Cutline: Mike Smith is the AIRSpeed officer for the E-2/C-2 product line at NAVAIR Depot North Island. Joe Feliciano

Artisan named AIRSpeed officer for product line

By Bill Bartkus
NAVAIR Depot North Island

CORONADO, Calif. – “I am excited and up to the challenge, and I am ready to set the pace for the depot,” exclaimed Michael J. Smith, E-2/C-2 production line AIRSpeed officer.

Smith is believed to be the first NAVAIR Depot North Island non-engineer to be named an AIRSpeed officer of a product line.

“We selected an artisan as our product line AIRSpeed officer because artisans represent the biggest percentage of our workforce. Unless artisans and support groups at all levels buy into what we are trying to do, the long-term change and process improvement will not take hold,” said Joseph Caoile, E-2/C-2 production manager.

Smith was selected based on his willingness and enthusiasm to adopt new AIRSpeed-focused concepts and processes, Caoile said. “He is not a ‘yes person’, and he will respectfully challenge current practices, policies and procedures if they do not add value to delivering timely, safe, reliable, and cost-wise Greyhounds and Hawkeyes.”

“I plan to improve and fine-tune the AIRSpeed process on the (E-2/C-2) line,” said Smith, a retired Navy aviation structural mechanic who has been working at the depot for three years.

“Everyone who works on this product line is as excited about AIRSpeed as I am,” Smith said. “They see the results, and they know that the program works. We’re supporting the war fighter faster and better. Depot employees know that war fighters depend on us to help them to accomplish their mission.”

Caoile mentioned that the depot’s excellence journey is about encouraging good attitudes and behaviors that can be sustained over time. “Our AIRSpeed approach is for everyone to follow the standards (disciplined execution) but encouraged to find a better way (continuous improvement),” he said.

“Having an artisan lead our AIRSpeed effort is a departure from common practice, but we feel that our artisans can be very effective in leading change.”

NAVAIR provides cost-wise readiness and dominant maritime combat power to make a great Navy and Marine Corps team better.