On April 20, 2016, at the age of 90, Captain Leo Joseph Marshall, Jr., USN (Retired) passed away after a short illness.  Leo had a full and accomplished life and his legacy as a leader and mentor in both a professional and personal sense will endure.

The April General Membership Luncheon meeting was held on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel, with Virginia State Senator Frank Wagner serving as the Guest Speaker. Senator Wagner, of Virginia's 7th Senatorial District, highlighted the latest from the Commonwealth's General Assembly, focusing on important components in the next Fiscal Year Budget. Pointing out that the budget would be over $100 Billion for the first time, Wagner focused his discussion on three key areas: education, economic development, and transportation.

The May General Membership Luncheon meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel. The luncheon will feature the nominees, and crown the winners, of the annual Virginia Ship Repair Foundation Tradesmen of the Year Awards, presented by PNC Bank. These awards honor the "best of the best" ship repairers in Hampton Roads.

On 10 April 1963 @approximately 0900, the worst submarine peace time disaster occurred with the loss of the USS Thresher SSN 593. There were 129 precious human being lives snuffed out in an instant.

All of us in this Industry know that the average age of a Shipyard Journeyman is 54 and increasing every year. This has been the status for several years now and plenty of articles have been written about this problem.