Number Twenty Seven Winter 2006 - 2007

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ASSOCIATION

Newsletter

By RDML Mike Hardee (’77) PATUXENT RIVER, MD – November 15, 2006 – Since I last checked in with you, it’s been an incredibly busy past couple of months. The good news: the Office of the Secretary of Defense approved the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) business plan in August. The great news: This means we can proceed with transforming naval aviation maintenance. In October 2006 we officially began the transition of Naval Aviation Depots and CONUS AIMDs into FRCs. This transformation aligns and streamlines the production capability and capacity of the Depots with the AIMDs into a single, CONUS, off-flightline, shore-based maintenance provider. Remember, the goal is to meet the required readiness by providing the right level of maintenance as close to the flightline as practicable at the right cost. Additionally, efficiencies we’ll gain from implementing FRCs will prepare us to service the next generation of warfighting platforms including the JSF, V-22, MMA, UAVs and all the emergent technologies that they and other platforms will bring in our maintenance business. Please keep in mind, folks, the FRC transformation will not happen over night. This is the biggest change in the way the Navy conducts aircraft maintenance in 50 years, so it’s going to take some time to think things through and get this right. I ask for your patience and continued high quality service while we navigate the challenges ahead of us. The first thing you should know is that we have “operationally” stood-up as an FRC. What does that mean? This means that we have begun to operate as an FRC by establishing initial operating capability (IOC). And in compliance with BRAC law, we will have two years to complete the transformation from initial to full operating capability (FOC).

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Transforming Naval Aviation: Fleet Readiness Centers

http://www.amdo.org

Make it a matter of routine to check the AMDO Association Web Site daily. We're always adding information and articles of interest to the community. Here's what you'll find:

Breaking news of interest Selection board results as soon as they are released E-mail addresses for hundreds of AMDOs, plus our

aviation LDO and CWO brethren (Check yours and make sure its up-to-date)

ALNAVs of interest to AMDOs Link to the latest AMDO Directory, electronically The latest AMDO FTS Directory AMDO Photo Gallery for your entertainment The Aviation Maintenance Encyclopedia .…and much, much more

Check it daily!

Is It Membership Renewal Time??

Check the mailing label on your Newsletter. If the membership expiration date above your name is December 2006 or prior, please renew now. Send your renewal check ($10 or $20) to the AMDO Association at the address on the back cover OR you can renew with your plastic via PayPal at www.amdo.org/members.html. While you’re at it, update us on your phone numbers and e-mail addresses as well as what you’ve been doing lately. Thanks!

We do send e-mails to remind you when renewal is due, but keeping ahead of the game is truly appreciated.

Featured Articles Into the Real World ...................................Curt Shanahan The View from Bahrain .............................Rusty Robertson Cyclone Larry............................................Laura Caldwell My AIRSpeed Vacation.............................Mark Nieto Safety & Risk Management ......................Phil Smiley An Annulment ...........................................John Roach

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FRCs (con’t from page 1) So what changes can you expect? Most immediately: FRC area commands, their respective site commands and COMFRC headquarters are operationally aligned to Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF). This means COMFRC is assigned operational control of the integrated CONUS Depot and Intermediate production activities. Another change you may have noticed already: our new logo was unveiled for COMFRC. This logo symbolizes the partnership of our military and civilian teammates to support the warfighter with greater efficiency, agility and velocity of operations. You should know that your senior leaders and I are committed to ensuring we do the right thing for the fleet as well as you and every member of the Navy's finest aircraft maintenance team. Given Naval Aviation's key role in supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terror, our aircraft maintenance and supply workforce has become an indispensable "national asset" in sustaining our aging aircraft weapons systems. In spite of all the good change that is about to happen, remember our basic mission to keep aircraft, engines, and components flowing back to the warfighter in a combat-ready condition will not change. That is a major component of our primary function—the reason we exist. And with FRCs, we’ll be better positioned to “Fix it once, fix it right, and fix it on time!” As of 3 November 2006, HQ COMFRC and all 6 area commands have stood up and are now organizationally aligned to CNAF and are operating like an FRC with Initial Operating Capability established. Leadership teams are as follows: HQ COMFRC: Commander: RDML Mike Hardee Deputy Commander: Mr. John Johns, SES Chief of Staff: CAPT Samuel "Gordy" Coward Operations/EA: Kristen Shaffer Communications Team: Susu Kulow and Laurie Schmidt FRC East: CO - COL Reed XO - COL David Smith FRC Southeast: CO - CAPT John Scanlan XO - CAPT Tim Matthews FRC Southwest: CO - CAPT Fred Cleveland XO - CAPT Mike Kelly FRC Northwest: CO - CDR Kate Erb PCO - CDR Jim Parish FRC Mid-Atlantic: CO - CAPT Steve Bartlett PXO - CAPT Will Bransom FRC West: CO - CDR John Kemna

Learn more about FRCs online at: http://www.cnaf.navy.mil/navriip/

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FOUNDING FATHER’S CORNER

Howard Goben, AMDO #1, died on 22 September 2006 at the age of 82 following a series of strokes and several stays in the hospital. In the middle 1960s, Gobe worked tirelessly to establish a cadre of professional aviation maintenance officers, and became the most senior of the first 100 AMDOs designated. He made many, many invaluable contributions to organizing and improving naval aviation maintenance, several of which are documented on the History Page of this web site and in the many columns he wrote for the AMDO Association Newsletter. There will never be another like him, and we all owe him great honor for his many singular accomplishments. This is an appropriate spot in the AMDO Association Newsletter to retrace Gobe’s Navy footsteps:

Born Kilbourne, IL 29 June 1924. Graduated Springfield High School Class of '42, and was sworn into the Naval Aviation Cadet Program (V-5) 7 September ’42. Active duty commenced in January '43 at Navy Pre-Flight School, Del Monte, CA. He then had flight training at Norman, OK and Corpus Christi, TX. Graduated flight training, was commissioned Ensign, USNR, and designated Naval Aviator in Mar '44. Operational flight training at NAS Fort Lauderdale, FL in the TBF "Avenger" Torpedo Bomber. Combat Tour with Composite Squadron 77 aboard USS Rudyard Bay (CVE 81). Saw action in the Philippines and at Iwo Jima. Married Virginia Anne Halligan 14 April 1945 (three children). Post-war duties in various squadrons, staffs, aircraft carriers. Was a flight training instructor. Made numerous carrier deployments to Pacific and Mediterranean. Collateral duties in administration, personnel, legal, communications, and aircraft maintenance. Commissioned into the Regular Navy at Quonset Point, probably about 1945. Duty at FASRON 11, Atsugi, Japan and Det Com K 18 Kangnong Korea to '53. Attended General Line School, Monterey, CA and NROTC at University of Mississippi '55 - '56. Assistant Air Boss, USS Essex (CVA 9) North Island, CA and then First Lt. when Essex moved to Mayport, FL. Navy Aviation Safety School, University of Southern Cal '57. VAW 33 Quonset Point, RI to '58. Aviation Maintenance Officers School, NATTC Memphis, TN '58. Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Heavy Attack Squadron FIVE, USS Forrestal (CVA 59) ‘59- '61. OIC, Aircraft Maintenance Technical Advisory Teams, Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet, NAS Norfolk, VA. Head, Fleet Aircraft Maintenance Division, Bureau of Naval Weapons, Washington '63 - '65. Head, Aircraft Maintenance and Material Division, Office of Deputy Chief Naval Operations (Air) '65 - ‘71. Head, Advanced Logistics Division, Naval Aviation Integrated Logistics Command, Patuxent River, MD '71 - '72. Head, Aviation Maintenance Division (Code 74), Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet ‘72 - ’75. Officer-in-Charge, Commander Fleet Air Western Pacific Detachment, NAS Cubi Point, Philippines ’73 – ’75. Gobe retired from active duty on 1 July 1975.

And here’s a note that Ginny asked us to pass along: “I have had such wonderful messages from so many of the guys and gals. I have always been proud of Gobe and now after all the great letters and messages, I am really overwhelmed with pride. Will you put a great thank you with hugs and kisses to all in your next newsletter. And a thanks to the Association for the very thoughtful floral spray. I have it on the deck and will plant it in the spring.” If you’d like to send a card or note to Mrs. Goben, you can write her at:

Ginny Goben 476 Strawberry Lane Buffalo Junction, VA 24529 gingob@kerrlake.com

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Congrats to the selectees from the NAVAIRSYSCOM Major Acquisition Command Slating Panel: FRC MID-ATLANTIC CO, NORFOLK, VA - CAPT Steve Bartlett FRC MID-ATLANTIC XO, NORFOLK, VA - CAPT Will Bransom

Congrats to the following FY07 Active Duty Commander selectees:

Cristal Caler Kevin Crabbe Trent DeMoss Mark Dover Bob Farmer Dave Ferreira Rusty Medford Charles K. Nixon Kimberly Schulz

Congrats to the following FY07 Reserve LCDR selectees:

Noel Colon Cristina Esposito Jeff Pizanti

Congrats to the following FY07 FTS LCDR selectees: Kevin Beers Sharon Tuono David Zundel

Congrats to the following FY07 active duty LCDR selectees:

Mike Barriere Rob Burgess Bernard Calamug Ken Cameron Scott Carter Francini Clemmons Marc Farnsworth Christopher Haas Jon Hersey Joseph Hidalgo Dale Locklar Vencent Logan Joshua MacMurdo Michael Marrero Terry Mejos Richie Mercado Saturnino Mojica Jeff Myers Winford Peregrino Marilee Pike Scott Schulz Tim Snowden Kentaro Tachikawa John Turner Mike Wagner

Congrats to the following active duty AMDO LT selectees:

Derek Burns Leanne Carter Tommie Crawford Brian Cryer Tammy Farnsworth William Gray Brian Hawkins Ed Hood Daniel Jones Grant Leslie Eric Nagle Eric Quarles Becky Ramos Lance Roberts Tom Schroeder Spencer Shih Franklin Suela Paul Thomas

....and to the following USNR AMDO LT selectees: David Campbell Brenda L Eastman Kevin T Johnston (FTS) Wilfredo C Pena Patrick D Tackitt

Congratulations to RADM Mike Bachmann, the senior AMDO on active duty, on putting on his second star.

