The 16-month project included an extensive boiler inspection; a comprehensive flush and restoration of the ship’s Collection, Holding and Transfer system; reconfiguration and alteration of the Troop Rifle Storage and Marine Air Ground Task Force Ammo Locker and numerous other structural checks and repairs.

“This was a large scale Chief of Naval Operations availability where success was a collaborative effort between the thousands of contractors, sub-contractors, vendors and other stakeholders from all over the region and the sailors and civilians of MARMC,” said MARMC Commanding Officer Capt. Tim Barney. “This is a win for Bataan, because we’re able to get her back to sea, but it’s really a win for the Navy because it impacts our operability, which is crucial in maintaining our strategic warfighting advantage.”

Wasp-class ships measure 855 feet in length and have a beam of 106 feet, making them among the largest amphibious ships in the world. USS Bataan is capable of projecting power and maintaining presence as the cornerstone of an Amphibious Ready Group or Expeditionary Strike Group, providing the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement allowing it to be a force multiplier in humanitarian-assistance missions to full combat operations.

Maintaining the world’s largest and most capable amphibious force requires years of advance planning, material procurements, and execution oversight. For MARMC, the pathway for success has always been emphasizing and strengthening the partnership with the local ship repair industry, while building relationships based on idea of having shared goals.

Capt. Joseph Murphy, Bataan’s Commanding Officer, says the team established the lines of communication from the very onset with the primary mission of getting Bataan operational in a timely manner.

“From the beginning, we were aggressive in our approach to stay ahead of projected problems and worked together as a team to solve them while simultaneously ensuring the best quality product was achieved,” said Murphy. “With any shipyard availability, there are challenges and natural friction points that have to be overcome. By communicating effectively and integrating command priorities within the crew and among the repair teams, we were able to achieve our maintenance goals on-time and within acceptable costs.”

MARMC, a Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) field activity, provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and provides support to the fifth and sixth Fleet Area of Responsibilities. They are also responsible for the floating dry-dock Dynamic (AFDL-6).