NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- NAVAIR presented a Naval Aviation Training Systems program (PMA-205) military member with the Federal Engineer of the Year military award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, held by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Kubic is the PMA-205 ocean systems integrated product team lead and manages four naval training range programs, including the Undersea Warfare Training Range and the Portable Undersea Training Range. He also supervises the refurbishment of the Barking Sands Underwater Range Expansion (BSURE) and Southern California Anti-Submarine Warfare Range (SOAR).

“Under his leadership, both BSURE and SOAR have been successfully reconfigured to include advanced capabilities in hardware and software components,” said Capt. John Feeney, PMA-205 program manager.

“I really accepted this award on behalf of the entire PMA-205 ocean systems and the Naval Underwater Warfare Center, Newport, engineering team,” said Kubic. “We had some difficult technical issues last year that were solved by a dedicated team of engineers. I was fortunate enough to lead this team as we found innovative solutions to these problems. I believe this award is a tribute to all of their hard work, and I am proud to have been a part of the team.”

The ocean training systems program enables Navy forces to train for maritime combat operations and perform anti-submarine warfare tactics development.

Kubic holds Masters of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and in Ocean Resources and Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has published two academic papers on ocean systems management and has worked with Engineers Without Borders, a humanitarian organization that works with local communities and non-governmental organizations around the world to address people’s basic human needs.

Kubic’s 13-year naval career as a military engineer has led him across the globe. He deconstructed radar domes on the Seychelles islands. He has engineered and designed tent camps along the Syrian border in support of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) during Operation Iraqi Freedom. While assigned to Engineering Field Activity Mediterranean, he supervised the construction of a P-3 facility and a communication facility, both at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily.

In the Al Anbar province of Iraq, Kubic designed the Al Taqqadum runway repair, ISF kitchen and scullery facilities, several ISF and coalition force combat outposts, and the repair procedure for a critical bridge. During that time, he also designed humanitarian projects, such as orphanage and school rehabilitations, in the Southern Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.

“Kubic’s training and diverse experiences bring a unique perspective to the challenges facing PMA-205,” said Feeney. “He demonstrates qualities of selfless dedication to accomplish the mission. His engineering expertise allowed him to become a singularly trusted voice among diverse groups that include engineers and technologists from government, military and industry.”

Kubic is slated to take command of Underwater Construction Team Two (UCT-2) in Port Hueneme, Calif., this summer.