Joe Weatherspoon, YG 61, died of a heart attack on 27 September in his hometown of Manassas, VA. Joe was one of

the original 100 AMDOs and a charter member of the AMDO Association. He was very active in the Smith Mountain Lake homeowner's association, and was serving his second term as president of the Association of Lake Area Communities.

Claude Harris, Honorary AMDO#3, and a long-time stalwart at COMNAVAIRLANT, died in July.

Community News: Congrats to our Selectees

More AMDOs in the News

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YG 57 Larry Gallion is in an assisted living facility in Fredericksburg, VA due to peripheral neuropathy which limits his ability to get around. Otherwise, he’s in fine spirits and doing well.

YG 59 Mr. and Mrs. Hank Baker spent their 50th anniversary with a three-week trip to Hawaii in August. Don Eaton retired from NPS on 31 December 2005 and bought a house in Paso Robles, CA as a retirement site which he says is most convenient for reaching California’s Parks. Don continues to teach at NPS as a sub-contractor even though it is a 120 mile trip one-way. Don got married in October 2005 after being single for 13 years.

YG 64 Bob Hunter went through a painful bout with a torn rotator cuff last spring that ended in surgery and weeks of therapy.

YG 65 Norm Blinn traded his 34-footer for a Duffy37, a true Maine lobster hull. Vern Listol moved to Tennessee and 18 months ago had his aorta valve replaced with an experimental "pig valve". Vern gets checked every six months and to date is doing great. During the operation he also had a triple bypass. “Too many sliders?”, Vern asks.

YG 66 Will Gabber reports that he’s reasonably healthy, enjoying life, golfing a bit, fishing a bit, canoeing a bit and is into ballroom dancing a bit. Occasionally he works part-time at an FAA Part-147 school.

YG 67 In early November, Wayne Smith’s son, Colby, and friends, cycled the 200 miles from Austin to Dallas in an amazing 16 hours split between two days to raise money to support research into early onset dementia. At the finish line Colby presented the Center of Brain Health with a check for $14,602. Wayne is currently in a

nursing home in Pflugerville, TX with his final days approaching.

YG 68 Rich Minter reports that Helen successfully survived an encapsulated ruptured appendix in which the appendix just disintegrated over time and did not require surgery. Other than this episode, all is better than expected with the Minters, he says. Dave Mozgala is back among the (part-time) employed as a starter/ranger and pro shop worker at his local country club. Dave says that in addition to the great golf benefits, he gets to operate the driving range ball pick-up cart!! Dave and Kathy will be taking a 25-day South American cruise in February. They will fly to Santiago, pick up the ship (Holland America), go around the Horn, and end up in Rio. Also, the Mozgalas just had their 8th grandchild, and #9 is due in January. Bob Munsey recently logged his 13,000th mile running. “Eat your heart out, Forrest Gump” he says.

YG 69 Bob Neel moved to Sacramento as the VP for West Region Supply Chain Operations for Coca-Cola North America. He now manages the Make and Move piece which now includes Water Plants and Minute Maid Juice plants, in addition to the Syrup Manufacturing he used to manage....plus warehouse and transportation. In anticipation of retirement at the end of next year, Bob is building a house in Smithfield, VA on a Curtis Strange Golf Course called Cypress Creek. Don Schramm reports that thing have been pretty busy in his family. In June his youngest son received his Doctorate from University of Maryland and is now teaching at The Cathedral School for Girls at the National Cathedral in DC. The oldest Schramm son and his wife have presented them with two grandchildren. Don is still singing with the Washington National Opera and recently finished the North American debut of a relatively new opera, "Sophie's Choice" but he now has a nice break until the spring when production of a Czechoslovakian opera, "Jenufa", starts. Lyn and Don still operate their teaching studio with between 15 to 20 weekly students each and Lyn directs a semi-professional choral group, is Minister of Music at one of the local churches and runs a Concert Series. Last year Don was elected to the Washington/Baltimore Area

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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Committee for the American Guild of Musical Artists. They represent local artists who perform in productions at the Washington National Opera, the Wolf Trap Opera Company, the Washington Ballet, the Washington Concert Opera and the Baltimore Opera. Don says that contract negotiations are always fun. Having turned in his dissertation, Phil Smiley is on the home stretch in his doctoral program. We wonder what will the world do with another Dr. Phil? Ron Walker and his wife Sally still reside in Lake Havasu City, AZ where he is in his sixth year as the Chief Administrative Officer for Mohave County, AZ. Ron says that if anyone has driven across Hoover Dam from Las Vegas into Arizona, they're in Mohave County, all 13,500 square miles of it, and invites any visitors to Kingman or Lake Havasu City to give him a call. Ron is also the Public Lobbyist for the County, representing local interests at the State Capitol with the Governor's Office and Legislature. Despite the political battles, Ron says that life is good and that being an AMDO is great preparation for this type of career. Flexibility, tenacity and perseverance are AMDO traits that are most useful today. Further he says, “the thing I miss most in this environment, however, is the character, integrity, and face to fact honesty I experienced in the Navy. Well, one can't always have everything.”

YG 70 Sharon Gurke is now Business Development Director for Raytheon Technical Services Company working out of Reston, VA. Tom Snyder is working for the Nantahala Outdoor Center as their Head Raft Guide. He says that he runs river trips on the best Southeastern Rivers, including the Cheoah, Chattooga, Pigeon, Nolichucky, Ocoee, Nantahala and French Broad. Sandy retired a few weeks ago and the Snyders are doing a lot of traveling – heading to Central America for the month of February and Alaska for all of next summer, plus doing lots of kayaking and mountain biking. Tom says “I love retirement !!!! “

YG 71 Viv and Jerry Blocker had a cruise aboard the QM2 and report that the ship is fabulous. They really enjoyed the Canadian and New England ports of call. Tom Conroy reports that life is fine in Carlsbad, especially since he gets to his house in Lake Tahoe every three to four weeks.

YG 74 Greg Stachelczyk is doing quite well on his two new knees.

YG 75 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership Robert Gould, a USNR Capt (Ret) who is a maintenance safety instructor for Global Jet Services in MA.

YG 77 Pete Laszcz is now the Northrop Grumman Field Support Services Area Manager in San Diego. Mike Romero is co-owner of Faulkner Strategies, a political and marketing strategies company in Granger, IN.

YG 78 Bill Devey reports that life in Norfolk is going well although he’s decided to sell both his boat and his place in Daytona Beach. Marc Farnsworth headed waaay east and is now the COMFAIRWESTPAC Readiness Officer.

YG 79 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership Winn Harris, a retired 0-5 AMDO reservist who is now working at L-3 Communications in Greenville, TX where he is a Senior Logistics Specialist or Analyst working on aircraft programs for Navy, Air Force and foreign governments. He is involved in all elements of aircraft life including maintenance planning, provisioning, training, maintenance analysis, support equipment development, as well as sustainment and retirement planning.

YG 80 Eric Dean received a "Green Light" in August meaning that his PET scan showed absolutely no sign of the squamous cell carcinoma that brought him to his knees last November. Rich Roomian is still in the NAVAIR Reserve Program and is currently a member of Admiral Wallace’s staff. For non-Navy activities, he works for a Maryland-based company that focuses on making information network security solutions.

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Steve Williams left Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth and is now the site manager for Sikorsky Support Services’ UH-60 RESET site in Beeville, TX.

YG81 Shawn Hankins is working as a civilian at NSWC Dahlgren in the Navy Antiterrorism Technology Coordination Office. Shawn reports that it's really interesting work.

YG 82 Bill Bergin has been busy in his job on the Second Fleet staff. For the past year he worked on completing the final negotiations to conclude an agreement with 13 nations to stand up the new Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence. Besides work, Bill has been busy with three of his daughters in college, and made time to visit relatives in Massachusetts and catch a Red Sox game at Fenway. Mike Disano is a Research Fellow at LMI in McLean, VA. Pat Felts is getting to see the depot world from his position in the Joint Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Action Group in Wright Patterson AFB, OH. Tim Holland is completing his tour in Navy ERP and is transferring to the Depot side of AIR-6.0.

YG 83 Dave Geerdes completed his course at Harvard where he was Olin National Security Fellow and is now assigned to PMA201. After being relieved by Mike Belcher, JC Harding is off to DAU at Ft Belvoir to be an instructor.

YG 84 Will Ainsworth is now the Navy Helo Materiel Readiness Manager at CNAF.

YG 85 David Paulk has moved to the Navy ERP program after completing his tour at is PMA273 as T-45 APML. David Randle is being well educated at ICAF.

YG 86

Mike Beaulieu relieved Rob Caldwell as the AMDO community detailer. Laura and Rob Caldwell are now in Jax following Rob’s PCS to NADEP Jax. The Caldwells invite all 1520s, past and present, to drop by for drinks anytime they’re in the area Fred Hepler is the Autonomics Logistics IPT lead for the Joint Strike Fighter program. Lisa Lamarre resigned from Eagle Systems to devote her time to writing and publishing. However, she and Steve recently found time to do some scuba diving with Mike Kiem in Orlando.

YG 87 Donnie Bodin is back on the staff in New Orleans after completing his IA at GITMO. The AMDO Association welcomes into membership Graham Guiler, OIC of AIMD Mayport. Dan Van Orden was succeeded as AIMDO Stennis by Tim Pfannensetin, and now is working as NAVAIR 6.0B awaiting his retirement on 1 February. Art Pruett turned over the responsibilities as USS Ronald Reagan "FIXO" to John Farwell in September. Art has reported PMA 273 as relief for Dave Paulk.

YG 88 Charlie Chan retires on 15 December and reports that Nenette is doing well with her treatments at Duke. Ellen Evanoff is on an IA assignment in Afghanistan. Bart Grossman completed his AIMDO tour aboard Lincoln and is now Production Officer at NADEP North Island.

