Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) Detachment Bahrain completed the USS Firebolt’s (PC 10) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availability on Oct. 27, matching the 195-day period of performance exactly, and returning the ship to the fleet on time.

An availability is the time a U.S. Naval ship undergoes repairs and alterations to return it to a fully operational status and ensure complete mission readiness.

The CNO availability included replacing the stern tubes, the main engines, and extensive upgrades to navigational and combat systems equipment. In addition to the planned upgrades, there were over 100 Request for Contract Changes (RCCs), which were executed during the availability, making the on-time delivery even more impressive.

 “The contract value grew from $2.6 million to $3.5 million over the course of execution,” said Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Bahrain Fleet Support Branch Supervisor Ryan Fernandez. “This required the NAVSUP FLC Bahrain Contracting Office to build solicitations, negotiate price proposals, and work with FDRMC to determine technical acceptability for each RCC.”

The growth in contract value was due to the large number of RCCs, which are typical in many ship repair contracts, as a number of repairs are often found during the course of contractor inspections through the various work items. According to Fernandez, “The key to making these post-award contract changes work seamlessly into the already tight schedule was efficient and focused work from our contracting office, especially that Edilberta Edith Fuentes.”

“Fuentes, a Contracting Specialists at NAVSUP FLC Bahrain, was integral to the execution of the RCCs, by tracking funding and having frequent communications with all stakeholders, particularly working with FDRMC to resolve contract deficiencies,” Fernandez said.

According to Fuentes, “It was my first big availability contract, and, at first, it was challenging. It was a team effort, but I always put in 100 percent, because I represent the command. Customer service and mission accomplishment are the priority.”

“This was definitely a success story, but it was achieved as a team effort, this includes our team as well as FDRMC,” said NAVSUP FLC Bahrain Director of Contracts Rick Bauer. “The two organizations assessed the problems, developed and implemented solutions, and were able to bring the contract to a successful conclusion.”

New processes uncovered during a recent Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) project to reduce inefficiencies in post-award contract change execution propelled both organizations in ensuring on-time and mission-ready delivery to the USS Firebolt.

NAVSUP FLC Bahrain is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.

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