Lincoln’s Sailors Save Money on Refit

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Zachary A. Anderson

USS Abraham Lincoln

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 23, 2014 – A refueling complex overhaul is one of the most expensive maintenance periods a ship will go through in its life-cycle.

And, during a time when budget cuts are a possibility, sailors on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are doing their part to minimize the cost of Lincoln’s overhaul.

Navy Seaman Judith Bell led a team of three sailors from Lincoln’s Deck Department in the refurbishment of detachable anchor chain links. The sailors’ labor is saving the Navy $80,000 by not contracting out the work.

The project used 192 man-hours over a two-week period and resulted in a greatly extended lifespan for the chain links.

“Our first step was lowering each of the three 350-pound links and transporting them to the light industrial facility,” Bell said. “After we got the links to LIFAC, they were sandblasted and thoroughly cleaned, followed by two coats of primer and paint.”

While the evolution saved the Navy money, it also had another important benefit.

“This was a great experience,” Bell said. “It was a welcome break from our normal day. It gave us a chance to get some valuable hands-on training and save the taxpayers a considerable amount of money in the process.”

The project’s supervisor, Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brian Lencacher, was pleased with the multiple benefits of the project.

“We got to save the Navy some serious money,” Lencacher said, “and our sailors got some good on-the-job training and practice with leadership.”

The USS Lincoln is currently undergoing a refit at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz-class to undergo an overhaul of this nature, a major life-cycle milestone.

Once the refitting is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically-advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.