YG 89 John Larson finished his Support Equipment Officer tour at CNAF and COMNAVAIRLANT and reported for duty as our community's first uniformed instructor at Defense Acquisition University at Fort Belvoir. John is be assigned to the Production and Quality Manufacturing School, instructing both PQM and SYS courses. Lance Massey completed his AIMDO tour aboard Nimitz and is now the MO at Strike Fighter Wing Pac.

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YG 90 Bert Costa is now the MO at VFA-125 in Lemoore. Tim Pfannenstein relieved Dan Van Orden as AIMDO Stennis. Jeff Tandy took over as OIC, AIMD New Orleans in October following a successful tour at Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command culminating in his last assignment as DCS for Maintenance (CNRFC/CNAFR N42).

YG 91 George Bernloehr, the Director of Operations of MilitaryResumes.com, was recently interviewed during the Military2Civilian Job Fair at the Redbank Club, NWS Charleston, SC for an article on NewsBlaze.com. MilitaryResumes.com was created to offer an online recruiting solution for candidates that are currently transitioning out of the military as well as military veterans with varying amounts of business experience. John Farwell relieved Art Pruett as AIMDO, USS Ronald Reagan. Brian Jacobs completed his tour in PMA260 and is now AIMD Officer aboard USS Nimitz.

YG 92 Mark Dover detached from USS Tarawa and transferred to NATEC HQ at NAS North Island where he is the 6.7 (Integrated Technical Support Department) Deputy Department Head and Fleet Liaison Officer. Joana Garcia is now a VF-31 Tomcatter.

YG 93 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership Russ Dickison, on the CNAF Aviation Maintenance Management Team.

YG 94 When Chris Couch completes his IM-1 tour aboard USS Harry S. Truman in February, he’ll be heading for a tour at NADEP Jax. Mark Nieto is now aboard AIMD USS Ronald Reagan.

YG 95 Derrick Diaz will be retiring in March.

YG 96

After Joe Byers retires on 16 December at the NAS JRB Willow Grove Chapel he’ll be busy taking his wife Melanie on a trip to Oahu, Wakiki, conducting a Human Rights Organization benefit concert in Poughkeepsie, NY, and leading a missionary trip to Jungle Medics in Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Joe says he should have a job lined up teaching SAT testing with “The Princeton Review” and is still focused on getting his synthetic hydraulic fluid project off the ground (www.joebyersaerospace.com). Also, Joe is working a joint business venture for a solar hydrogen facility at Stewart International, Newburgh, NY. He plans on spinning the hydrogen technology into commercial aviation via an Embry Riddle Co-op agreement.

YG 97 Jim Belmont transferred from USS HST to CVWP at Whidbey Island. Grady Duffey transferred from VFA-115 to NAVAIR PMA299 as the relief for Tom Ball. Al Garcia is now at NPS in Monterey. John Montijo will be retiring out of VFA-102 this month. Jeff Pizanti has a new son, Franklin Dominic Pizanti (Frank), as of 18 October.

YG 98 Terry Mejos is in school at NPS in Monterey. Richie Mercado completed a six month deployment in support of OIF with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) for the $5.8 billion Logistic Civil Augmentation Program in Southern Iraq where he served as the QAR for all life support services and construction on Tallil Air Base, and managed the Theater Transportation Mission and Fuel Transportation activities. Richie says that “working in a completely joint environment turned out to be one of the best deployments in my career. Thanks to everyone for all the letters and e-mails of support I received. Please continue praying for the safe return home of all our troops.”

YG 99 Holly Falconieri left AIMD Sigonella and is now in school at NPS in Monterey.

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YG 01 Dave Hunt is now the IM-3 DO aboard USS John F. Kennedy.

YG 03 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership the following AMDOs: David Campbell, HM-15 at NAS Corpus Christi. Dennis Davio, the AMO in VFA-103 Tammy Farnworth, the AMO in HSL-44. Frank Suela, a prospective AIRSPEED Black Belt at

NATEC. Eric Quarles is now in NPS Monterey after completing his tour in VFA-211. Tom Schroeder completed his tour in VAQ-134 and is now the COMTRAWING ONE Maintenance Officer in Meridian.

YG 04 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership Brian Wood, the C-130T MMCO/C-12 OSGR in VR-54 at NAS/JRB New Orleans.

YG 06 The AMDO Association welcomes into membership the following AMDOs: Jeremy Beckham, the MCO in VFA-192 in Atsugi. Kacey Bowman, the VFA-31 Line Division Officer. Anthony Ellerbe, working in VP-5 in Jacksonville. Charles Fisher, the MCO in VFA-81 at NAS Oceana. Joshua Kaiser, working in VFA-2 at Lemoore. Tom Mills, working in VFA-37 at NAS Oceana. Thomas Miyano, working in VFA-11 at NAS Oceana. Max Roberts, the MCO in VAQ-137 at Whidbey Stephanie Shaffer, the IM-4 DivO aboard USS Ike. Tommy Tong, working in VAQ-141 at Whidbey Island.

Didn’t see your name here? Just send an update to newsletter@amdo.org.

Need any AMDO merchandise? Check the web site: http://www.amdo.org/AMDO_merchandise.html where you’ll find: Shirts Ball Caps Coins Coffee Mugs

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BY CURT SHANAHAN (’84) Hard to imagine I retired from the Navy over two years ago - back in May of 2004. Seems like yesterday, but then so does playing dodge ball in 8th grade at Cleveland Hill Junior High School in Cheektowaga, New York. It never feels like much time has gone by until you let perspective creep in to our pretend worlds. Seeing a major league pitcher who was born in 1985 or looking at photos from ten years ago after catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Ripples never come back. Shawn Hankins told me after he made Commander, he felt like a young kid walking around in his Dad’s clothes on occasion. I completely understand Shawn’s insight. Most of us are the old guys now on the outside but haven’t yet realized – in fact all of us reading this have a rear view mirror filling up with new memories. Marty warned me not to be too schmaltzy or he would edit my work so let me move on. Getting out of the Navy was as big a surprise to me, as it was to most everyone else. I have always aped the phrase, those that can’t be bought, are just expensive. Well I am here to tell you there is a scenario for changing just about any course and speed. My detailing triad was maximized by moving on – personally, professionally and career-wise. A former Lemoore-on shipmate of mine, John Malsbury, was working in industry and routinely would send me job offers he was aware of in hopes I knew of someone retiring that was a good fit. By virtue of being involved with the AMDO community, I had some insight on most everyone’s career plans and enjoyed trying to find good jobs for AMDO’s that planned to resign or retire. No one stays forever, but I will explain that more later. There was also a hidden agenda in my attempts at providing headhunter services, because I knew I would be asking those that found the best jobs for a job of my own one day. The better off those that got out before me ended up – the better my chances of not asking, do you want fries with that? John Malsbury called up one day about a job in Seattle and shared the salary range, bonus structure and other perks. I told him maybe I would put in for that job. Like most would have responded, he laughed and said I was a lifer – and I should look for someone who is really ready to retire. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I should at least take a look at the outside to see what was out there for me. Admiral Hardee had given me some advice a long time ago. He told me he would assess his career, finances and goals every year with his wife. He recommended this very detailed review be done every year on January 1st to ensure you have a strong plan that keeps you in the Navy and just as strong a plan if you have to come ashore. No one runs fire drills because they expect their house to burn down; we do them so we do not burn up with the house when a fire surprises us. I ascribed to his model and always looked at both roads and my wife and I dusted off and reviewed our forecasts and contingencies each year. I didn’t want to be the long-in-the-tooth Naval Officer that gets the call from the community asking him or her to retire to make room for the young talent. You know the one – the officer that has a minimum pass score of 22 minutes on the 1.5-mile run. I didn’t want to get to the point that I was staying in the Navy because of the comfort level it provided. Where else can you get fired, get moved to a job giving out towels at the gym and not lose a nickel of salary? I wanted to leave when the time was right. High School and college were some of the most fun years of my life – but if stayed in each for more than four years it would have been awkward to explain. After 20 years – there may have been some room for me to stick around longer– but I chose door number 2. I had long prescribed to the cliché; the grass is greener . . . over the septic tank; I didn’t want to jump to any greener pastures without doing some research. I did a lot of homework and crunched enough financial numbers to earn a degree in cost accounting. Staying in the Navy for a look at 0-6 would have been an honor. But was it worth it? How much fun where our community’s 0-6s having? I think the answer covered the full spectrum. I decided the experience of the interview would be worth its weight in gold, as I would have to interview for a job sooner or later. I needed the practice and interviews keep you sharp. Even today I encourage my employees to look at other companies in detail, if they stay with us it is because they are happy and believe they are getting the best package. You need to know you are being compensated fairly. There are only four ways I knew of to leave the Navy: retire, resign, die or get booted. I was over 20

