“The 3M system is like changing the oil in your car,” said DCC(SW) Rick Miklian, Carl Vinson’s 3M LCPO.  “It prevents problems further on down the road.”

      The five-day assessment, conducted by a 3M-assessment team on behalf of the Commander of Naval Air Force, tested the “Gold Eagle” crew’s knowledge of shipboard preventive and corrective maintenance.

     “The assessment covers three areas,” said Cmdr. Sue Dunlap, the officer in charge of the 3M team.  “We test the [administration] side, the Consolidated Ships Management Programs (CSMP), or how well the crew performs the actual maintenance, and how well the corrective maintenance is documented.”

     This process involved multiple spot-checks conducted by the 3M team to evaluate how well the crew performs its maintenance.  This required patience from the spot-checkers and the maintenance persons, a vast array of 3M knowledge, and several months of preparations.

     “We knew that this would be difficult,” said Lt. j.g. John Ward, Gold Eagle’s 3M Officer.  “We took all the steps possible to prepare.  It was something that we could not let up on.”

      A 3M tiger team consisting of a handful of officers and chief petty officers assisted in the preparations.  They routinely conducted spot-checks with crewmembers for the four months that led up to the assessment.

      Each department selected a 3M assistant that was responsible in ensuring the quality of the maintenance being done.  “These guys were probably the back bone of all preparations,” said Ward.

      “The crew came together as a whole and put their best foot forward,” said Miklian.   “They showed us what they had and we were able to put it to great use.”

     The 3M assessment team played a vital role in preparing Carl Vinson and its crew. 

      “We have two hats,” said MMCM(SW) Robert Borowskie, the 3M team leader.  “We test all carriers in the fleet, but we also personally prepare them prior to the assessment.”

      Borouske speaks of the week the 3M team came aboard Carl Vinson in October to run a 3M assist, in order to identify any discrepancies with enough time to correct them. 

      “We learned several lessons during the team’s previous visit and used them to prepare us for the actual assessment,” said Ward.

      Carl Vinson did not receive anything lower then a 90 percent in any of the tested areas. 

     “This was a very successful 3M assessment and those don’t come easy,” said Borowskie.  “This is a tribute to the ship’s hard work and dedication.”

     However, a concern for outstanding ships to keep in mind is that all the hard work to get to the top won’t matter if you don’t continue that hard work to remain there, said Borouske. 

     “Carl Vinson has done a great job in performing its maintenance and training the crew,” said Dunlap.  “I can safely say that from a maintenance point of view, (Carl Vinson) will be ready for any combat it may find on deployment.”