Maine Shipyards Critical To National Security

Maine's Bath Iron Works,with its massive blue cranes,is a bulwark of national security.It is a full service shipyard specialising in the design,building and support of complex US Navy surface combatants.BIW,a part of  leading defence contractor General Dynamics,is currently building the Arleigh Burke and Zumwalt classes of destroyers.
Since 1884,BIW has built tough ships at the right price,the shipyard says.Its slogan is "Bath-built is best built."It has built US Navy ships since 1893,according to Senator Susan Collins(R-Maine),a strong supporter of the facility and winner of the Navy League's Annual Congressional Sea Services Award for 2012.BIW is truly a national asset,the senator said at her award ceremony on Capitol Hill,and the workers there are truly the world's leading builders of surface combatants.
Navy Undersecretary Robert O. Work said that,during Collins' fifteen years in office,BIW has either built or is building a total of 31 ships,which is literally over 10% of the total number of ships that we expect to have in the fleet.That's quite an accomplishment.
She has also been an ardent advocate for Maine's Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and its employees,which ensures our submarine force remains strong and on station,24/7,365 days a year.The Navy-Marine Corps team,the entire national fleet,the shipbuilding industry,is stronger because you have been here for the last fifteen years.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is in Kittery,Maine and repairs and overhauls the Navy's nuclear submarine fleet.It is one of four public shipyards in the United States.
Collins stated that every day I think of those men and women who are serving our country on the front lines,and that's why I have always been so committed to making sure that the men and women who serve have all they need from us.We owe them that much.
Bath Iron Works notes that it employs a number of military reservists from all the service branches.It's a tradition at the shipyard.
General Dynamics(GD)

Distinguished Aviator Dies

Captain Allard Guy Russell,U.S. Navy Retired,88,an aviator whose encyclopedic career spanned more than 40 years,has died in Sarasota,Florida.He joined the Navy in 1940 after studying at the University of Washington.Captain Russell flew combat missions off of carriers in World War II and Korea.He flew a dive-bomber in support of the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal.When the USS Saratoga was torpedoed,he flew missions from a Guadalcanal airstrip,living among the Marines.He always considered himself a Marine,as well as Navy,after that experience.
After the wars,Captain Russell became a Navy test pilot,flying 125 different aircraft.He specialized in night flight operations,racking up about 6500 total hours of military flight time.A pioneer in computer-aided carrier landing in all-weather,Captain Russell also accepted exchange assignments with the Royal Navy.He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses,five Air Medals and a Presidential Unit Citation.
After retiring,Captain Russell worked as an administrator for Bell Aircraft,Hughes Aircraft and Boeing.He flew many mercy missions in his later years.A father of four,he was married to Edith Russell for more than 67 years.He was a member of the Navy League and the 1st Marine Division Association of SW Florida.