Featured Articles

Into The Real World

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years so number two didn’t apply and number three and four were something I had tried to avoid from day one. That meant I was going to retire sooner or later. Testing my skill set in the open labor market would allow me to benchmark my value. During the interview I would ask for the moon – if they said no, I would go back to the job I knew and enjoyed in the Navy. I would simply chalk the interview up to experience, have a better feel for my value and feel more prepared for the next opportunity. The only other interview I ever had in my life was for my paper route. The Navy paid for my two degrees and I had nothing but odd jobs between the paper route and my commissioning. To be honest – Rockwell Collins is only my third job in my life after the Buffalo Evening News and the USN. To make a long story end – Rockwell Collins laid down their cards and offered me everything I asked for and added some other perks I wasn’t even smart enough to consider or demand. They called my bluff. Well you know what I decided. The more senior you get in our community the farther you move away from the Sailors and operations. You even move away from the cadre of JOs who keep you on your toes and always made it fun. If I was going to return to PAX or was going work in predominately government civilian organizations – I would need to review the sacrifice to my family for a few more PCS moves to continue in uniform. Working at a command where people threw around the term ‘supporting the fleet’ yet none of them had been next to a Sailor or pilot underway in years was something I had to seriously consider. How far could I be from the flight line or pier and still be happy in uniform? The Sailors were a great responsibility to lead and the true source of my job satisfaction. The number of Sailors I came in contact with are too many to count – but those were the happiest days. My time with Sailors culminated with the group I was lucky enough to be surrounded by onboard CVN 74. In fact it was the best group of HODS, officers, Chiefs and Sailors one could ever know. We all say we worked with the best ever when we transfer – but I really believed it after that tour. I was just reminiscing with someone from the STENNIS deployment and we couldn’t get over how unfair it was that we had all that talent on one ship. No one ever said it was cheating to recruit your A-team. For those of you on your 0-4 sea tour – start recruiting the team that will return to sea with you as an 0-5. The Sailors, Chiefs and JOs that sailed with me in the past and asked to come back to do it over again, made me prouder than words can describe. Those days in my Major AIMD tour were a high I don’t think I could have recreated. I know you have all heard the best tour is your Major AIMD and it is never as fun after that – I don’t believe that is true in all cases, and since I only had one post AIMD tour, I will never know for sure. Funny thing about retiring was the number of odd stories I heard after my emotional departure from the Navy. One of my trusted shipmates told me he was disappointed when he heard one of my former peers saying I cheated the Navy by leaving after taking all the good jobs. I can only guess they forgot what it took to get orders from detailers - the likes of Hielman, Marks or Roum – I don’t ever recall anything other than, “you’re going to ______, any questions” (note no question mark). The best rumor I heard was from one of my former JOs who called me after hearing I was involved in a scandal at the Depot and was forced to retire. He had to let them know I was doing well and left of my own volition. The only scandals may have been in ‘84 in the Philippines or in ‘88 in Palma, but my lawyer tells me unless there was a murder; the statute of limitations has expired. My retirement was under the best and most honorable of terms and I have not looked back for a minute with any regrets. After 20 years in the Navy, it was time for my wife and me to move on to CIVPACFLT. I am proud of the accomplishments of others I may have influenced and sincerely appreciate the thanks I have received from those who say I really did something for them that they are grateful for and appreciate. I don’t believe anyone that serves in the Navy takes more then they give. I am still here and still in touch with many of you. When I get emails from former Sailors, calls from past Shipmates, AMDOs or run into those I knew in the Navy, it brings back nothing but the best feelings. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t miss it. If I could go back to 8th grade again, I would do it all over again just about the exact same way. I may consider an ounce of better headwork on liberty here or there, but I would do it all over again. Someone needs to be there to give advice and counsel to the officers at all pay grades in our community. The flags, detailer and community manager are not enough. Taking time to listen is very important. Every one of our careers is unique and for the most part, no two are the same. I would challenge our 0-6s and Major AIMDOs to improve our in-community mentoring. Sonny Sauls, Bruce Hawk, Marty Reagan and Randy Weakley mentored me during my first two tours at AIMD Cubi and VAQ-137 deployed on CV-66. Mentoring is something we need to improve on. Too many of our AMDOs are out there on an island with little or no contact with senior AMDOs – much less counsel. I could never repay everyone for my experiences and will always feel a debt to our community and the Navy.

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It’s a big decision to stay in or get out. The decision is not one that is easy to talk about with your chain of command. If you let it out you are considering resignation or retirement, your foothold for future choice billets or fitrep ranking loses traction. Since no stays forever, I encourage those of you in uniform to have a plan and dust it off once each year. I took that advice and am passing it on. I do not pretend to know the answers for anyone – but I know the slam-dunk, sure thing decisions don’t come around very often. You have to weigh the pros and cons and always remember there are unknowns. As Admiral Heilman told us, march to the sound of gunfire, where the need, risk and rewards are all the greatest. No shortcuts or workarounds. Marty asked me to write something that compared industry to the depot and I don’t want overlook the one story he really wanted to hear. Working at the Depot with Frank Widick, Shawn Delaware, Dusty Sandoval, Eva Escalante, Fernando Ramirez and Brian Frank was the best experience I could have ever had to prepare me for the business world. I learned there are really only three goals. The focus belongs in three categories: maintaining a stable workforce, maximizing earnings (revenue - costs), and satisfying your markets. Of course the depot was revenue neutral – but that group could put up some contribution earnings numbers that would bring shareholders to tears of joy if they operated in the private sector. The civil service should be happy they work in government. They are all NAVAIR civilians and I was proud to work with them. We didn’t always agree, but they earned my respect. They are the very same group that our JOs and other officers do not fully appreciate, or more accurately understand their value. Bottom line – those stars listed above get it at North Island if you care to listen. I believed it while I worked with them and I know it now. The beauty of my position in Seattle is the level of total responsibility I am given with limited oversight into my sector of the business. The bottom line is – if your revenue/earnings are above forecast, your workforce is stable and your markets are satisfied, you don’t get many questions. My authorization levels for capital investment, expense and market giveaways would take years of analysis, Milcon, waivers, chits, point papers and power point presentations to even get consideration in my former life. You do not check with the chain of command on every decision. You are expected to make those decisions. The time from decision to execution is very quick. It scared me at first. To be able to succeed in this business, you need the core skills we have learned as leaders, maintainers and managers. But you have to truly understand both financial and cost accounting. What I used for financial tools while I was active duty was not adequate. The total cost of your product is much different when you have to pay every bill from facilities to support services to test equipment depreciation. The tools available in the commercial service world allow me to track details down to the technician level to determine their profit by bench (e.g. revenue, labor and material data for AT2 Smith working on NIATS serno 123), margins can be calculated by team, customer, equipment type or individual and TAT can be calculated by team, customer, equipment type etc. etc. Any way that data can be used to produce earnings or efficiency – we make it available. To think about tracking every technician in AIMD to determine who was costing the most money per repair, who was minimizing triage time, fault isolation/ repair time and test time while concurrently minimizing material and labor was nowhere near my scan. Today my leads and managers look at this data every day and live by it. To produce air wing readiness I drove output and backlog – and maybe TAT to a degree. The star AT2 in IM3 that put out more boxes from 1900 – 0700 than anyone else on the ship was the hero you couldn’t be without. Whether or not his contribution to readiness cost us $1M or $1, I never really stopped to worry about it and could not have measured the data if I wanted with accuracy. BCM/AVDLR charges did not tell the real story. Level III repair was only when the Suppo did not have the CCA onboard. I wanted readiness. My technicians today are incentivized to produce output, quality and earnings. To live by the output, TAT and backlog parameters alone would probably put me out of business – or more likely a job. The financials I see on a daily basis that measure my business make my job easy. I don’t give any of the money back, but some days I wonder. I still have to shoot from the hip and still have to rely on gut instincts – but that is usually when I am teaching a new bunch how to play I-bar rules Horse for a round of beers. I have read about some of the great efforts put in place by leadership to transform the Navy. This vision is accurate. How we get there will be a challenge. The very size of the Navy and intricacies across business units make this an opportunity to excel. I wish the Navy the best in their efforts and know those in uniform will always make it happen when the need arises. I will leave you with one thought that makes more sense to me now and was shared with me way back when we were young (younger), the depth of your ability to measure all pertinent data is directly proportional to the level of improvement you can attain. I want to extend a special thanks to Marty Reagan who has done a service to this community worthy of our recognition and thanks. His web site, newsletter and community support are the envy of every other designator. Pay your dues and buy him lunch when you’re in town. curtshanahan@yahoo.com

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The View from Bahrain

By RUSTY ROBERTSON (’86) As Naval Officers, both active and reserve, we are all somehow involved in the Global War on Terrorism in one form or another. Statistically, precious few of us get to apply our trade and make a direct contribution in a theater during conflict, and as a fairly senior reservist, I wasn’t sure that I would get a chance to get into “the theater.” Turns out I was wrong – I’ve landed a plum job and I’m putting my AMDO skills to work everyday. I’m a traditional reservist, normally fulfilling my reserve duties as the SELRES WingMO for Commander, Fleet Logistics Support Wing (CFLSW) in Fort Worth. For a SELRES 05, billets don’t get much better than that. With 15 squadrons flying six different airframes (C-9, C-12, C-20, C-37, C-40, and C-130) from homeports and deployed sites around the world, 24/7, it is the largest airwing in the Navy, active or reserve, and very challenging. In May of this year I was asked if I could help Commander, Fleet Air Western Pacific (CFWP) by gapping a billet that was going to be left vacant for a few months because of a retirement and a delay in the follow-on officer’s PCS move. I was mobilized on 14 August, and a week later I was assuming the duties as CFWP 5th Fleet Regional Aviation Maintenance Officer, forward deployed to Bahrain. As their theater representative, I work CFWP issues throughout the NAVCENT AOR, monitor programs and activities across the region, assist AIMD and ASD activities here in Bahrain, coordinate technical assist team and repair artisan visits to the theater, keep a “finger on the pulse” of the health of aviation operations and basically project a forward presence for CFWP, who has responsibility for the majority of naval aviation assets in the AOR including dirt dets in Djibouti, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq. And as part of the bargain, this billet has additional assigned duties as Air Readiness Officer for Commander, Task Force Five Three (CTF-53). In that role I monitor and report status on a wide variety of aircraft that are essential to the logistics chain in the region: C-9 and C-130 detachments from my old friends at CFLSW, as well as MH-60 aircraft from HSC-26 all based here in Bahrain to provide fleet essential, intra-theater airlift capability. Additionally, I provide status on the indigenous aviation assets of the US and coalition logistics ships and surface combatants in the AOR because of their role in accomplishing the vertical replenishment (vertrep) mission. There are also MH-53

aircraft from HM-15 with a permanent detachment that have a split mission of mine sweeping and logistics support, as well as the C-2 det off of the big deck operating in the theater. This AOR is very, very busy, as you might imagine. It extends from northeastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, down to the Seychelles, and all of the Middle East and gulf countries. Carrier Support Group (CSG) ships, the large deck, at least one L-deck, independently steaming surface combatants, patrol and mine sweeping craft, logistics ships and a whole host of other elements in theater all need continuous support. Moving PMC (Parts, Mail, and Cargo) in a timely, efficient manner is a challenging business, and aircraft are a vital element of maintaining the effectiveness and readiness in a theater with the size and complexity of NAVCENT. In my role as Air Readiness Officer, I report to a triple-hatted Navy O-6 who serves as Commander, Logistics Forces US Naval Forces Central Command, and Commander, Sealift Logistics Command Central, as well as Commander, Task Force Five Three. Each morning during eight o’clock reports, I provide a status of aircraft, maintenance problems and solutions, and lend AMDO experience to a staff primarily comprised of SWOs and Chops. Occasionally, my involvement can help to expedite parts to ailing aircraft in the AOR and get those FMC numbers up! With unfamiliar but frequently used geographical terms like HOA and GOA (Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden), GOO (Gulf of Oman), CAG and NAG (Central and Northern Arabian Gulf), I have had to spend a fair amount of time referring to my handy CENTCOM wall chart. I’m also getting to know some of the AOR’s “Stans” beyond just Pakistan and Afghanistan – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and the like. I had very limited knowledge of Bahrain before arriving here: basically I knew it was a Kingdom, predominantly Muslim, and an island. After having spent some time here, I now also know that it is warmer than I expected (of course, I live in Maine, so any day with a temperature with two digits is ‘warm’), fairly “westernized” compared to other Gulf countries, and has some absolutely horrible drivers. There are many, many local mosques that often dictate the tenor of the community

