Watch the Recognition Ceremony slideshow →
| 720 | number of shipbuilders with 40 or more years of service |
| 35 | number of shipbuilders with 50 or more years |
| 30,762 | combined years of service of all 720 Master Shipbuilders |
'Master Shipbuilder' is the name we give to Newport News Shipbuilding employees with 40 or more continuous years of service. In 2012, we honored 720 employees who have earned Master Shipbuilder status, 301 of them beginning their shipbuilding careers in 1971.
A lot has changed since 1971. On January 12, All in the Family debuted on CBS. On April 14, President Nixon ended the U.S. trade embargo against China. In June, the 26th Amendment was ratified lowering the voting age to 18. In the shipyard, a new Hearing Protection Program required ear muffs to be worn in 95 percent of the yard.
Over their long careers, these shipbuilders have been a part of building some of the greatest ships ever made by our company, including 29 Los Angeles-class submarines and all 10 Nimitz-class carreirs. This generation of Newport News shipbuilders has shown the skill and perseverance of American manufacturing.
We are proud of these 720 men and women. They represent the quality of our work, the longevity of our workforce, and the success of American shipbuilding.