Amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) completed its Maintenance Material Management (3M) certification inspection Jan. 13.

"It is important that ships are held to a standard from an outside activity," said Mesa Verde's 3M Coordinator, Chief Damage Controlman Shaun McGinnis. "That, in turn, promotes a high state of mission readiness throughout warfare areas. It was an awesome sight to see all aspects of 'Team Mesa Verde' work together and fight to achieve this qualification."

A cumulative average of maintenance accomplishment rating, spot checks, and space inspections had to be at or above 85 percent to pass the inspection which occurs every 36 months.

McGinnis said when speaking to other 3MCs around the fleet, they always said the failing point was repair division and/or combat systems. That was not the case with Mesa Verde's inspection. The repair division passed 31 of 31 spot checks and combat systems scored 93.66 percent overall.

While it was a victory for Mesa Verde, the time to celebrate was short. The operational tempo and preparation for the upcoming deployment is very demanding, and that is why it is so important to maintain a solid maintenance program, according to the 3MC.

"The support from the top to the bottom was unmatched," said McGinnis. "I had very little to do with the success of this mission. I was handed a solid program and the crew drove the path to success."

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