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that surrounds them, making for some variations in culture and composition across the city. Bahrain is also undergoing a huge state-sponsored modernization program in an effort to compete with their neighbor to the south, Dubai. Construction projects from high-rise offices to apartment complexes to up-scale gated communities are underway all across the northern part of this small country, with not quite enough attention being given to support infrastructure (they need to hire some urban planners). Every weekend, throngs of people cross the 25km bridge/causeway that connects Saudi Arabia to Bahrain to enjoy the relative freedoms here, and another bridge/causeway project is in the planning stages, this one to link Bahrain with Qatar. The Navy in Bahrain is actually split into three physical locations: The pier and dock areas, Naval Support Activity (NSA), and the aviation unit (Av Unit). NSA Bahrain is located in the capital city of Manama, and is a nice facility with a new Exchange complex, good (but not plentiful enough) quarters, attractive landscaping, improving office spaces, and lots of security. With the large Navy contingent here in Bahrain and the limited on-base quarters, many of us live in contract housing (generally apartments) in town. The Av Unit is a compound adjacent to the commercial and civilian aviation facilities at Bahrain International Airport in the town of Muharraq, featuring crowded ramp and hanger space, a lot of materiel on the move as part of the supply

chain, and a never-ending renovation project on the head here in the hanger. AIMD is moving part of its operation into a newly renovated building leased from DHL, which will be a marked improvement over its current facilities. While this is not the part of the Gulf where ordinance is being exchanged in anger everyday, we are often reminded that this, in fact, is a part of the world with potential direct involvement, and that extra vigilance is necessary, both on-base and off. Having an AMDO on staff in this theater is a perfect use of our skills. I’ll be relieved by LT Al Tundidor who will PCS here in January, and I will again return to the SELRES world and the VR Wing in Fort Worth, but the experience of being in the Middle East, coupled with the ability to work as an independent, forward deployed agent for one major staff and to be a contributor on another has made this a very valuable tour for me – and it has been unique to be both the supplier and end-user of the aircraft at the same time. And while we may not be at “The Tip of the Spear” here in Bahrain, everyday we are supplying the materials necessary to keep the tip sharp and effective, and it is an honor and a privilege to work with the dedicated professionals at the squadrons, support activities, and staffs.

By Laura Caldwell Mrs. Rob Caldwell (’86)

We arrived in Cairns, Australia, on March 18, 2006. It was our first stop on a two-week trip to Australia and New Zealand in celebration of our twentieth wedding anniversary. We planned to spend our first day relaxing and recovering from jetlag. But on Sunday morning the owner of our Bed and Breakfast, Jo Hopkins, briefed us on the unfolding weather story. A low pressure system in the Coral Sea had intensified to a Category 2 cyclone and was expected to make landfall as a strong Category 4—or possibly 5—within twenty four hours. Larry was predicted to come ashore the following morning, marching across Cairns and the outlying beach towns before charging inland on a north-westerly tack across banana and sugar plantations and thousands of acres of lush rainforest. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology updated the storm’s coordinates every hour and, with each new report, the outlook for our area grew bleaker. By noon, it was apparent we had no choice but to evacuate inland to higher ground.

Cyclone Larry

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Rob and I brought in as much outdoor furniture as we could while Jo made arrangements for us at a motel in the small village of Yungaburra, inland, and well off the cyclone’s predicted path. Not knowing when—or even if—we would be able to return to Jo’s house, we repacked our bags and loaded up the rental car to head inland. We checked in to the Yungaburra Park Motel Sunday afternoon and set out on foot to explore the village. We felt as though we had stepped back to 1950s America as we chatted with two seniors playing checkers on the front porch of the general store and dropped by the pub to get a weather update from the locals gathered around the television to watch Australia compete in the Commonwealth Games. No one could have predicted that Cyclone Larry was about to make an unexpected turn. By the following afternoon, most of Yungaburra would lie in ruin. Our motel was a solid, single-story cinder block affair owned by Gary and Derek Taylor, a father and son team who lived in an apartment above the office. They had purchased the motel only a month earlier and had never experienced a cyclone. Of the ten rooms, about half were occupied by evacuees. Some, like us, had come inland from coastal areas; others had come to town from remote rural areas, fearing the storm would cut them off from emergency services. As the evening progressed, the local television station offered hourly updates on Larry’s progress. It quickly became evident that the storm was taking a more westerly track and Yungaburra was no longer the safe haven we once hoped it would be. Forecasters were now calling for Larry to make landfall just south of Cairns and head inland, right overtop of us. The weather quickly worsened as daylight approached. We lost power at about 6 a.m. and, without a radio in our room, were essentially cut off from the outside world. In true 1520 fashion, our biggest concern now was not the lack of communications caused by the power outage, but the fact that the champagne in our mini-fridge was warming rapidly. So, despite the early hour, we popped the cork and downed the bottle, rationalizing that we didn’t want the champagne to go to waste. We still had a cell phone signal, so we phoned relatives in the States for an update on the storm’s track. We were surprised at how little news coverage this event received in the U.S., despite the fact that Larry rivaled Katrina in both strength and damage expectations. Ironically, we got our information from Australian websites via cell phone from the United States! We soon learned that, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s website, the eye of the storm was about to pass directly over Yungaburra. By 9 a.m., the walls of the motel began to shudder. Rain poured in from a field above and behind us, rising to about four feet at the back of the motel. Water blew in under the door and around the windows. We used towels to barricade against the torrents of rain streaming in and propped two chairs against the door to keep the wind from blowing it open. Strong winds ripped limbs from trees and tore the motel’s flag pole out of its concrete base. At one point during the morning, we were certain the corrugated tin roof of the motel would shear off. We gathered our suitcases and backpacks together near the door, prepared to grab them and go—to where, we weren’t quite sure. Trees fell all around us, many landing alarmingly near our rental car. Finally, shortly after noon, the storm began to subside. Although it was still raining and quite windy, Gary and Derek came around to each room offering hot tea, coffee and sandwiches, prepared using their generator. When we were able to get out and survey the damage, we realized we had endured the brunt of the storm. The highway in front of the motel was blocked by fallen trees in both directions. The restaurant where we dined the night before had sustained major roof damage and lost several of its lodging cabins. We made our way on foot up the highway to the pub and found that, in true Aussie fashion, it had remained open for the duration of the storm. In fact, several of the regulars we’d spoken with the night before were still at the bar, having chosen to remain at the pub overnight, riding out the storm with pints of beer.

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The general store also remained open throughout, despite a river of water running in the back door and out the front. With no electricity, both the pub and the store were taking cash and “IOUs” from patrons. The owner was giving away perishables—no charge—so they wouldn’t go to waste. We checked out of the Yungaburra Park Motel and headed back toward Cairns. Since the electricity was out, we simply left our credit card details with Gary, who promised to sort everything out once power was restored. It took a full day of driving before we came to a town with electricity. Travel was slow, hampered by downed trees and flooded roadways. Along the way, shopkeepers were happy to take an “IOU” in return for gas, water or food. Two days later, we were finally able to return to our Bed and Breakfast. Power had been restored in Cairns and some of the outlying areas, and members of the Australian Army joined locals to begin the long cleanup process. The most powerful cyclone to hit Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the city of Darwin on Christmas day in 1974, Larry brought sustained winds of 125 miles per hour in the direct hit on the coast. Stronger gusts, comparable to those of a Category 5 hurricane, were recorded during landfall. Damage assessments revealed that 95 percent of rainforests in the area had been devastated, as was a 150-kilometer strip of the Great Barrier Reef. Ninety percent of the Australian banana crop was lost. Despite the destruction, the Aussie good humor shone through. Nailed to what remained of one badly damaged house was a sign that boasted, “Just Larried!”

