On January 30, I led an EB team who met with Naval Reactors (NR) to discuss the progress we’ve made on improving our discipline to standards in the execution of work. As you recall, following the NAVSEA Audit A-finding of last June, EB’s Core Values Project Team gathered feedback from a cross-section of employees to better understand the causes of our declining discipline to performance standards. The team worked with senior leadership to develop and articulate our Core Values: Value Each Other, Behave with Integrity and Purpose and Commit to Excellence. The team next identified six lines of effort – safety, operational excellence, risk assessment/critical thinking, facilities, workforce engagement and development and continuous learning – to put our values into action, guiding our behaviors and improving our performance.
The employees who traveled with me to NR represented a cross-section of our company, demonstrating that we are aligned from senior leadership through to our Operations supervisors and, more importantly, that our actions in the above six areas are having a positive effect. Our goal was to have an open and honest discussion, and we accomplished that. Overall, the meeting was positive. While we shared some of our successes with NR, we also shared our challenges and areas of focus.
Two areas I personally highlighted were our efforts on Safety and Operational Excellence. We are making progress in safety training and earlier this month began OSHA 30-hour training for all members of the Operations Management team. We also described our efforts to establish a peer-to-peer approach to safety across the entire EB team. Our efforts to increase work order attainment and changes put in place – such as our new Operations Work List (OWL) tool – give our production supervisors less of an administrative burden and more time to work with their crews.
While NR acknowledged our progress, they highlighted three areas where we need to do more: document and learn more from “near misses” related to safety, continue to solve issues related to radiography testing safety, and further apply the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program Principles, aka the “Rickover Principles,” as our foundation for achieving discipline to standards across our workforce. While we have much more work to do, I was proud to represent all of you at NR and to show how we are working to get better every day.
Last month, I provided you with an update on SSN 792 PCU Vermont’s certification status and discussed how we all contribute to the certification of a ship. As of today, the 792 will be certified in the coming days, with fast cruise to follow and sea trials commencing soon after. This has been a difficult process for EB and NNS. We are spending considerable effort investigating our certification process and have self-reported several issues that we must improve on. Our certification process discipline and the formality we use to document any issues associated with the construction of the ship must be right every time. While none of the issues we uncovered impact the ability of the ship to safely conduct at-sea operations, we must all carry with us the importance of formally reporting any issues.
Overall, I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making as a team. With our Core Values guiding us, we will safely deliver the world’s most sophisticated ships to our Navy and continue our storied legacy well into this century.
Kevin Graney
Electric Boat Earns Top National Recognition in Military Times Best for Vets: Employers 2026 Rankings
Electric Boat continues to be recognized as a leading employer for veterans, service members, and military families, earning the #76 spot among 247 employers nationwide in the Military Times Best for Vets: Employers 2026 rankings. The recognition highlights the company’s longstanding commitment to recruiting, developing, supporting, and retaining veterans and military-connected talent across our workforce....Continue reading→
On the Waterfront, the Future Arizona is Coming to Life
An intricate, high-stakes choreography in Electric Boat’s North Yard is bringing the future Arizona (SSGN 803) to life as shipbuilders, led by Ship’s Manager Josh Leaf, continue to meet major milestones assembling the first submarine that features the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). In just a matter of weeks, EB teams in Groton and Quonset Point...Continue reading→
2026 Veterans Day Observances
Join us on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, for Electric Boat’s annual Veterans Day observances, as we gather together to honor our service members past and present. There will be ceremonies held for first-, second- and third-shift employees in Groton and Quonset Point. 2026 Veterans Day commemorative pins will be available for those in attendance. If...Continue reading→
Introducing the Native Americans & Indigenous People of Electric Boat (NAIP) Employee Resource Group
Electric Boat (EB) Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce while contributing to the success of our business. Formed to raise awareness and celebrate different cultures, communities, and experiences, these employee‑led groups foster a stronger sense of unity and belonging. ERGs cultivate an inclusive environment where employees can connect,...Continue reading→
Rayha Report Ep. 30: 40-Year Dinner Celebrates EB’s Distinguished Shipbuilders
Electric Boat recently held the annual 40-Year Shipbuilder Dinner at the Mystic Marriott, honoring the newest class of Distinguished Shipbuilders for their contributions to EB and our nation’s defense. Watch the latest Rayha Report to hear from a few of these shipbuilders as they reflect on their career in conversation with EB President Mark Rayha....Continue reading→
EB Supports 45th Annual MLK Scholarship Awards
Electric Boat was proud to serve as a scholarship sponsor for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund at its 45th Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner. More than 600 community members gathered to celebrate this year’s extraordinary cohort of 2026 MLK Scholars. These 13 outstanding students were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, character,...Continue reading→
Building the Future: EB’s New Central Distribution Hub
In April, Electric Boat (EB) began construction on the new central distribution hub for its warehousing, shipping, and receiving operations at 45 Frontage Road in North Stonington, CT. Since then, the 480,000‑square‑foot next‑generation warehouse facility has quickly taken shape. All wall panels are now complete, and construction is ahead of schedule. The facility will celebrate...Continue reading→
Delivering the Future
Some imagine the future. We deliver it now.
State-of-the-Art Simulator Prepares District of Columbia Crew for its Mission
As construction of the District of Columbia (SSBN 826) continues apace in EB’s South Yard Assembly Building, the sailors who will soon be at the controls are spending hours in a dynamic, high-tech simulator learning the intricacies of operating the 21,000-ton, first-in-class boomer. The Columbia Ship Control Operator Trainer (CSCOT) is a replica of the...Continue reading→
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of USS Groton Sail Monument
Fifty years after the USS Groton (SSN‑694) first launched, dozens gathered outside the Groton Public Library Oct. 9 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the USS Groton Sail Monument. The $6.6 million project—three decades in the making—will honor the men and women who design, build, operate and maintain the Navy’s submarines, as well as the families...Continue reading→
