By Lt. Mike Randazzo, USNR, Air Systems Program Public Affairs Officer

PATUXENT RIVER, MD.--ATCS (AW/SW) Jeffrey J. Kirkey, USNR, has been selected to serve as the next Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Air Systems Program (ASP) Command Senior Chief.

The selection will become official when Rear Adm. (Sel.) Richard J. Wallace relieves Rear Adm. (upper half) Mark M. Hazara, Air Systems Programs Director, on June 26th 2004 at a change of command ceremony scheduled to take place at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River.

Kirkey's most recent tour of duty was the Command Senior Chief for NAVAIRSYSCOM 0196, Minneapolis, MN—one of the largest units in the ASP with a compliment of over 75 enlisted members and 15 officers. While at 0196 Kirkey also served as the Senior Enlisted Leader on the Air Systems Program technical publications project. He will relieve ADCS (NAC) Ronald K. Mortimer, USNR, who served from June 2000 to the present.

The ASP consists of approximately 250 enlisted personnel, and Kirkey's assignment will include: keeping the ASP Director abreast of all enlisted community matters; site visits to ASP units; mentoring all enlisted personnel in the community; and briefing unit commanding officers on Navy programs and issues related to the enlisted community. In this capacity, Kirkey will also act as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the ASP Executive Steering Committee, as well as the Science, Engineering and Technology Consortium.

"Successful candidates considered for our Command Senior Chief should ideally possess certain requisite attributes such as the ability to cultivate and foster trusting relationships among ASP officers, peers, and subordinates, and broad experience in an array of critical sea billets - Senior Chief Kirkey has them all," Wallace commented. "His extraordinary leadership and mentoring of our junior enlisted personnel have measurably contributed towards to providing a skilled and flexible force to meet NAVAIR mission requirements."

"I have been fortunate to work with a number of extremely competent senior enlisted personnel during my Navy service, and Senior Chief Kirkey is certainly one of the most talented individuals with whom I’ve had the pleasure to serve,” Hazara elaborated. “He is unquestionably an outstanding role model in every regard."

Kirkey reported that service in the ASP has thus far been the "highlight" of his Naval Reserve career, and that he was both honored and humbled by this opportunity to add value to the NAVAIR mission as a coach and mentor.

"This program has given me many unique and challenging leadership opportunities, and now I’m looking forward to fostering and developing our enlisted Sailors so that they can better support NAVAIR and our Fleet warfighters," said Kirkey.

The Air Systems Program provides qualified and diverse civilian and military experience in operational support of NAVAIR research and development, engineering, program management, logistics, and industrial capability activities. The 600 Navy Reserve officer and enlisted men and women of the ASP train constantly to respond to evolving NAVAIR missions enabling the organization to harvest tangible cost reductions for fleet recapitalization. The ASP is comprised of 32 commands that are headquartered in 14 states.

For more information, contact Lt. Mike Randazzo via e-mail at [email protected].

PHOTO CAPTION: ATCS (AW/SW) Jeffrey J. Kirkey, USNR, has been selected to serve as the next Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Air Systems Program (ASP) Command Senior Chief.