"Here, I'll speak for her," said submarine tender USS Frank Cable's (AS 40) Military Sealift Command Supply Officer Dave Terrel, known around the ship for his white beard and voice of experience. "Yes, these awards do make a difference in my career. It was a combined effort. This command gives me the opportunity to showcase my understanding of programs and regulations we must follow. It tests my ability to get the most out of what I learned academically for our ship and our Navy."

Frank Cable's Hazmat Inventory Control System Supply Division Manager, Yeoman Storekeeper Alice Garcia, a woman standing about five-foot tall, with dark hair and tan complexion, nodded her head.

"Hah," said Garcia, shrugging. "Yes! He just says it so well." A smile widened across her face as she looked around; all eyes present were intent on her.

Garcia, born in the Philippines and a resident of Dededo, Guam, was a key player in Frank Cable's selection as the 2018 Secretary of the Navy and 2017 Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Safety awardee. The Ship's Master, Capt. Todd Christian, awarded Garcia as May's Civilian Mariner of the Month to recognize her exceptional efforts, which resulted in two fleet-wide awards.

"I give recommendations on the best ways to manage hazardous materials; I'm a HAZMAT consultant for Sailors and mariners," said Garcia. "Everybody here wants to manage it right. I focus on effective communication to crew members and creating standards that are economic."

Garcia's recommendations and actions lead to nearly 200,000 pounds of hazardous material waste aboard being consolidated, helping Supply Department liberate more than 50 percent of shipboard HAZMAT stowage and prevented close to $100,000 in annual spending.

"We were fortunate this year to have gone to the shipyard, giving us an opportunity to make changes to our facility and systems," said Terrel. "Going to Portland, Oregon did introduce a new level of State and federal regulations. It was a challenge to fully understand the laws and programs, what regulations allowed us to do and how to work with the system to benefit in our maintenance period. Garcia took that challenge and performed beyond expectation."

Frank Cable, a sea-faring vessel specializing in the repair, reprovision and re-arming of submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region, needs certain materials to complete her missions. At 40 years of age, updates in spaces and in system management aboard were necessary. Vessels couldn't deploy without the use of oils and essential systems maintained using HAZMAT, and Garcia knew that Frank Cable couldn't afford to spend money or waste space.

"Big results start with the small actions," said Garcia. "We are conscious of our environment and make choices to hopefully keep from having a footprint. Whatever we can do to minimize risk, we will. It's a team effort made successful by daily accountability and communication."

Christian presented Garcia a bonus-check with her Civilian of the Month award, for her services to Frank Cable and actions keeping in the highest traditions of MSC mariners and the fleet.

Frank Cable, forward deployed to Guam, repairs, re-arms and reprovisions deployed U.S. Naval Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information on Frank Cable, find us on Facebook at USS Frank Cable (AS 40), or http://www.csp.navy.mil/frankcable


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