DVIDS – News – Shipyard Spotlight: Martha Ricks – A Career Buoyed by Perseverance and Dedication

In the Life Raft section of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), attention to detail is paramount. Located in the Sail Loft, Ration Room, Martha Ricks and her team quietly and meticulously pack 25-passenger and 50-passenger life rafts intended for installation on carriers stationed at NNSY.

Martha Ricks was born and raised in the Deep Creek area of Chesapeake, Virginia. When she joined the shipyard in 1970, Ricks was a First Stage Builder Shipwright in the Helper to Worker Program, earning $1.98 an hour.

In 1973, Ricks helped lead the charge for women working in drydocks and on heavy weapons systems. Ricks was a trailblazer not only for the shipyard, but for her family; she proudly recalls purchasing her first home at the age of 27, a significant achievement for a single African American woman in the 1970s.

Her teammate, Jamie Faulkner remarked, “All of us love Martha. She is very humble and committed to getting the job done, which is what the Navy needs.”

Ricks’ team follows a checklist to pack the life rafts, ensuring that each item is correctly included. The rafts are packed with various items, including the reverse osmosis declinator, a survival device used to treat seawater, making it suitable for drinking, bathing, and food preparation.

The 25-passenger life raft weighs approximately 323 pounds, and the 50-passenger life raft weighs about 600 pounds. Each life raft is good for five years, and Ricks’ team averages packing two a day.

When asked about the people who inspired her throughout her career, Ricks cited Beverly King, a Sail Loft Supervisor. “Beverly was fair and square; she showed me the importance of accountability and being on time.”

Martha Ricks is one of the shipyard’s hidden treasures. She embodies the history of the shipyard and exemplifies the progress and values of perseverance and dedication that make NNSY America’s shipyard. Her career has been buoyed by these values, and she continues to inspire those around her.