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By Mark Nieto (’94) I have been assigned as an Enterprise AIRSpeed Team Lead for nearly three years now and it has definitely been an adventure. I am currently under orders to the USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76) and really looking forward to taking everything I’ve learned in Enterprise AIRSpeed and applying it to a Fleet job. So, what am I taking with me you ask? Looking back at my “vacation” there are several key themes about implementing change as drastic and with such large scope of Enterprise AIRSpeed that I would like to share. They include the importance of goals, milestones and metrics for success; the importance for standardization and coordination; expectation management; and most importantly leadership. My hope is that the lessons learned in Enterprise AIRSpeed are gathered and applied not only on the new journey with the stand-up of Fleet Readiness Centers (FRC), but also as DoD starts to chart a course and policy on implementation of Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) programs throughout the services. Background When Enterprise AIRSpeed started in December 2003 we had a total of eight personnel (civilian and military) for implementations as well as schedule execution at all shore Navy and Marine IMA and Depot sites in three years. The focus was on execution of implementation as soon as possible and to find immediate cost savings for recapitalization. There was also an Execute Steering Committee (ESC) comprised of O-6 representatives from HQMC, CNAL (N41/N42), CNAP (N41/N42), NAVAIR (3.0&6.0), DLA and NAVICP. The approach that was agreed upon was to use Lean and Six Sigma with Theory of Constraints (TOC) as the overarching architecture. TOC encompassed the Market Demand-Pull concept and time domain management. Goals, Milestones and Metrics for Success Unfortunately, having only the metric of implementation completion was not enough. The expectation from leadership was that the AIRSpeed teams would be able to immediately answer the question of, “where is the savings?” However, we were only the implementation arm and technical advisors. In addition, the teams were never able to stay at a site to see the execution phase of an AIRSpeed design (remember the measurement was implement, implement, implement). The teams should have

What I Learned On My AIRSpeed Vacation

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stayed for execution of the design at least at the first prototype site. Therefore, the sites were on their own to implement the designs. The sites would have to be responsible for execution and any savings generated. Finally, AIRSpeed provides wholesale changes to the way we have done business for decades. Long term savings should not have been expected immediately. Specific goals and milestones should have been established similar to any program management, and communicated to all sites. Over time the expectations are still not fully clear. Some interim guidance and policy has been developed but we still have a long way to go. AIRSpeed-related metrics have been in work for nearly three years and hopefully we are close to a solution to provide expectation and measurement. The Enterprise AIRSpeed designs will do well in being adapted for FRC. Fortunately, FRC does have specific goals and milestones (written in law). Standardization and Coordination As a program we made some mistakes along the way, however this is part of starting a program from scratch. We had a program office in Patuxent River with responsibility for the implementation teams and the administration of the TOC contract. CNAF in San Diego was responsible for the administration of the Lean/Six Sigma contract with a different contractor. Sometimes this led to confusing messages to the sites and non-alignment as a program. Over time this shortcoming has been fixed as all contractors have come under one vehicle with the administration of the entire contract from the program office in Patuxent River. The implementation teams have also been integrated as much as possible with CNAF (N41&N42) and NAVAIR personnel.

There should also be some clarity in regards to the who and what when it comes to AIRSpeed. The NAE currently has four separate AIRSpeed efforts: Enterprise AIRSpeed, NAVAIR AIRSpeed, Depot AIRSpeed and NAVICP AIRSpeed. These multiple AIRSpeed efforts have caused some confusion in the Fleet and AIRSpeed has come to mean different things to different people because of the various efforts. Each one of these AIRSpeed efforts differ in focus, tools, contractors and scope. It is ironic that these efforts are separate when one of the primary reasons for the creation of Enterprise AIRSpeed was to align and standardize all of the local process improvement initiatives existing at the time in 2003. Fortunately, there is currently an effort underway by NAE leadership to merge the AIRSpeed efforts. This will not be a seamless transition, but in the long run this is the right thing to do. Standardization will need to occur in measurements/metrics, training, implementation, etc. The merge group is also working on how this merge will comply with recently released guidance by DoD for CPI programs. Expectation Management

Another key missing factor in the beginning was expectation management to the sites from senior leadership. Frequently we would receive pushback from site leadership because they were given no indication from their chain of command in regards to what their responsibilities or expectations were with implementation of Enterprise AIRSpeed. This was especially true of the Supply Corps community. I don’t think the Supply representation on the ESC truly understood the ramification of what the NAE was embarking on…it was not just a maintenance solution. To truly do AIRSpeed, as well as FRC, the solution involves Supply and Maintenance (wholesale and retail). We are truly dependent on each other as we provide RFI components for Suppo’s shelves and they provide the piece parts to facilitate the repair of repairable components. Leadership One of the biggest observations I’ve made in the past three years is how our community has changed in some great ways, but some of these changes have negative consequences if not managed properly. In the past few years the NAE has become much better at understanding its readiness inputs and costs. In efforts such as NAVRIIP and tools like AFAST we have become much more aware of what ramifications our management decisions make and what our costs are. It’s great to see MMCO’s, AIMD Officers, CAGMO’s, WINGMO’s, CAG’s and Commodores reporting to the Air Boss not only readiness figures, but also costs. How many ready room and club discussions are not only about flying, but also costs and logistics now compared to just a few years ago? Understanding our business is the absolute key to success. I truly believe that compared to the other communities in the Navy we are leaps and bounds ahead in understanding all aspects of our business. However, with this new focus we sometimes lose touch with some of the things that made us successful before we had all of these tools. It’s great if you’re an MMCO and can put charts together like a pro and explain costs, but when was the last time you did some Management By Walking Around (MBWA)? What are the issues in the work centers? What is the health of your organization in morale, job satisfaction, proper tools and work spaces to do the job? What are the factors that are truly causing what you may or may not see on your charts? I’ve seen too many of us stuck behind computers. Other folks have written about this in previous editions of this newsletter and I’ve always read them and said, “That’s not me!” However, we’ve all been guilty of it in various degrees at different times. I’ve seen it in so many places during my AIRSpeed journey, and we all need to truly step back and evaluate our daily routines. This lack of MBWA is spreading to our senior enlisted community, which has traditionally been our eyes and ears in the work centers. I’m seeing more and more khakis at all levels becoming behind-the-desk managers.

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Another observation is how as maintenance managers, especially in our junior folks, we have a lack of understanding of the Maintenance-Supply relationship and how it affects allowancing. As stated previously, our I-levels repair components in order to put them on the Supply Officer’s shelf. We also repair other items for pools such as AAE, ALSS and SE as well as provide services, but I am going to discuss the Supply Officer (SO) assets here. Sometimes as maintenance managers we don’t particularly put a high priority on these SO assets. This causes a build-up in Turn-Around-Time (TAT) or Time to Reliably Replenish (TRR) if we want to keep this in an AIRSpeed context. It has not been uncommon for us to find historical cycle times of 40-80 and even in excess of 100 days. When it comes time for allowancing by NAVICP one of the ingredients is the repair TAT. NAVICP does not allowance for bad behavior. The TAT is capped in the formula (currently at 20 days). If actual historical TAT was used at some sites, the stocking level requirements would be way too high and not feasible. In addition, reality is that NAVICP has fiscal constraints and deployed or soon to be deployed units have priority. If maintenance activities focus on achieving the TRRs they determine during AIRSpeed designs, then the more realistic the allowancing formula becomes and the better our inventory responds to the customer. In the past our behavior was such that when inventory was not responsive to demand, we’ve submitted Allowance Change Requests (ACR) to get more inventory. However, if we don’t improve our processes, it becomes just more components stuck in WIP. The other part of the Supply-Maintenance circle though is that adequate consumable supply support is there to facilitate repairs. We really need to break down some of our Supply-Maintenance stovepipes and truly be logisticians.

We have come a long way in implementing Enterprise AIRSpeed. In the beginning we were truly starting with a blank sheet of paper and trying to figure out how this AIRSpeed thing was going to work in Naval Aviation. Our teams now have mature design and deployment plans as well as supporting tools to operationalize AIRSpeed. We have completed designs at 19 sites and have observed various degrees of success at these sites. My job as the follow-up team lead was not only to ensure sites had the most up-to-date training and tools, but also to evaluate the sites’ AIRSpeed efforts. What we were looking for was the incorporation of AIRSpeed so that it was just part of the normal way of doing business and not an “extra” program to manage. We peeled back the onion on why all of the sites had such varying degrees of success. What it comes down to is not being afraid of change, but most importantly strong leadership. The common denominator of the successful sites is strong local leadership as well as a healthy team partnership between Supply and Maintenance. Enterprise AIRSpeed is a significant investment by the NAE in its activities. The local commanders are ultimately responsible for its execution. We have sites that have taken AIRSpeed concepts to the next level and are role models. These include Marine Corps sites that have a war going on and sites forward deployed. One of our personnel recently went to Iraq with operating Marine units working a pilot program with MALSP II. The attitude in-theater was, “Bring it on!” If there is change that will help the warfighter, reduce footprint and make us more effective, let’s roll-up our sleeves and make it happen. There was no push-back, but a resolve to make it happen. One would think this was an area where we would receive more pushback than INCONUS. Change management at the level of AIRSpeed does not necessarily come with a detailed playbook. Maturity of AIRSpeed requires stepping outside the box and keeping the press at all levels of leadership. AIRSpeed is not a buzzword or software solution and it was never intended to be. It is based on common sense and utilizing proven practices used in the commercial sector for years, and it takes work. Policy and direction will come…someday there will be no AIRSpeed teams because it will just be the way we all do business and the way we are measured and inspected by SMI and AMMT teams. Strong leadership means being ahead of change and not scrambling to react after the policies and measurements are in place. If we cannot handle implementation of Enterprise AIRSpeed, we will really struggle with FRC.

In closing, Enterprise AIRSpeed has been a heck of a journey, both professionally and personally. It wasn’t perfect and

we still have a long way to go. However, I felt it was important to share with my fellow AMDO’s some of the observations from this job. Traveling around the country to Navy and Marine Corps activities has been a learning experience. In the course of this tour I’ve completed five nine-week implementations as well as twelve site follow-ups. The best part has been the people I’ve met. We are the greatest military in the world and it truly is because of our people. To all of the site Maintenance and Supply bubbas out there that supported the Enterprise AIRSpeed effort and assisted our teams I say a hearty “thank you.” I also want to thank all of my fellow Maintenance and Supply officers, senior enlisted and civilian personnel on the Enterprise AIRSpeed Teams who travel 150-200 days per year implementing the AIRSpeed concepts because they are believers. They believe we can get better and truly want to provide our fellow logisticians with the best tools to make their jobs easier and more effective. They will continue to need your support. Someone recently asked me if even knowing what I know now - would I do this tour again. The resounding answer is yes! When I was coming to NAVAIR I had the option of either doing a Deputy APML job or going to Enterprise AIRSpeed as the first team lead to help stand-up the program. I viewed Enterprise AIRSpeed as a challenge to do something nobody had ever done before. Despite all of the travel and sometimes “aggressive negotiation” that took place in leading change, when I look back we have come a very long way in a very short amount of time, and it was a great thing to be part of.

