2,068 PQS Updates Position Navy Maintenance Teams for Future Readiness

Thirteen subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the U.S. Navy gathered at Dam Neck, Virginia, August 25-27, 2026, for a three-day workshop that produced 2,068 changes to the Maintenance and Material Management (3-M) Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS). Facilitated by a team from Center for Service Support (CSS) of Newport, Rhode Island, the event brought together representatives from major fleet commands to ensure Sailor qualifications remain current, accurate, and aligned with operational realities.
The 3-M System is the Navy’s foundational program for standardized maintenance. It provides a uniform method to plan, schedule, perform, document, and track maintenance on equipment aboard surface ships, submarines, and at shore facilities. The system’s core purpose is to maximize equipment operational readiness, prevent unexpected failures, and maintain a complete, auditable history of maintenance actions.
Personnel Qualification Standards form the critical link between this maintenance system and the Sailors who execute it. PQS outlines the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities required at different levels of the 3-M organization. Keeping these standards up to date is essential as equipment, missions, policies, and procedures continue to evolve.
“PQS workshops are vital because a PQS can become outdated as equipment, missions, policies, and procedures change,” said CSS’s NRTC Management lead Mr. Richard Rangel, who helped facilitate the workshop with CSS Program Analyst Mr. Ray Paradis.
The workshop drew 13 SMEs from a broad spectrum of commands, including U.S. Fleet Forces Command; Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific; Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic; Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic; Afloat Training Group, Norfolk; Afloat Training Group, San Diego; and Navy Service Support Advanced Training Command.
These experts arrived with deep, command-specific knowledge. Their in-depth expertise and rock-solid commitment to “getting it right” proved essential in reviewing, proposing, discussing, and ultimately agreeing upon 2,068 changes. The result is a PQS that better supports the training, qualifications, and readiness of every Sailor - those currently serving and those who will follow.
Chief Electronics Technician Keith Halloran, a 3-MC Instructor/Course Supervisor, was most surprised at “how many people from different TYCOMs came into the process with only the perspective they work in, and how we were all able to develop the process in real-time to incorporate their inputs along with all the others who had a different point of view.”
The spirit of teamwork extended well beyond the three days in Dam Neck. Over the preceding month and a half, SMEs from the Navy’s major Type Commanders (TYCOMs) collaborated intensively.
Senior Chief Damage Controlman Jessica E. Lugo, Force 3MC, CMEO, Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic said that she was “most proud of the teamwork and collaboration over the past month and a half across the Navy’s major TYCOM’s to author and publish an updated PQS that is better inclusive and accurate for the needs of the Fleet. I believe we were able to remove outdated information and re-align knowledge requirements to the appropriate levels of the 3-M organization. I am confident that our combined efforts will in turn make for a better product and qualification standard for the Fleet.”
The workshop’s outcomes go far beyond a revised document. By removing outdated information and realigning knowledge requirements to the appropriate organizational levels, the updated 3-M PQS will provide a more relevant, inclusive, and accurate qualification standard. This directly supports the Navy’s ability to maintain its equipment at peak readiness and to develop proficient, confident Sailors.
Workshops of this nature remain vital as the Fleet continues to adapt to new technologies, evolving missions, and changing operational environments. The Center for Service Support’s facilitation of this event, combined with the dedicated participation of SMEs from across the Navy, demonstrates a shared commitment to excellence in maintenance management and Sailor development.
The 2,068 changes agreed upon in Dam Neck will help ensure that the 3-M System - and the Sailors who operate it - remain ready for whatever the future demands.
Head over to MyNavy Portal at the end of October to check out all the updates!

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