William L. Griffen - Obituary

Groton - Chief Machinist's Mate William L. Griffen, USN, 32, of 77 Orion Ave., Groton, died Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Chief Griffen was born Jan. 19, 1980, at Fort Campbell, Ky., the son of Jerry D. and Sandra (Adkins) Griffen of Swainsboro, Ga.

He married Danielle (Ramirez) Griffen in St. Marys, Ga., on Nov. 13, 2010.

Chief Griffen joined the U.S. Navy in June of 1998 and most recently served aboard the USS Miami.

In addition to his wife, Danielle and his parents, he is survived by his sons, Kamden and Aiden Griffen, both of Groton, Kyla Griffen of Groton, and Riley Griffen of Woodbine, Ga.; brother, Robert Tyndal of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and a sister, Frances Griffen of Swainsboro, Ga.

A military funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Chapel on the Thames at the U.S. Submarine Base in Groton. Non-military guests for the funeral are asked to park at the Nautilus Museum parking lot, just outside the base main gate where there will be a shuttle to the chapel. Proper identification is required. Burial will be in Avery Stoddard Cemetery, Gales Ferry, where military honors will be rendered. Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Byles Memorial Home, 99 Huntington St., New London.

Please visit www.Byles.com for directions, to sign the guestbook, or share a memory about Chief Griffen.

Submarines - Miami Survives The Heat

The U.S. Navy has decided to spend nearly half a billion dollars to repair damage done by a fire on the USS Miami (a Los Angeles class SSN or nuclear attack submarine). The blaze occurred while the sub was in the Portsmouth (Maine) Naval Yard for maintenance and upgrades. Initially the navy estimated that the sub suffered $400 million in damage. But a more detailed examination of the revealed that it would cost at least $450 million.

The fire (set by a deranged shipyard worker) took place last May 23rd and there were fears that the 22 year old Miami might be scrapped. There is some suspicion that the repair bill may be purposely low, as it is much more difficult to cancel a project once it has started, even if the costs begin to mysteriously escalate. Maine politicians are eager to keep the shipyard operating, despite the fact that yard management hired an unstable worker who eventually set two fires (the big one on the Miami and another that was quickly put out). Maine politicians get re-elected, in part, by continuing to get navy contracts to keep these shipyards open. But this effort is now complicated by a defense budget that is shrinking and the navy along with it. The Miami repair project may still get cancelled because the first step is to plan the repairs, and that will cost $94 million.

It's not just fires that these old Los Angeles class boats have to worry about. Three years ago a 25mm (one inch) hairline crack was found on the pressure hull of the (then) 14 year old USS Toledo. The crack was in the metal plate, not a weld, which was replaced. Above the crack there was a 53 cm (21 inch) hairline crack in the outer (non-pressurized) hull, which was under the sail. The USS Toledo had just undergone a three year refit, costing $179 million when these cracks were discovered. The sub was sent to a nearby (to New London, Connecticut) shipyard for repairs. At first it was thought some of these cracks were related to a recent scandal where shipyard workers failed to check for substandard welds but that was not the case with the Toledo.

Such a crack in the pressure hull is a serious problem because it makes it more likely that the pressure hull would fail and flood the boat, at less than the "test depth" (about two thirds the "design depth," which is the maximum depth the sub can operate at). Going a little deeper gets you to the collapse (or "crush") depth, at which the pressure hull is crushed and implodes. The deepest diving U.S. subs, the Seawolf class, are believed to have a test depth of 490 meters (1,600 feet) and a collapse depth of 730 meters (2,400 feet). During World War II collapse depths were never more than 320 meters (a thousand feet). Since then, larger boats, built of stronger metals, have greatly increased the depth subs can operate at. But that only works if the crew knows the limits of their boats, and cracks in the pressure hull reduce those limits.

Both the Miami and the Toledo were among the latest "improved Los Angeles" boats. If the Miami were retired, a much older (in terms of technology) boat would have to delay retirement and fill in. Upgrading one of these older boats would also be expensive. If the repairs for the Miami do indeed cost less than half a billion, then it's worth keeping the Miami in service.

The navy is putting most of its cash into building new Virginia class boats to replace the 42 (of 62) remaining Los Angeles subs. The most recent of Los Angeles boats entered service in 1996, and will be gone by the end of the next decade. Nine Virginias are in service and another 21 are planned. If the navy can scrounge up enough cash it can build two a year they can have all the Virginias in service before the Los Angeles class is gone. Otherwise, the SSN fleet will shrink because additional old Los Angeles subs will be retiring compared to new Virginia's entering service.

Electric Boat Awarded $94 Million To Repair Burned Nuclear Submarine

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $94 million contract to Electric Boat to help pay for repairs of the USS Miami, the Groton-built nuclear submarine that caught fire at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on May 23.