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Safety & Risk Management

By Phil Smiley (’69) “Safety and Risk Management from factory to front lines, seaman to senior executives, and from definition to disposal”. How do we get Naval Aviation to work better and cost less? Perhaps that is not the right question. The right question is could be, how do we work together to continuously develop this awesome capability, Naval Aviation? I grew up in San Diego County. My dad was a Ford mechanic at Pearson Ford on 12th and Broadway. On Saturdays I would go to work with him and help him service new 1959 Fords in the morning. In the afternoons we would go down to the Embarcadero and take a Navy utility boat--the Coronado Bay Bridge had not been build yet--over to Coronado to visit the Navy ships. In those days security was not very tight and you could spend a wonderful afternoon on the USS Hancock or USS Boxer walking around the hangar deck and flight deck and eating a free hamburger in the Wardroom. My dad was convinced that I should go right into the Navy after graduating from high school. I had other ideas. I wanted to fly. When I was a junior in high school my uncle agreed to pay half of any airplane that I could afford to buy. My dad had shifted his job to the Ford dealer in Encinitas where he was able to find me a job washing cars, driving the parts truck, and cruising Southern California coastal towns driving new Ford dealer trades so that customers could have the colors and models of new cars and trucks that they wanted without having to wait for a manufacturing and delivery date. Can you imagine letting a 16 year old high school kid drive new Thunderbirds, Starliners, Galaxies, Falcons, and a host of light and medium duty trucks? The job with the Ford dealer also allowed me to accumulate $450 to put toward my first airplane. My uncle true to his promise gave the other $450 and we became the proud owners of a 1947 Aeronca Champion bought from Don Marks at Gillespie Field. When we bought the Aeronca it had no engine in it. The deal with Don was that he would complete a major overhaul on the engine and give me my first flight in the Champ from Gillespie Field in San Diego to Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California where my Champ would be home based. I will never forget that first flight. The Champ, made out of steel tubing, spruce, and fabric, sported a Continental 65 horsepower engine with counterbalances that made it sound like it was about to rattle apart. That was why it earned the venerable name "Air Knocker." It had a wooden propeller, Plexiglas windows that flapped in the breeze when the engine was turned up, and no electrical system or radios. Pulling the wooden prop smartly as you stepped back smartly on the follow through started the engine. Of course one needed a qualified pilot at the controls to hold the brakes, hold the control stick back, to throttle back once the engine started. Not stepping away from the propeller fast enough

could ruin your day. It was a risk mitigation process to enhance operational capabilities, with minimum acceptable loss. I learned about flying from my flight instructor Mary McChord Pearson who operated the Flight Trails flying school at Palomar Airport. Mary promised to hire me as a flight instructor if I completed my commercial pilot's license and earned a flight instructor rating. Vincent "Andy" Anderson, who owned the local repair shop, Palomar Aviation, patiently gave advice and performed inspections whenever my Aeronca needed maintenance. I could accomplish the grunt work, but any safety of flight repair had to be inspected and signed off my Andy, a federal aviation certified mechanic. The workers at the Ford dealer were helpful in networking with upholstery shops and allowing me to use the paint booth to refurbish removable seat frames, panels, and parts from the worn Aeronca interior. My biggest project, repainting the entire exterior of the airplane, was accented by Andy bowing his head and saying "Let us Spray" just before he meticulously applied a shiny base coat for the Aeronca's new three color red on white with a black racing stripe paint job. The Aeronca served me well and I managed to stay out of the propeller for about a year. After about 5 hours of flight instruction Mary turned me loose to fly by myself, but I soon found out that I would need an aircraft with an electical system, lights, and a communications and navigation radio to compete the flying and check ride for my private pilot's license. The refurbished Aeronca sold for about twice what we had paid for it leading us to repeat the fix up paint up process on a 1950 Cessna 140A with appropriate equipment to continue flying through the pilot rating process. That led to a series of other aircraft as I proceeded to earn my commercial rating and work for Mary as a flight instructor flying a Super Cub, Cherokees, and a host of other single engine aircraft. There is nothing like general aviation and aircraft ownership to give one an appreciation of safety and the economics of aircraft ownership. One thing you learn real fast as an aircraft owner is that costs needed to be controlled and the cost per flight hour of aircraft ownership goes way up if the aircraft is not flyable. Fixed recurring expenses such as interest, hangar fees, insurance continue whether the aircraft is flyable or not. Moreover, when the aircraft is flying it is easy to identify discrepancies and fix them on the spot rather than waiting for them to degrade into severe maintenance problems. Materials and services had to be procured through industry from the appropriate sources. The process for quality assurance in maintaining, repairing, and flying a light civilian aircraft is remarkably similar to that we have for Navy aircraft. Training, certification, documentation, and inspection are ways of life. As a civilian flight instructor I had the opportunity to fly with many different pilots and in a wide variety of light aircraft, mainly

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Pipers and Cessnas, but also sleek Beechcraft Bonanzas, a short take-off and landing Helio Courier, a snappy Globe Swift, and even an experimental stripped Cub airframe with fabric covering only the wings and tail. The restructured Cub had been used in Mexico as a crop duster and was outfitted with gigantic balloon tires and an oversized 115 horsepower engine hanging awkwardly on motor mounts with no cowling. This airplane, owned by Palomar Aviation and lovingly dubbed "The Turkey", we would use to rescue aircraft that had landed in fields and also to check out the young women on the beaches between San Diego and Oceanside. A lesson in aviation safety was driven home hard when Andy flew the Turkey into high-tension wires flipping it upside down and ending his own life as well as the Turkey's as it crashed to the ground inverted. No more flat hatting for me. Regularly on the instructional flights out of Palomar Airport I would have the opportunity to see the F-8s and F-4s flying out of and into Miramar. It was obvious to me that flying couldn't get much better than that. In fact, an F-4 driver from Miramar was one of my students while pursuing his flight instructor's rating. As we were performing the maneuvers and wringing the Super Cub out with chandelles, lazy eights and spins, we would talk about what it was like to fly in the Navy. After visiting VF-121, several squadron parties, and the draft board, it became obvious that the Navy was the life for me. In 1968 I volunteered for the Aviation Officer Candidate Program at the Naval Air Station Los Alamitos, California. My friend, Lee Dubow, loaned me his Beechcraft Bonanza, to fly up for the ASVAB test and aviation physical. I learned about prior permission required from the follow me truck at Alameda and about Navy medicine by doing the paperwork to convince the Naval Aeromedical Staff that I could fly with my functional heart murmur. In Pensacola I soon learned from our Marine Corps drill instructors SSgts J. R. Miller and D. O. Gorton that we were Naval Officers first and the flying was just one of the skills that we were expected to master. Which leads me to the purpose of this article. Where are we in Naval Aviation? What do we need to do to develop Naval Aviation to form a more perfect union, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our posterity and ourselves? One thing we need to collectively do is to become safer. First of all, in the almost 40 years since I was making those flights out of Palomar Airport I would suggest that although the equipment is changing that the principles of safety and risk management have not. The Department of Defense (DoD) goal is zero mishaps. On July 3, 2003, the Secretary of Defense underscored his commitment to this journey toward zero mishaps by establishing the Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC) and tasking them with the goal of reducing DoD mishap and accident rates by 50% in two years. While Department of the Navy led DoD three of the four identified mishap reduction metrics, Navy was unsuccessful in achieving the 50% mishap reduction rate. That the mishap reduction goal has subsequently been extended in the Strategic Planning Guidance (SPG) to reduce the mishap and accident rates by 75% from the 2002 baseline. Achieving the SPG-directed 75% mishap reduction goals by the end of FY08 requires an aggressive effort to affect change in the

way we apply risk management techniques and in the way we collectively approach mishap prevention at work and in our personal lives. The Under Secretary of Defense and Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) have directed that:

a. Program Managers (PMs), regardless of the Acquisition Category of their programs, integrate system safety risk management into their overall systems engineering and risk management process. b. PMs use the government and industry Standard Practice for System Safety, MIL-STD-882D, in all developmental and sustaining engineering activities. c. PMs ensure the Department of Defense Instruction 5000.2 requirement to integrate the Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) risk management strategy into the systems engineering process is incorporated in the Systems Engineering Plan. d. PMs identify ESOH hazards, assess the risks, mitigate the risks to acceptable levels, and then report on the status of residual risk acceptance decisions at technical reviews and at the appropriate management levels in the Program Review process in accordance with MIL-STD-882D.

The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense in a memorandum dated September 23, 2004 has asked for help in implementing actions to integrate system safety risk management more effectively into the acquisition process to save lives, preserve assets, and enhance overall warfighting capability by increasing readiness through systems safety improvements. What can you do? First would be to understand that, as was with me and my Aeronca, the DOD goal is zero mishaps. It has been said, "If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog." It is not quite true. I work with about 22,000 friends up here in the Pentagon. And if you want really good friends in Washington, buy an airplane. I have not been able to afford an airplane since joining the Navy so I fly with Quantico Flying Club, Marty Reagan, or others who love aviation as much as I do. Jim Dyer, a West Point graduate and retired member of the Senior Executive Service, also the proud owner of a twin engine Piper Seneca that we took to the Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-Ins at Oshkosh, Wisconsin several times likes to say, "Never be in a hurry to make a big mistake." That concept is set forth in MIL-STD-882D:

Department of Defense is committed to protecting: private and public persons from accidental death, injury, or occupational illness; weapon systems, equipment, material, and facilities from accidental destruction or damage; and public property while executing its mission of national defense.

