Phoenix works on repairs to major Navy vessels

Phoenix International Holdings Inc., which has a facility in Bayou Vista, worked with the U.S. Navy to support repairs on an aircraft carrier, a guided missile cruiser and a guided missle destroyer, the company said Monday.

Naval Sea Systems Command's supervisor of salvage and diving, director of ocean engineering tasked Phoenix with three simultaneous diving services operations during repairs of the carrier U.S. Gerald R. Ford, the guided missile cruiser U.S.S. Normandy and the guided missile destroyer U.S.S. McFaul.

During an extremely short timeline, Phoenix mobilized personnel from Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana and San Diego to join the crew in Norfolk, Virginia, to conduct these highly technical underwater repairs, Phoenix said. The tasking included propulsion shaft covering repairs to one of the Ford's shafts, underwater welding repairs to the McFaul's rudder, and extensive welding repairs to the Normandy's hull.

Mike Strzalko, Clint Levine, and Randy Crow supervised these respective diving operations on these vessels ensuring high quality of workmanship by all dive teams and thorough communication with each respective 00C underwater ship husbandry project manager, Phoenix said.

"The Phoenix teams’ expertise in UWSH and welding was critical to ensuring the Ford, Normandy, and McFaul were ready to meet their schedules and with an increase state of readiness for the U.S. Navy's Worldwide mission and ensuring our nation's National Security," the company's press release said.