Assist Team Helps Maintain McFaul's Water Tight Door Integrity

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Norfolk Ship Support Activity's (NSSA) Water Tight Door Maintenance Assist Team (WTMAT) initiated preventative and corrective maintenance aboard USS McFaul (DDG 74) in Norfolk, March 18.

WTMAT's first priority aboard the McFaul is to find, fix and document any shipboard discrepancies. Once that initial task has been completed, materials will be ordered and work can begin.

WTMAT plans for a minimum of 25 door repairs on board the ship. After completing those, the team will begin work on other repair requests.

"Right now we are 75 percent complete, and will be able to get to some of the ship's additional needs," said Jorge Lopez, NSSA MAT zone manager.

WTMAT schedules their work in two-week increments. The first 10 days are dedicated to preventative and corrective maintenance. During this time, the team repairs watertight doors, hatches and scuttles, replaces worn gaskets, and lubricates dawgs and door linkages. Afterward, doors undergo a series of chalk tests to ensure watertight integrity.

WTMAT has been working with the division chief petty officers aboard USS McFaul to ensure the various rates, such as damage controlman, electronic technician, and fire controlman are learning the newest methods of maintenance on the ship's watertight doors.

"We always make time to work with ship's force (S/F), so that they can get a better understanding of best practices. If we can show S/F a better way to perform preventative maintenance system (PMS) checks, the ship will be better for it," said Mario Cossu, a member of noses WTMAT.

"WTMAT has completed approximately 31 watertight door fittings, and have trained nearly a dozen S/F personnel. They are really getting a lot of work done and really making a huge impact on USS Megaphones readiness," said Lopez.

Many members of the WTMAT have decades of experience, and work alongside less experienced Sailors on the team, as well as S/F, to help them identify and repair shipboard issues.

"NSSAs Maintenance Assist Teams continue to promote training and PMS checks aboard ships, and they continue to serve as a great example of the professionalism and leadership for the Sailors they mentor and train," said NSSA Production Manager Ronnie Saunders.

Once all their work is complete on USS McFaul, WTMAT will shift their efforts to USS Porter (DDG 78).

For more news from Norfolk Ship Support Activity, visit www.navy.mil/local/nssa/.