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

To meet the increased requirement for aviation depot level maintenance professionals, mobilized reservists from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Air Systems Program (ASP) NAVAIRSYSCOM 6066 and Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) 0294 have provided supply, maintenance administration, and leadership support for Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2003.

Based in Patuxent River, Md. and San Diego, both units support NAVAIR's Logistics competency, AIR-3.0, which is based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River; 6066 and 0294 are commanded respectively by Capt. Alvin Sears and Capt. Paul Shaw.

As more Marines were deployed to Iraq, and carrier operation tempo increased, the Naval Air Mediterranean Repair Activity (NAMRA), Naples Italy, and Naval Air Pacific Repair Activity (NAPRA), Atsugi, Japan, recently mobilized ten ASP reservists to help meet the demand. Aviation Maintenance Administrationman and Storekeeper ratings were sent to Italy, Japan, and Bahrain.

Aviation maintenance, engineering duty, and supply corps officers work as department heads and Officers in Charge (OIC's) of the Central Field Detachments (CFD's) in Bahrain and the Remote Field Detachments (RFD's) in Kuwait and Iraq.

Reserve OIC's, rotating in 34-day cycles, assigned to the CFD in Bahrain, manage ground and shipboard depot level aircraft repairs in the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, Qatar, Seychelles, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti, Afghanistan, and provide support for the RFD's. Reservist OIC's at the field detachments, who served in Kuwait and presently in Iraq, provide aircraft battle damage repair expertise in addition to OIC duties as their teams repair structural damage and battle damage to the Marine helicopters.

NASC 6066 reservist Lt. Cmdr. Chris Stearns, of Annapolis, Md., was the first ASP reservist to conduct in-theater CFD/Bahrain and RFD/Kuwait operations in support of OIF last year. Lt. Cmdr Stearns was the OIC in Kuwait supporting Marine Air Logistics Squadron 39 in Kuwait and Iraq in early 2003 and later established RFD Iraq in early 2004.

“The job of the ASP reservist in theatre breaks out into two very important functions," Stearns said. "First, depot level maintenance and battle damage repair services are provided allowing aircraft to quickly return to the fight. And second, leadership is provided with a team that is in an arduous environment and under the stress of combat conditions."

Since April of this year, NASC 6066 reservist Lt. jg. John Junek, of Leonardtown, Md., is one of the seven officers currently supporting all Marine Corps aviation in Iraq by working closely with the Marine Air Logistics Squadron, 16/ 3rd Marine Air Wing.

"The work being performed by ASP reservists maps reserve capabilities to the NAVAIR mission and is directly aligned with the integration of reserves with our active duty component. Flexibility is critical by having a community of multi-skilled reservists that can be surged at NAVAIR’s discretion…trained and ready to augment in a 'just-in-time' and efficient manner," Junek said.

Cdr. Tim Dunigan, NAMRA's commanding officer, stated, “In every case, our reservists hit the deck running. The integration of Navy reservists for surge and expeditionary operations is a cost-effective use of Navy funding, and we could not complete this mission without them."

In support of OIF this fiscal year, these two units will provide over 1,150 days of direct support through presidential mobilization, active duty for special work, annual training, active duty for training, drill weekends, and extra drills. Moreover, more than 800 of those days will be in the OIF theater.

What's more, it is anticipated that ASP reservists will continue support of the NAMRA detachments in Bahrain and Iraq through this year and into next as U.S. forces continue to support OIF and prosecute the Global War on Terrorism.

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 650 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 units located in 14 states.

PHOTO CAPTION: On the tip of the spear: Since April of this year, Air Systems Program reservist Lt. jg. John Junek, who is with NAVAIRSYSCOM Detachment 6066, is one of the seven officers currently mobilized in support all Marine Corps aviation in Iraq by working closely with the Marine Air Logistics Squadron, 16/ 3rd Marine Air Wing. Junek is shown standing behind an abandoned Mig-25 jet.