NAMTS Graduates Recognized During SURFLANT Waterfront Self-Sufficiency Symposium
08 September 2021
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK --
Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) Sailors who earned a Navy Afloat Maintenance Training Strategy (NAMTS) Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) were recognized during a ceremony at the Waterfront Self-Sufficiency Symposium hosted by Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Aug. 11- 13.
During the graduation ceremony, 21 Sailors earned their NECs in one of the following skill areas: valve repair, pump repair, heat exchanger, outside electrical, inside machinist, gas turbine repair, and watertight closure maintenance. Each Sailor was presented with their certificate by SURFLANT Deputy Commander, Rear Adm. Marc Lederer.
According to event coordinator Capt. David Fowler, SURFLANT assistant chief of staff for readiness and assessments, the symposium focused on empowering Sailors to assess and repair material discrepancies by utilizing on-ship resources, thereby maintaining and enhancing warfighting capabilities.
“The symposium aims to give Sailors and leaders the tools to more effectively maintain their ships without the need for outside assistance. We’re excited to engage the waterfront and provide the resources needed to increase awareness and knowledge of maintenance resources and best practices to enhance unit level self-sufficiency,” he said.
The NAMTS Program was an integral part of the three-day event, which included the presentation of several NAMTS briefs and a panel of experts composed of key personnel from the initiative. Daniel Spagone, director of intermediate-level maintenance at MARMC, noted how ubiquitous the NAMTS program is along the waterfront and how crucial it is to the theme of self-sufficiency.
“On any given day, there are roughly 2,000 Sailors working on NAMTS training along the waterfront or aboard their ships,” said Spagone. “NAMTS Sailors put the sets and reps in on their various skill areas and they are going to be able to fix our ships when it matters most.”
NAMTS was established in 1998 by the Chief of Naval Operations to improve battlegroup organic maintenance capability and material self-sufficiency. MARMC trains Sailors through the NAMTS program by utilizing I-Level, hands-on maintenance production to forge maintenance warriors who are competent and confident in their ability to own, maintain and operate their shipboard equipment.
SURFLANT mans, trains and equips assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable force for conducting prompt and sustained operations in support of United States national interests. The SURFLANT force is composed of 77 ships, 14 pre-commissioning units, and 33 shore commands.
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