Dear Shipbuilders,

Welcome back from shutdown on this cold, wintery day! I hope you had a relaxing and safe holiday, and for the approximately 1,000 of you who worked over the holiday – thank you for your flexibility and dedication to our Navy programs. I hope you also had an opportunity to unwind and spend time with loved ones.

Like last year, our shipyard is the busiest it’s been in at least four decades. Despite the continued COVID-19 pandemic, our dry docks and piers are full and we continue to lean in to meet our Navy commitments. We supported the construction and maintenance of 25 Navy ships from five different ship classes in 2021 alone – work we should all be proud of because it directly supports our nation’s defense. We were able to execute this work in part due to the wide-scale release of COVID-19 vaccines.

Looking ahead to 2022, the Navy and our nation need us to deliver high-quality, cost effective ships on time. To achieve this, our priorities are focused on safety and execution. Each of us must own these priorities to be successful, and you will soon hear more about what this means for our shipyard as a whole and for you and your teams.

Later this month, NNS will celebrate its 136th anniversary. We have inherited the shipyard’s rich history and legacy that have persisted through periods of triumph and hardship, through peace and war, and even through a global pandemic. We must uphold this legacy so it remains strong, if not stronger, when we leave it. If each of us commit to executing safely every day, I am confident we will do just that.

Respectfully,
Jennifer Boykin
President
Newport News Shipbuilding