A vacuum cleaner was identified as the cause of the fire that burned for 10 hours. The fire never threatened the submarine's nuclear reactor; it was located on the other end of the ship. There were no weapons onboard.

Shipyard officials earlier reported the Navy believed it would cost an estimated $400 million to repair the USS Miami.

The contract will pay for advanced planning and material efforts in support of repairs, according to a statement by U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney.

He said choosing Electric Boat for the contract was the right decision.

“This work is not a normal repair job, but rather a drastic overhaul of the burnt-out innards of this critical vessel,” the statement said. “As the builder of the Miami, the talented men and women of Electric Boat are uniquely suited to take on this challenge.”

He said Electric Boat took on a similar task three years ago, when it replaced the torn sail of the USS Hartford.

Nuclear submarine fire sparks two Navy probes

Investigators aim to learn why the blaze spread so fast and to find ways to reduce in-dock hazards.

Setting sail aboard a nuclear-powered submarine that can travel deep underwater at speeds topping 30 mph with complicated equipment and an arsenal of weapons has inherent danger. But there's potential for a bigger risk when the sub is in dock for major work.

Submarines that are being overhauled, like the USS Miami, which suffered $450 million in damage in a fire in May, are often crowded with shipyard workers and equipment. Temporary systems are established and there are cables running throughout the sub. Deck plating is sometimes removed, creating holes in passageways.

"Submarines face different dangers, perhaps bigger ones, when they're being overhauled or repaired in an industrial setting," said Peter Bowman, a retired Navy captain and former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard commander.

On the USS Miami, those who battled the fire that started May 23 said it knocked out lighting, and a crew member broke ribs when he fell into a hole.

It took the efforts of more than 100 firefighters to save the USS Miami in dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after a civilian shipyard worker allegedly set a fire that quickly spread through its forward compartments.

Two Navy panels are continuing wide-ranging investigations aimed at identifying factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the fire as well as ways to reduce hazards and improve firefighting response in the future.

The Navy hopes to complete the investigations by month's end.

Bowman and Jerry Holland, a retired Navy rear admiral and submarine commander, said that an industrial setting exposes submarines to hazards that normally wouldn't be present at sea, when the ship's entire crew is present and all equipment and systems are in shipshape and in full operating order.

Some of the most serious ship and submarine calamities in U.S. naval history have happened with a vessel at dock, in construction or under repair.

In 1960, another nuclear-powered submarine, USS Sargo, suffered serious damage and the loss of one crew member during an oxygen fire at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. And 50 shipyard workers died when the aircraft carrier Constellation caught fire during construction at Brooklyn Naval Shipyard later that year in New York.

The submarine Guitarro sank during construction in 1969 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California; watertight doors and hatches couldn't be closed because of cables and hoses.

Minor problems can become big problems when a vessel's sophisticated damage control systems are offline, said Norman Polmar, a naval analyst and author.

"When the sub is not operational, you can't count on the normal tried-and-tested damage control, firefighting and other safety systems," Polmar said.

In the case of the USS Miami, firefighters reported that going into the sub was like stepping into a blast furnace, and a forensic study concluded that the temperature may have hit 1,000 degrees in areas, the Navy told The Associated Press.

The pressure hull was subjected to less heat, with isolated areas hitting 700 degrees. "However, for the most part, the hull was not exposed to temperatures above 350 degrees," said Dale Eng, a Navy spokesman.

The Navy intends to repair the submarine, which is based in Groton, Conn., with a goal of returning it to service in 2015.

Former shipyard worker Casey James Fury of Portsmouth, N.H., who's accused of setting the fire, remains held without bail while awaiting trial in federal court in Portland. Fury told Navy investigators that he set the fire because he was feeling anxiety and wanted to go home.

The criminal case could have bearing on the release of the Navy's findings.

While investigators hope to complete their work by month's end, they won't make their findings public if it interferes with the criminal case, said Pat Dolan, spokeswoman for the Navy Sea Systems Command.A forensic study concluded that the temperature may have hit 1,000 degrees, during the fire aboard the USS Miami in May.

USS Miami fire shows dangers subs face in dock

Setting sail aboard a nuclear-powered submarine that can travel deep underwater at speeds topping 30 mph with complicated equipment and an arsenal of weapons has inherent danger. But there’s potential for a bigger risk when the sub is in dock for major work.

Submarines that are being overhauled, like the USS Miami, which suffered $450 million in damage in a fire in May, are often crowded with shipyard workers and equipment. Temporary systems are established and there are cables running throughout the sub. Deck plating is sometimes removed, creating holes in passageways.

‘‘Submarines face different dangers, perhaps bigger ones, when they’re being overhauled or repaired in an industrial setting,’’ said Peter Bowman, a retired Navy captain and former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard commander.

