Under a new initiative to supplement the workforce at Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) Detachment Bahrain, civilians and military from stateside Regional Maintenance Centers are travelling to Bahrain to fill critical positions such as Project Support Engineers, Integrated Test Engineers, and Project Managers.

In September 2019, two Engineering Duty Officers (EDOs), LT. Shane Hays of Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) and LT. Joe Testa of Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC), travelled to Bahrain to support the Waterfront Operations Department. Their efforts have produced immediate results and positively impacted operations at FDRMC Bahrain.

Building on experience from their qualification tour, Testa’s and Hays’ were assigned as project managers for one Chief of Naval Operations availability and three Continuous Maintenance Availabilities (CMAVs). Their positive impact has been felt from the first stages in planning to the final stage of certification. Touching each phase of ship repair, they have conducted work specification review, lead work package execution review conferences, and are active in the execution of availabilities. Their work has resulted in the identification of missing material on critical work items as well as ensuring key events certify on time.

Hays and Testa are also working on projects that will positively impact the detachment long after they return home. They are working to “right-size” CMAVs based on the brokered work, instead of the current practice of a standard three-week availability, by assessing the work duration and identifying the critical path. The port engineers use this feedback to adjust the package to meet the operational requirements. Additionally, they are fine-tuning an agreement between the detachment and Commander Naval Surface Squadron Five regarding the use of equipment. This agreement will enable the squadron to utilize FDRMC’s Intermediate Maintenance Facility equipment in support of ship repair, while ensuring proper quality assurance procedures and qualification standards are followed.

In order to better track project team support, Hays and Testa developed an interactive leave plan, taking into account availability manning requirements for different positions, which will help identify gaps in project teams. They also conducted several training sessions, including a brief on additive manufacturing and how the detachment could utilize this emerging technology.

Hays’ and Testa’s addition to the Bahrain Detachment has enabled them to not only meet their current Program Manager requirements, but also to implement improvements that will make planning and execution more efficient in the future.

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