The FMAA is a type command assessment that rates the ship's repair department production and maintenance capabilities as well as processes to validate repair and maintenance work performed on submarines is within Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) specifications. This is an important process to ensure Emory S. Land is ready to serve as a Fleet Maintenance Activity.

"Our maintenance team did a great job preparing for the assessment and showing our capabilities to the team," said Cmdr. Brian McLain, repair officer of Emory S. Land. "We learn from these assessments to make our repair department better prepared to execute quality maintenance and return ships and submarines back to sea ready status for national tasking."

The FMAA is a comprehensive look into the ship's ability to complete non-nuclear repairs successfully. The ship, as a Fleet Maintenance Activity, is expected to maintain a broad spectrum of capabilities at full readiness to execute quality maintenance in accordance with the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual. The FMAA reviews previously executed technical work documents, performance of typical worksite evolution's, training programs, and other core capability assessment areas such as maintaining a technical document library as well as records of calibration, welding and brazing, and weight handling.

"Without audits sometimes people fall into comfortable settings and things get overlooked," said Engineman 3rd Class Ian Wise, one of the Sailors participating in the inspection. "These systems always have to work right, they can't ever go wrong."

Emory S. Land conducts an FMAA every 18 months to verify its repair department is producing exemplary work and providing quality repair support to the fleet.

Emory S. Land is a forward deployed expeditionary submarine tender on an extended deployment conducting coordinated tended moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet area of responsibility. To learn more about USS Emory S. Land visit www.emorysland.navy.mil, or check out its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EmorySLand, or on Twitter @EmorySLand

For more news from Commander Submarine Group 7, visit www.navy.mil/.