Shipbuilders who helped achieve major light-off milestones aboard Harrisburg (LPD 30) and Bougainville (LHA 8) were recognized last week for the teamwork and determination that kept both ships moving toward delivery.
The event celebrated the shipbuilders whose work brought critical propulsion and power systems online this year, marking significant progress for the Amphibious Program.
Light-offs are among the most significant milestones in ship construction, confirming major propulsion and electrical systems are ready to operate.
For the LPD 30 team, the accomplishment came with an added challenge.
"We had a brand-new crew who'd never done this job before," said Kirk Boudreaux, Test & Trials Superintendent. "So, we’re really proud of the teamwork it took to get here."
For many in attendance, the recognition reflected years of work bringing these ships to life.
"It's been a lot of time and hard work to get here," said Justin Benedict, Pipe foreman. “Our team has been on LHA 8 pretty much the whole way. And we’re going to see her through to the end.”
Throughout the event, Ingalls leaders praised shipbuilders for overcoming technical challenges, solving problems together and keeping both ships moving toward delivery.
"You don't get to these milestones easily," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette. "It takes an incredible amount of hard work. There are challenges that pop up every time, but you figure out what to do next, knock them out of the way and move on.
In addition to hearing from each organization’s leadership, shipbuilders also received a recorded message from U.S. Navy CAPT Matthew L. Tardy.
"These successes happen because of the people behind them," said Tardy. "Thank you to everyone who contributed to the planning, construction, testing, troubleshooting and execution."
While hard work still remains, the teams behind Harrisburg and Bougainville are focused on the mission ahead—delivering two critical warships to the Navy.