The MIL-STD-882D defines system safety to be performed throughout the life cycle for any system, new development,

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upgrade, modification, resolution of deficiencies, or technology development. When MIL-STD-882D is required in a solicitation or contract, but no specific references are included, the following system safety requirements apply: 1. Document the system safety approach. Document the developer's and program manager's approved system safety engineering approach. The documentation should include: a. A description of the program's implementation using MIL-STD-882D, including identification of each hazard analysis and mishap risk assessment process used. b. Information on system safety integration into the overall program structure. c. A definition of how hazards and residual mishap risk are communicated to and accepted by the appropriate risk authority and how residual mishap risk will be tracked. 2. Identify hazards. Identification of hazards is a responsibility of all. Consider hazards that could occur throughout the life cycle. 3. Assess the severity and probabilities of the mishap risk associated with each identified hazard and determine the potential negative impact of the hazard on people, facilities, equipment, operations, the public, and the environment as well as on the system itself. 4. Identify potential risk mitigation alternatives and the expected effectiveness of each alternative or method. a. Eliminate hazards through design selection. b. Incorporate safety devices. c. Provide warning devices. d. Develop procedures and training. 5. Reduce mishap risk to an acceptable level. Communicate residual mishap risk and hazards to the appropriate level. 6. Verify the mishap risk reduction and mitigation through appropriate analysis, testing, and verification. 7. Review hazards and acceptance of residual mishap risk by the appropriate authority. 8. Track hazards, their closures, and residual mishap risk. It is important to note that while low risks can be accepted in accordance with local directives risks with a projected probable or frequent occurrence and critical or catastrophic risk, as delineated in MIL-STD-882D must be accepted at the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) level. Have I piqued your interest? For a deeper understanding of what I am talking about register for and complete the Systems Safety in Systems Engineering course (CLE009) on Defense Acquisition University Continuous Learning Registration site: https://learn.dau.mil/html/clc/Register.jsp

For the most part you will find that the OPNAVINST 3710, 3750 and 4790 series and local instructions cover the bill for reporting aviation hazards. But remember the system depends on us who have an interest in and support naval aviation to make sure the hazards are identified and eliminated or accepted at the appropriate level. Beyond the aviation community the publication Risk Management: Multservice Tactics, Techniques FM 3-100.12 available through www.adtdl.army.mil describes risk management functions and responsibilities applicable to joint task force (JTF) and service staffs. These are flowed down to Sailors and Marines in OPNAVINST 3500.39 and MCO 3500.27 series. The vision of Navy Safety is, "Mission First, Safety Always - All Day, Every Day!" This involves training and planning at all levels in order to optimize operational capability and readiness by teaching people to make sound decisions regardless of the activity in which they are involved. The Operational Risk Management (ORM) process is a decision making tool used by people at all levels to increase operational effectiveness by identifying, assessing, and managing risks. It consists of identifying hazards, assessing hazards, making risk decisions, implementing controls (engineering and administrative), and supervising. ORM has three process levels: Time Critical, Deliberate, and In-Depth which are based upon the situation, proficiency level of the people, and time and assets available. ORM incorporates the following four principles: a. Accept Risk When Benefits Outweigh the Costs. b. Accept No Unnecessary Risk. c. Anticipate and Manage Risk by Planning. d. Make Risk Decisions at the Right Level. A risk assessment matrix can be used to assess risk. Hazards can be evaluated as to severity and probability. Critical risks, those likely to occur immediately with dire consequences, must be elevated and accepted at the highest level while those that are unlikely to occur where each occurence would have minimal threat to personnel safety or health, or property at can be accepted at lower levels. The ORM process is a more structured approach but reflects the same kind of thinking that I used to manage my Aeronca Champ. It provides a specific methodology for people to anticipate hazards and evaluate risk. Just as I was trained for flight by Mary and for operations and maintenance by Andy, Navy and Marine Corps people trained in the ORM process are intuitive and apply the process automatically as a means to quickly develop an effective course of action to accomplish the mission. In the office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Safety), in addition to providing interface with the DoD staff, we work mainly through the Naval Safety Center, the platform Deputy Secretary of Navy staff members, OPNAV Requirements Officers and Resource Sponsors, Program Managers, and Program Senior Safety Engineers or Principals for Safety. We receive issues through the platform system safety working groups and the various hazard and mishap reporting systems and work collectively to develop and implement Navy safety and occupational health policy. Here are a few aviation related changes that you will see coming over the horizon:

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Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance (MFOQA) Some of you remember when we went from stubby pencils and paper to the Naval Aviation Logistics Command Management system to provide automated information system tools in support of the maintenance control and data collection system. The next step is to collect flight and maintenance data directly from the aircraft. The MFOQA program will provide software, processes, and training so that, without adding additional equipment on the aircraft, flight data can be downloaded and the entire flight can be replayed for maintenance, operational, safety, and training review and analysis almost immediately after each flight. MFOQA will make available a dynamic graphic and digital replay of every flight. Kind of like Microsoft Flight Simulator™ on steroids. MFOQA monitors the entire flight operational regime. The flight safety operational regime is bounded by Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Program (NATOPS), OPNAV 3710 limits, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and CO directives, aircraft limitations, pilot capabilities, and the environment. The following diagram illustrates the safety box captured by MFOQA.

MFOQA Safety Box The executed mission may then be analyzed for its performance within the bounded area. Analysis is conducted immediately after each flight, supporting aircrew self-correction and command oversight. Trending analysis is available for comparing similar flights within the fleet, an organization, or by the individual. Trends will identify which boundaries are most often violated and how close boundaries are approached. Once the safety box is created, refinements can be thoughtfully applied based on mission needs, supported by better understanding of the additional risks assumed. Commanding Officers will know if their aircrews are assuming undue risk to accomplish the mission and fully support them by reinforcing standards, providing additional training, or modifying the boundaries based on concrete information. MFOQA demonstration projects are at HSL-41 (H-60s) and VMFA-242 (F/A-18s) in San Diego. The acquisition is being conducted by Naval Air Systems Command (PMA 209) with a

Milestone B approval targeted for first quarter 2007 and initial capability for F/A-18 Squadrons projected for 1st Quarter FY09. Cranial Helmets The Flight Deck Crewman Sound Attenuating Helmet Assembly, commonly known as the cranial helmet, was designed in the 1950s and is ineffective in supporting the flight missions of the 21st century. With advanced technology and data analysis we are finding that sailors are prone to hearing loss over their lifetimes and that with the requirement for mounting night vision devices and improved fall protection that industry can use state of the art computerized design, space age materials, and robotics manufacturing processes to create more functional headgear for our Sailors and Marines. Naval Air Systems Command PMA 202 is spearheading this project. I could mention many more, but instead will give you the Naval Safety Center website: http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/ Click on "aviation" on the top banner and "acquisition" on the left link. I am a long way from in time from when I owned my Aeronca Champion. But not so far in distance. The Aeronca Champion is still registered and flying safely in the skies over North Carolina. The aircraft I fly today are made out of composites and have flat panel displays for immediate situational awareness, and some even have parachutes to pop so I could come floating out of the sky when the going gets rough. The principles of hazard identification, analysis, elimination, mitigation, or acceptance have served me well. The same principles have applied for me as a naval aviator, an aerospace maintenance duty officer, a program manager and in my current role as a member of a Secretary of the Navy staff. I hope this reflection on my experience will help you manage risk and provide a safer environment in you professional life and personal life as well. About the author: Phil Smiley is retired from year group 1969. He has served as a SERGRAD basic jet flight instructor, A-6 pilot, squadron and air wing maintenance duty officer, aircraft intermediate maintenance department head ashore and afloat, major program manager, Flag executive assistant, and policy implementation officer on the Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) staff. Since graduating from active duty in 1995 he has worked as a member of small, medium, and large businesses supporting Department of Defense, Navy and Marine Corps acquisition projects. He is currently Special Assistant for Safety in Acquisition on the staff of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Safety) under the provisions of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970. Phil resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife Robin. They have a son Dustin, USNA 1970, currently serving as a Navy flight instructor in Milton, Florida. Their daughter, Megan, is an account executive with Fox Television in Seattle, Washington. Phil maintains currency as a multi-engine and instrument rated commercial pilot.

Pilot capabilities Airc

raft

Lim

its

SOP, NATOPS, OPNAV 3710, 4790

Environment

Naval Aviator

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Stories from the Past By John Roach (’56) “Time changes, as do we with time but not in the ways of the AMDO community where relationships persevere.” Our recent loss of Captain Howard Goben brings to light memories of happier times when he was Chief Of Staff for Aircraft Maintenance and I was about to be relieved by the late Captain Bill Oslun as the AIMD Officer aboard USS Enterprise. As I departed for my next assignment to BUPERS as detailer for our community, I fired off the following to COMNAVAIRPAC (surreptitiously).

Petition For Annulment 11 May 1972 Cdr John C. Roach, USN AIMD Officer USS Enterprise Plaintiff CDR Robert F. Gallagher, USN Supply Officer USS Enterprise Defendant Know all men by these presents: I. That I, the undersigned AIMD Officer, hereby tender this complaint for the annulment of the state of matrimony that exists between myself and the defendant. II. That this matrimonial state was sanctioned by authority of cognizant staffs at Commander Naval Air Force, Pacific Fleet in the following manner: “The AIMD Officer and the Supply Officer are encouraged to sleep together if they are to have a harmonious and productive relationship”. III. That the following are examples of the aggravation and misery upon which this complaint is based: a. The marriage was never consummated. b. Defendant was unable to fructify an essential relationship with a normally productive AIMO (Plaintiff). c. Defendant refused to accompany Plaintiff to Washington D.C. when official orders dictated a Change of residence (normally considered grounds for divorce on charge of desertion. d. Defendant is having a clandestine affair with ASO Phila. e. Defendant has attempted to curry favor with the prospective AIMO by providing him both bed and board. f. Defendant insists on wearing an unsightly mustache that borders a bellicose, vociferous vocal aperture. g. Defendant has made no effort in obtaining a double bed, when he was empowered to do so. h. Defendant has a tendency towards obesity that continues to remain uncurbed. This would place in jeopardy the structural strength of any double bed that might have been provided. Wherefore, the Plaintiff prays judgment against the Defendant for cause of action pleaded within this petition and that: 1. The matrimonial state ordained by the aforesaid cognizant staffs be annulled between Plaintiff and Defendant. 2. The total dependency of the Defendant upon the Plaintiff for recognition and support be ordered terminated. Unencumbered the Plaintiff can aspire to greater accomplishments. 3. Other and further relief as authority deems proper be granted. John C.Roach AIMD Officer Plaintiff

The AMDO Association Newsletter Winter 2006 - 2007

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