a replacement actuator, Crispin’s efforts in making the replacement actuators will yield a projected annual labor savings of $29,160 (at a labor cost of $45 per man-hour). These accomplishments resulted in Crispin’s selection from a field of nine finalists as the recipient of the VSRA 2010 Senior Tradesperson of the Year Award.
The 2010 Senior Tradesperson of the Year Award was presented to Crispin on May 21, 2010 by Tom Godfrey, the President of Colonna’s Shipyard and a member of the Board of Directors of VSRA, at the National Maritime Day luncheon held at the Half Moon Vista on the Norfolk waterfront. The luncheon was attended by several hundred members of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA), the Virginia Maritime Association and the VSRA. In honor of the occasion President Barack Obama issued a proclamation decreeing May 22nd as National Maritime Day and calling upon the nation to honor the service of all merchant mariners and the maritime industry. The luncheon was the 77th observation of this occasion.
AMSEC President, Harris Leonard, met with both Crispin and Emilio Wednesday, June 2nd in his office to congratulate them on their nominations and Crispin’s selection. He congratulated both, Emilio and Crispin Ongoco for their analytical ability and technical expertise necessary to maintain outstanding customer relationships on the waterfront. They are the “standard bearers” for the ESU work force and their sustained superior performance has “raised the bar” in terms of providing demonstrable evidence of just how much work can be accomplished by motivated individuals willing to accept challenging assignments on the waterfront. Congratulations, Emilio and Crispin, you make us proud!
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