Mid-life Modernization Helps Gunston Hall Support Relief Mission

KILLICK, Haiti (NNS) -- Having recently completed its comprehensive mid-life modernization period, the Ashland-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) is ready to support Operation Unified Response.

The mid-life modernization period, started in July 2008 at Metro Machine Corp. in Norfolk, Va., and completed in May, included major upgrades to the ship's control system, local area network and machinery control system, propulsion systems, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, as well as replacement of the ship's boilers and evaporators with an all-electric services system.

"Because of the upgrades, we are able to provide more Sailors from the division for relief efforts ashore at Killick," said Pensacola, Fla., native and Gunston Hall Chief Engineer Lt. Robert Thompson. "Some of the watches for the machinery rooms we were able to get rid of, freeing up more Sailors."

Before the upgrade, Gunston Hall's two boilers and two evaporators requirined frequent and manpower-intensive maintenance. An all-electric control system now monitors everything, simplifying Sailors' taskings.

"The ship's engineers worked extremely hard during the upgrade process and as a result of their efforts, they now benefit by having an engineering plant that is more reliable," said Darlington, Md., native and Gunston Hall main propulsion assistant Lt. Robert Caldwell.

"The Machinery Control System and Power Management Platform gives impressive monitoring capability for the propulsion and electric plants and enables centralized control that can be shifted to any of the four engine rooms. As a result, fewer watch standers are required."

Upgrades to the water-making systems – now using a reverse osmosis process -- allow Gunston Hall to produce twice as much water in a day than the ship can store. The additional water has been provided to Haitians at Killick Haitian Coast Guard Base.

"It's been phenomenal being able to maintain our water level on board our ship and provide enough water for Coast Guard ships and Haitian people," said Fort Worth, Texas, native Chief Engineman (SW/SS) Paul Mefford, Gunston Hall Machinery Division leading chief petty officer.

During the upgrade process, ship's engineers spent significant man-hours assisting civilian contractors with installation and tests.

"It was a lot of 15-plus hour days," said Pittsburgh native Engineman 2nd Class (SW) Nathan Haskins. "The best feeling in the world was when we went out for those ten days of sea trials because we got to see the work we had put in, finally pay off."

Gunston Hall was the first of the Navy's Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock-landing ships to go through the modernization. Both the Whidbey Island and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ships are scheduled to undergo an improvement program expected to extend their service life by 20 years.

Gunston Hall was originally scheduled for a deployment to Africa in support of Africa Partnership Station West, but was diverted to help Haitian disaster relief and humanitarian aid missions as part of Operation Unified Response.

For more news about relief efforts in Haiti, visit http://www.navy.mil/haiti/index.html.

For more news about USS Gunston Hall, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/lsd44/.