One graduate dreams of semi-pro volleyball glory. Another plans a motorcycle journey to Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic Circle. A third uses AI to clone his voice and read the entire Bible in Vietnamese, while a fourth looks forward to his honeymoon in Japan this year.

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division celebrated these future innovators and 83 others at graduation ceremonies July 29 at China Lake and Aug. 12 at Point Mugu.

The 94 graduates, 60 from China Lake and 34 from Point Mugu, represent more than 40 colleges and universities, with half in California. They completed three to five years of rotational tours, mentoring and a minimum of 300 hours of specialized training while working toward their Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level 2 certification.

Between March 2020 and December 2022, new engineers and scientists joined through the New Professional Program. In 2023, the organization consolidated into ESDP 2.0 with updated requirements. This year's ceremonies honored graduates from both programs.

NAWCWD Executive Director Dan Carreño welcomed the graduates during opening remarks. 

"You're coming at a great time," he said. "Our Navy is out there right now preserving the peace. They're deterring aggression when it escalates, and when called to action, we're going to fight and win."

Carreño reflected on starting as a Junior Professional at China Lake in 1990, calling that first year one of the most enjoyable of his career. The rotations allowed him to work on airplanes, visit the range and build relationships that endure today.

"It was so rewarding, and the relationships and network I built during that initial time, some of those relationships continue today," Carreño said. "Don't ever minimize the work that you're doing and the importance of that work."

Those relationships endure for decades.

Lisa Barneby, chief operating officer for Point Mugu Sea Range and a 2001 ESDP graduate, reinforced mentorship's critical role. Within three years of graduating from college, she was pushing terminate buttons when missiles went awry.

"These are the people whom I will never forget from my early career," Barneby said. "Nothing formal, just pure mentorship in its rawest form."

Behind every graduate stands a network of support. 

Program Manager Dean Cook acknowledged managers, supervisors, navigators and mentors who guided these graduates through years of technical development.

Their varied expertise arrives when NAWCWD needs it most. Tomorrow's threats require tomorrow's thinkers. The graduates' degrees range from aerospace engineering to human development, from computer science to chemistry. This mix of backgrounds prepares NAWCWD to face unknown challenges, giving warfighters the tools to succeed.

Rear Adm. Keith Hash, NAWCWD commander, delivered closing remarks emphasizing both the personal connections and urgent mission.

"We have folks in harm's way today, taking the things we gave them to defend our allies and our folks around the world," Hash said. "They appreciate what you're doing every day, the critical information, techniques and equipment that help them come home safely."

Shrinking resources demand smarter solutions. Hash challenged graduates to rethink how they tackle growing responsibilities.

"We're getting smaller, but our demands are getting bigger," Hash said. "We need to think and act differently."

Hash addressed the challenges ahead and leadership's commitment.

"We're going to ask you to do hard things," Hash said. "When you hit those obstacles, we want to help remove those barriers."