JUL - Bath Iron Works

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Best Built—Two Longlasting Bath-built Ships USCGS Calypso on launch day in January 1932. The launch of USCGS Perseus at BIW on April 11, 1932. pedoed SS Buarque on February 15, 1942; the rescue of another 54 survivors of the torpedoed SS Arabutan on March 8, 1942; the rescue of 13 survivors from the SS Pipestone County on May 7, 1942; and the rescue of 60 survivors of the torpedoed USS Plymouth on August 5, 1943. A press release published shortly after the incident described the impressive maneuverability of the vessel amidst dangerous seas, fire, sharks and the possibility of submarine attack. Despite many obstacles, the crew of Calypso rescued all survivors of the shipwrecked Plymouth. Calypso was decommissioned in 1948 and used as a training aid in the Coast Guard recruit indoctrination program before being sold for scrap in 1955. In an unlikely series of events, Calypso was In the midst of the Great Depression when unemployment was high and morale low, BIW proved that even in the most difficult of times, Bath-built quality was not jeopardized. In January 1931, BIW was awarded a contract from the US Coast Guard for the construction of seven Argo-Class Patrol Cutters originally conceived to combat the off-shore prohibition-era alcohol trade along the east coast of the United States. All seven cutters were delivered to the Coast Guard during a 5-month period between November 1931 and April 1932. However, these ships proved most useful providing convoy protection and anti-submarine activity during WWII. Perhaps the most famous of these Bathbuilt cutters was the USCGC Icarus which was responsible for the sinking of a German U-Boat off North Carolina in May 1942 and became only the second U.S.-flagged ship of any type to sink a U-Boat during the war and the first to take prisoners. In June 1942, USCGC Thetis became the third ship to sink a U-Boat, this time off Key West. Icarus was decommissioned in 1948 and used by the Dominican Republic Navy as a fighting ship until the late 1990’s. Remarkably, two other Bath-built cutters lasted even longer than Icarus. Calypso and Perseus remained in service until late last year, over 75 years later. Both cutters served the US Coast Guard until they, too, were needed by the US Navy in 1941. Calypso proved to be instrumental in the war as evidenced by several successful rescue missions: the rescue of 42 survivors from the torsold to the Circle Lines sightseeing cruise company in 1958 and became Circle Line XI, touring passengers along the east and west side of the Manhattan shoreline for six decades. Although her superstructure was modified to become a twin deck passenger vessel, below decks, the ship largely remained as originally built. Perseus saw a similar, long life on the water. After service to the Navy at the end of the war, she was returned to the Coast Guard in 1946 and remained active as a patrol craft in the San Diego area until 1959 when she was decommissioned and sold. Perseus also was purchased by Circle Line and became Circle Line XV. As Circle Line ships, both vessels still had some heroics left in them and were used as rescue boats on September 11, 2001. Though still operational and retaining their original Winton 158-6 main propulsion engines, Circle Line XI and XV were phased out of the Circle Line fleet in the winter of 2008. The long careers of Calypso and Perseus are a testament to the work of Bath Iron Works shipbuilders over the years and two examples of how BIW steadily gained the reputation that Bath Built is Best Built.® 4 | July 2009 | BIW NEWS
Wellness and Benefits Retirement What-Ifs Ever wondered what your pension would amount to if you decided to retire this year? Of what it might be in 10 or maybe 20 years from now? Whether you are within a few years of retiring or years away, you might be interested in recent improvements which make it easy for you to project your BIW pension benefits. While manually calculating pension projections once took days to complete, you can now do it yourself, on your own time, using online tools. BIW Benefits urges you to investigate how easy it is. Whether you are considering retirement in the short-term or planning for the future, there is a wealth of information about the pension plan and the Savings and Stock Investment Plan (SSIP) on the General Dynamics Service Center web site (www.gdbenefits.com). You can project a pension benefit (click: Your Benefits Resources, then Project Your Retirement Income), manage your Savings and Stock Investment Plan, use the retirement checklist to help walk you through the retirement process, and learn how your benefit is calculated. If you do not have internet access, you can request that a projection be mailed to you by calling the GD Service Center at 1-888-432-3633. Assistance is available for LS6 participants in the IAM National Pension Fund by calling your Benefit Committee member at ext. 3951. LS7 IAM participants can reach their Benefit Committee member at ext. 2639. Both LS6 and LS7 members can call IAM at 1-800-424-9608. BUILDING HEALTHY WAYS LUNCH TIME TALKS ON DVD Last month, area tobacco specialists presented lunch time talks on two topics— Making it Through the Day Tobacco-Free and Thinking About Quitting Tobacco. If you missed the sessions, both talks will be available on DVD. To request a copy email your name, badge number and mail stop to buildinghealthyways@gdbiw.com or call the Benefits Help Desk at ext. 2527. Help is available to quit tobacco if you need it. For a list of what’s available, call the Benefits Help Desk at ext. 2527 or click the Tobacco-Free button on the intranet home page. If you are ready to set the retirement process in motion, there are a few things to remember: • You’ll need your password to project or initiate your retirement. Contact the GD Service Center at www.gdbenefits.com or 1-888-432-3633 if you need a password. • Take care of the paperwork. When you have initiated your retirement, you will receive a packet of information from the GD Service Center. Make sure to review, sign (in some cases spouse/beneficiary, too), date and return the authorization form to the GD Service Center at the address provided in the packet. • Call Benefits. When you initiate your retirement (either online or over the phone) call the Benefits Help Desk at 207-442-2527 to let us know your last day of work. It’s important not to skip this step! • A self-service retirement may not be for everyone. If you are ready to retire and want some help with the process, call Kurt Caswell at 207-442-3415 or the Benefits Help Desk at 207-442-2527 to set up a meeting. If you are interested in learning more about money management or retirement planning, stay tuned for more information about upcoming after-hours classes. RemindsYou June 2009 Retirees Dept. FILL OUT YOUR KEEP MOVIN’ ACTIVITY CARD Keep Movin’ is a 2-month activity program that runs through August 30. Remember to fill out your Keep Movin’ Activity Card and return the completed card by September 8 to be entered into a drawing for 10 (5 for employees and 5 for family) $50-valued prizes. There are also two $250 grand prizes drawings for employees. Additional cards and program details are available at the locations to the right. Name 11-00 Phyllis A. Cook 30 Years, 7 Months Pipecoverer III 19-00 Neil R. Yannayon 20 Years, 1 Month Electrician III 27-00 Joseph A. Roy, Jr. 41 Years, 11 Months Preservation Tech III 27-00 Nancy L. Vaillancourt * 21 Years Preservation Tech III 40-00 William G. Stees 45 Years Senior Engineer 43-00 Anthony W. Brann 37 Years, 10 Months Welder III 51-00 Kathy L. Wing 14 Years, 2 Months Clerk, Filing/General 81-00 Elezear E. Reno 30 Years, 7 Months Material Clerk III *Retired March 2009 • Main Yard – Benefits Help Desk and Employee Store • BIP – Gerry Pepin • CROF – Nancy Larsen, Jessica McMillan, Linda Wood • CW – Hazel Baise • EBMF – Deena Bennett • Hardings – Jean Barnes • James – Phil Coyne, Hazel Meserve, Bill Schumaker BIW NEWS | July 2009 | 5
Page 1 and 2: BIW NEWS July 2009 Ultra 2000 Move
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Page 9 and 10: New EDP Class Announced In mid-July
Page 11 and 12: BIW Trekkers for Healthy Lungs The

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