2024 - RDML Lloyd Remarks on Departing as Chief Engineer

Change of Office Remarks by RDML Jason Lloyd (NRHQ 2015 - 2015) on departing office of SEA 05 (Chief Engineer) 7 June 2024. Lloyd also served as the 1st reactor officer for CVN78 during construction and worked extremely closely with NR in that assignment in making CVN-78 a success.

In his remarks, Lloyd covers the following key points:

• When assumed SEA 05 in 5/2020, SEA 05 had just been tasked by the CNO to form the Covid Rapid Response Team which supported the Navy with numerous technologies to keep Sailors safe.

• Mentioned events that helped define previous SEA05's CVN-73 fire (Eccles) and collissions of McCain and Fitzgerald (Selby)

• Discussed events under his watch:

  • July 2020 Bonhomme Richard fire - Although a horrible tragedy, the fact that no one was killed or seriously injured while fighting a fire with temperatures greater than 1200 degrees Fahrenheit is testimony to the Firefighting Principles and training that are driven from NAVSEA 05 requirements in NSTM 555

  • October 2021 Connecticut Seamount in S. China Sea - on surface being trailed by Chinese trawler. Emergency repairs to get ship to Guam then temporary repairs to get to Puget. robust submarine design and certification in the SUBSAFE program saved lives that day, quite possibly the entire boat.

    • We lost no one and escaped with 11 minor injuries

    • Actions over the next few days to stabilize the boat and get her back home quite possibly saved those lives again.

    • The spouses, parents, children and loved ones of those on the ship that day don’t know who you are, but we do. The Navy and Nation are forever in your debt

• Established following leadership language (principles):

  • "Assume noble intent" (borrowed from Jim Smerchansky)

  • "If you don't like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less" (borrowed from Tom Moore)

  • "They only time you are all allowed to use the word 'They' is if you are talking about China or Russia….. Otherwise it is 'we'

  • "And with our PEOs, TYCOMs, Shipyards and the Fleet…..One Team, One Fight"

• Accomplishments during tenure:

  •  established Cold Spray as a normal, reliable and effective repair process

  •  established Mechanically Attached Fittings as an alternative construction and repair process for pipe fitting

  •  transitioned Additive Manufacturing from a concept to reality

  • transitioned the technical risk assessment authority for Major Departures from Specifications to the Waterfront Chief Engineers…. in a shooting match, they are going to be doing it anyway

  • transitioned Condition Based Maintenance Plus, where we use Shipboard Sensors, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to accurately predict machinery failures before they happen and make repairs before deployments

  • established the first system to accurately track and retire risks

• Naval Engineering Workforce and Defense Manufacturing Industry were foundational for the Warfighters to win World War I and World War II.

  We must continue to re-establish those close ties to prevent another such war

Lloyd also provided a number of personal remarks as part of his retirement later in the ceremony. These are available here. Worth reading to understand the influence individuals had on Lloyds professional development and his efforts to pay that back. His remarks should also remind people at NR not to take for granted the benefits of working with outstanding coworkers.