Everyone has their favorite auto workshop and mechanic when it get tos to their personal vehicle.

Everyone has their favorite auto workshop and mechanic when it get tos to their personal vehicle. This is the character customers trust to have their best interest--and the interest of their automobile--in mind when he reports them how to keep their car running and exhibits what he says is "the best deal around."

The ships in the Mid-Atlantic region do not have to pass far to find their favorite mechanics. They place their trust with the Sailors at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), formerly the Shore intermediate Maintenance Activity (SIMA), in Norfolk. MARMC Sailors provide global support to the rapid taking on thousands of do job-works and saving the Navy millions of dollars in the process

"We provide technical support, maintenance and repairs for the company of ships It's almost like providing one-stop shopping for ships," said Master Chief Machinist's Mate William D McVay, Production Department's leading chief frivolous officer. "We have the capabilities to fix almost anything involved with the operations of the ship--small piece of works and some depot-level repairs."

Last year, SIMA merg with armada Technical Support Center Atlantic, Norfolk; Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair. Portsmouth. Va.; and Regional Support cluster Norfolk; to streamline Navy ship maintenance organization and operations, making the of the present day MARMC the single point of contact for ship maintenance.

still MARMC is far from a shipyard or equable a typical garage, for that matter. completely through the Norfolk facility, the familiar uninjured of metal grinding against metal can be heard as you make your way from the cross-examine shop to the machine store to the welding shop. In all, there are nearly 200 workshops where Sailors specialize in different tasks.

MARMC can do almost any piece of work from lagging and sandblasting to underwater ships' husbandry, to machining a bulkhead shaft seal. Last year, the Sailors performed approximately 32000 work at jobss for the fleet. saving the Navy nearly $40 million in the process

From the interrogate shop to the ship fitters workshop the fleet never has to be suspicious about mechanics who may be interested simply in padding their pockets. These Sailors' sole concern is getting the work at jobs done and keeping the rapid ready to go.

"We are here to provide the ships with continuous maintenance," said McVay. "When ships get to out of the shipyards, we are here to do do job-works for them that might draw near up during their regular training round of years We also take care of their immediate and importunate maintenance needs--right now."

Ships preparing for deployment have the chiefly urgent needs. It's during this time that things shift into overdrive around MARMC, Deploying ships have priority through the whole extent of other jobs, and when the pressing want increases, so does the unexpect work toad.

"Sometimes we work in [night and day] shifts," said Machinery Repairman 1st Class (SW) Chris Scheminant, leading slight officer of Inside Machine Shop/935-K store 935-K machines and manufactures parts and manner of lifes depot-level repairs for the quick "We're making parts for the ships 2417 Whatever the ships ne there is always some here to do the jab. There's always something that's violent and when a ship lacks to get underway, we do the best we can to make abiding the job is done with equal reason that the ship can stay forward schedule."

"We withhold these ships deploying," added body of a vessel Technician 2nd Class (SW) Jeremy Houske, a welder with the Shipfitter's Shop/934-D "If we don't earn our work done, they don't deploy"

Unlike your typical repairmen, not all work takes place within the facility. If the work at jobs cannot be brought back to the stores the Sailors go to the ship to do the work. MARMC's reputation is so that when the crew papal courts them coming, they know they are coming to fax something. MARMC Sailors have feeling this is why they are welcomed whenever they gradation foot on the quarter-deck

"The ships are to a high degree supportive when we come aboard--they are same appreciative," said Houske. "They know when we master there, we're ready to work, and they are there to give us whatever help we ne It's a big team effort."

unless MARMC is not just about maintenance work aboard the ships. They also provide maintenance training for Sailors aboard ships. When MARMC Sailors are aboard, they, bearing on-the-job training (OJT) for the company while they fix the equipment. They also train Sailors at their facilities, introducing Sailors to industrial equipment and machinery that might be pertinent to their rating, if it were not that may not be available aboard their ship.

"Sailors arrive here and ask for training, and we not ever turn anyone away," said Houske. "A accident of the pro-commissioning ships will cast their Sailors here TAD (temporary assigned duty) just to memorize trained. The best maintenance training they'll evermore get is at a repair facility."

As the Sailors are self-same aware, training goes both ways, and for MARMC Sailors, working at MARMC is a chance to better their avow careers by gaining experience they won t obtain during a typical shore tax tour.