On the USS Miami, those who battled the fire that started May 23 said it knocked out lighting, and a crew member broke ribs when he fell into a hole.

It took the efforts of more than 100 firefighters to save the USS Miami in dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after a civilian shipyard worker allegedly set a fire that quickly spread through its forward compartments.

Two Navy panels are continuing wide-ranging investigations aimed at identifying factors that contributed to the rapid spread of the fire as well as ways to reduce hazards and improve firefighting response in the future.

The Navy hopes to complete the investigations by month’s end.

Bowman and Jerry Holland, a retired Navy rear admiral and submarine commander, said that an industrial setting exposes submarines to hazards that normally wouldn’t be present at sea, when the ship’s entire crew is present and all equipment and systems are in shipshape and in full operating order.

Some of the most serious ship and submarine calamities in U.S. naval history have happened with a vessel at dock, in construction or under repair.

In 1960, another nuclear-powered submarine, USS Sargo, suffered serious damage and the loss of one crew member during an oxygen fire at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. And 50 shipyard workers died when the aircraft carrier Constellation caught fire during construction at Brooklyn Naval Shipyard later that year in New York.

The submarine Guitarro sank during construction in 1969 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California; watertight doors and hatches couldn’t be closed because of cables and hoses.

Minor problems can become big problems when a vessel’s sophisticated damage control systems are offline, said Norman Polmar, a naval analyst and author.

‘‘When the sub is not operational, you can’t count on the normal tried-and-tested damage control, firefighting and other safety systems,’’ Polmar said.

In the case of the USS Miami, firefighters reported that going into the sub was like stepping into a blast furnace, and a forensic study concluded that the temperature may have hit 1,000 degrees in areas, the Navy told The Associated Press.

The pressure hull was subjected to less heat, with isolated areas hitting 700 degrees. ‘‘However, for the most part, the hull was not exposed to temperatures above 350 degrees,’’ said Dale Eng, a Navy spokesman.

The Navy intends to repair the submarine, which is based in Groton, Conn., with a goal of returning it to service in 2015.

Former shipyard worker Casey James Fury of Portsmouth, N.H., who’s accused of setting the fire, remains held without bail while awaiting trial in federal court in Portland. Fury told Navy investigators that he set the fire because he was feeling anxiety and wanted to go home.

The criminal case could have bearing on the release of the Navy’s findings.

While investigators hope to complete their work by month’s end, they won’t make their findings public if it interferes with the criminal case, said Pat Dolan, spokeswoman for the Navy Sea Systems Command.

Navy: Sub Worker Set Fire So He Could Leave Early

A civilian laborer set a fire that caused $400 million in damage to a nuclear-powered submarine because he had anxiety and wanted to get out of work early, Navy investigators said Monday.

Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., faces up to life in prison if convicted of two counts of arson in the fire aboard the USS Miami attack submarine while it was in dry dock May 23 and a second blaze outside the sub on June 16.

Fury was taking medications for anxiety and depression and told investigators he set the fires so he could get out of work, according a seven-page affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland.

Fury made his first court appearance Monday afternoon but did not enter a plea.

People who appeared to be family members attended the hearing but declined to comment. His federal public defender, David Beneman, did not speak in court and earlier in the day also declined to comment to The Associated Press.

The Miami was in dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, for an overhaul when the fire damaged the torpedo room and command area inside the forward compartment. It took more than 12 hours to extinguish.

The Navy originally said the first fire started when an industrial vacuum cleaner sucked up a heat source that ignited debris inside.

Fury said he set the second fire after getting anxious over a text-message exchange with an ex-girlfriend about a man she had started seeing, according to the affidavit. He wanted to leave work early, so he took some alcohol wipes and set them on fire outside the submarine. There was no damage and no injuries in that incident.

Fury, who was working on the sub as a painter and sandblaster, initially denied starting the fires but eventually acknowledged his involvement, the affidavit states.

He admitted setting the May 23 fire, which caused an estimated $400 million in damage, while taking a lie-detector test and being told by the examiner he wasn't being truthful.

Fury told Timothy Bailey, an agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, that "his anxiety started getting really bad," so he grabbed his cigarettes and a lighter, walked up to a bunk room and set fire to some rags on the top bunk.

Fury said he initially lied about setting the fires "because he was scared and because everything was blurry to him and his memory was impacted due to his anxiety and the medication he was taking at the time," according to the affidavit.

Fury told NCIS agent Jeremy Gauthier that he was taking three medications for anxiety, depression and sleep, and a fourth for allergies. He checked himself into an in-patient mental health facility on June 21 and checked himself out two days later, the affidavit reads.

If convicted of either charge, Fury could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 and be ordered to pay restitution, officials said.

Magistrate Judge John Rich III scheduled a combined detention and probable cause hearing for next month. The U.S. attorney's office has filed a motion asking that Fury be held without bail.