by Ed Mickley
Tobyhanna Army Depot
TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. — Team Tobyhanna was front and center at a recent Naval Sea Systems Command Excellence Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The members of the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Launcher Organic Depot Refurbishment Team claimed the Fiscal Year 2014 third and fourth quarter awards for superior performance in establishing an organic refurbishment and overhaul program at Tobyhanna Army Depot.
“Tobyhanna is providing high-quality, affordable repair and refurbishment of our [RAM MK-49 Guided Missile Launching System], which is helping to maintain material readiness and combat effectiveness for our Sailors and Marines,” said Lt. Cmdr. Bobby Bassham, RAM Fleet Support Manager, RAM Program Office, Virginia.
Bassham commended the team’s tireless efforts in developing detailed statements of work and procedures, accomplishing necessary training, and proving out the refurbishment processes. Furthermore, this organic capability is saving the program about $150,000 per launcher depending on the level of refurbishment conducted, he added, noting the program will save $1.2 million annually.
“It feels really good to be recognized for the work we’ve done on the RAM program,” said Swoyersville resident Joe Sabach, an electronics engineer in the Production Engineering Directorate. “I’m not surprised that this team of dedicated, hard-working individuals are so successful.”
Tobyhanna technicians met with Naval Surface War Center (NSWC) experts three years ago, to outline a program to refurbish system components. The launchers, found on aircraft carriers, amphibious ships and littoral combat ships, fire lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget missiles designed to destroy anti-ship cruise missiles and asymmetric air and surface threats.
Work is done at the depot in the C4ISR Finishing Center and at Navy bases under the Mobile Depot Maintenance Program. There are three levels of refurbishment that Tobyhanna actively supports; the On-Ship Refurbishment Program, the Rapid Turnaround Program and the Launcher Material Enhancement Program.
“I have not met another group of individuals that have shown so much dedication to do a job,” said Werner Scharnetzki, lead engineer responsible for the execution of the Navy’s launcher refurbishment program.
“Any time Tobyhanna personnel were asked to perform work on short-notice, it was done with great satisfaction. I am looking forward to a long working relationship with the depot.” Scharnetzki works for the NSWC Port Hueneme Division.
In the nomination, officials wrote that the fleet is impressed by the timeliness, quality and cost of the work performed by Tobyhanna Army Depot. And that this cost effective, government-owned, government-operated depot overhaul program is ensuring the RAM launchers are reliable and available when called upon to defend ships and sailors.
“Recognition at this high level by NAVSEA’s Headquarters is a testimony to your professionalism, dedication and outstanding technical efforts,” said Capt. Craig Bowden, RAM Program Manager, Program Executive Offices Integrated Warfare Systems. “Thank you for everything you do to support RAM and our Sailors at sea.”
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our Joint Warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
