I Own This: March 2022 Nominees

PS Magazine’s I Own This campaign is designed to recognize Warfighters of all services who exemplify the highest standards of care for their assigned vehicles and equipment and contribute in meaningful ways to their unit's overall maintenance and supply posture. In short, they live and breathe readiness.

For Mar 2022, one Warfighter was nominated for this program: CMCN Merrick Schmehil, US Navy.
   
Why does this individual deserve recognition? I’ve observed CMCN Schmehil in the maintenance shop since he was assigned to maintain and repair 319 units of CESE assigned to the battalion. For the first month of deployment, CMCN Schmehil completed 87 preventive maintenance actions and 27 corrective repairs, directly contributing to a readiness rating of 100% for the unit. CMCN Schmehil dedicated 180 hours working with a crew of four (4) mechanics for the Battalion Equipment Evaluation Program (BEEP) for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1. During the BEEP, he provided thorough inspections on 64 units of equipment. Additionally, CMCN Schmehil displayed superb leadership while supervising a team of personnel tasked with troubleshooting and repairing equipment, ranging from hydraulic line manufacturing to major engine diagnostics and tuning. Under his guidance, the troubleshooting and repairs ultimately increased equipment availability by 3% within the first month of deployment.

Additional Comments: CMCN Schmehil is dedicated to teaching maintenance equipment and sustainment processes to others. He’s conducted over 25 man hours of on-the-job training (OJT) on 3M* preventive maintenance and Dr. Diesel** functions. The OJT has greatly improved the battalion’s readiness.
 
* 3M preventative maintenance is the unit’s routine maintenance, such as monthly inspections, quarterly lubes and annual safety inspections.
** Dr. Diesel is a computer troubleshooting tool used on heavy construction equipment, which has manufacturer-specific diagnostic software like Caterpillar® Electronic Technician (CAT ET), technical manuals, parts manuals and other engine management programs that’s connected to equipment to communicate with the ECM and run diagnostics.