When the nuclear Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), affectionately known as “Ike,” entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) in January 2025 for a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period after completing a historic nine-month deployment, the clock started ticking. Every day in the yard is a day the ship is not serving in the fleet—and as the Navy’s operational tempo remains high, returning Ike to the sea on schedule became a mission in itself. What followed was a unique collaboration: 14 Sailors from NNSY’s Fleet Maintenance Submarines (FMB) and Fleet Maintenance Shop (FMS)—who normally operate in very different worlds—came together as one team to get the job done.
Source: DVIDS Marines | Author: Troy Miller | Published: Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:10:56 -0500