LBJ Zumwalt returns to BIW with key missing stanchions

 

The USS Lyndon B. Johnson left BIW for sea trials on Friday, August 27.  Limped home to a glorious welcome!

Four of us held our twice-a-month vigil at Bath Iron Works yesterday in front of the Navy compound gate. This is the place where the Navy oversees the construction of the two types of destroyers now being built at BIW.

While there one hard-hat briefly talked to me and told me that upon return from sea trials the Zumwalt destroyer crew reported that three stanchions that help hold-up an above deck were missing.

The person told me that routinely these days more and more problems are found with the ships which then require more work (and more $$$) to fix them.

Another worker told me that when the LBJ returned to BIW after the sea trials, the corporation told the public that all was well with the ship. Full speed ahead!  

They have a motto at BIW - 'Bath built is best built!' Maybe not so true anymore as the work force is currently transitioning from the older long-time workers to a young generation with no ship-building experience.

Anymore I expect virtually every word from the government and the corporate oligarchies to be a flat out lie.

This Zumwalt (the third to be built) is named after former president LBJ who escalated the war in Vietnam after the JFK assassination.

You'd think already costing $7 billion for one Zumwalt destroyer, the taxpayers would not have to fork out even more money. But that appears to be the way things work inside the war machine these days.

When the first Zumwalt left BIW to sail to its home port in San Diego it broke down along the way. We've repeatedly heard that one of the three Zumwalt destroyers will be kept as a 'spare parts store' for the other two warships. 

A very expensive spare parts store indeed. 

Bruce