Nearly 100 Sailors from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) were honored during a graduation ceremony held last week to recognize their achievement in attaining a Navy Afloat Maintenance Training Strategy (NAMTS) certification.

The NAMTS program is designed to increase Sailor’s knowledge and proficiency in performing essential shipboard repairs through formal training on various ship systems and equipment to improve a ship’s organic maintenance capability and self-sufficiency at sea.

Through this professional development program, Sailors enter as apprentices and graduate as journeyman in one or more of the 21 established trade disciplines that include everything from Hull, Mechanical & Electrical to Combat Systems. The program builds on Sailors’ existing skills by instilling confidence through hands-on production work, and developing new skills to increase their technical knowledge and repair capability.

“It’s a challenging program, but if you have mechanical skills, you can get through it,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Mark Williams, a recent graduate of the Watertight Closure Maintenance program. “Afterwards, you have the training and knowledge to solve real world problems that arise when you don’t always have a shipyard nearby to help.”

Rear Adm. Thomas J. Anderson, director, Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization, and commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (CNRMC) and Capt. Tim Barney, commanding officer, MARMC, presented the graduates with their certificates and congratulated them on their accomplishments. Afterwards, Anderson addressed the graduates.

“Our expectation is that you are going to take away from here the skillsets we need to maintain ourselves out at sea,” said Anderson. “Don’t be shy when there is something down on your ship that could be fixed... step forward and say ‘hey, I got this, I can fix this.’ Be very vocal about what you’ve learned and show confidence.”

NAMTS training is available to Sailors on shore duty at Regional Maintenance Centers (RMCs), Intermediate Maintenance Activities or Facilities (IMAs or IMFs), shipyards, aboard tenders, as well as those stationed on ships undergoing extended maintenance availabilities.

MARMC provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as provides support to the 5th and 6th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.

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