NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER TRAINING SYSTEMS DIVISION, ORLANDO, Fla. — Hely Saul Gonzalez is no stranger to high-visibility work projects.

When he traveled to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, in September 2012 to perform a design review for the MC158-T Operational Trainers Complex, he was ready for the challenge.

Gonzalez, a training systems facilities engineer, said he used the lessons he learned as a participant in NAVAIR’s Journey Leadership Development Program (JLDP) to help ensure the review was a success. In particular, he said the formal training courses, job shadowing and mentoring assignments helped refine his leadership skills, business acumen and engineering expertise.

“My participation in the JLDP provided an opportunity to apply these newly acquired skills and techniques,” Gonzalez said. “It increased my professional network and increased opportunities within NAWCTSD and NAVAIR.”

He worked hand-in-hand with the government of Japan, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure the trainers complex design and construction accurately reflects training system requirements. He also helped serve as a direct engineering link to the agency designing and building the facility that will house the training system.

The complex will support training and readiness requirements for various aircraft and include office space, classrooms, briefing rooms and support space for Marine Aircraft Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 5 and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152.

The ultimate goal, Gonzalez said, is to ensure that when the training systems arrive in theater in 2014-2015, they are complete and usable and that service members are trained to use them. This particular project was a challenge because of cross-cultural differences, conflicting design and construction criteria, dissimilar platforms, unknowns associated with the new training systems and limited resources and investment dollars, Gonzalez said.

“The challenges were real and had to be overcome to achieve results,” he said. “Leadership was not an option — it was required.”

The path to leadership

Gonzalez graduated from JLDP on Oct. 16, 2012, along with 223 other graduates, the first participants to graduate from the program since it was established in 2010 (Read the article about the graduation). Gonzalez was also recently accepted into NAVAIR’s Leadership Development Program (NLDP), the command’s flagship leadership program designed for high-performing employees.

“I am still surprised and amazed that NAVAIR and NAWCTSD care so much for the well-being of our employees that they offer the JLDP,” he said. “The awesome support of my chain of command to enable me to pursue my personal and professional development and goals continues to impress me. Participation in the JLDP was, and will always be, one of the high points in my military and civil service career in support of our Navy mission.”

The JLDP and NLDP develop future civilian and military NAVAIR leaders through training and exposure to NAVAIR leadership responsibilities. Participants also enhance their interpersonal communication and productivity skills, gain a stronger working knowledge of command operations, and develop a more robust personal network, according to Stephanie Gleason, program manager for NAVAIR leadership development.

Gleason referred to NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. David Dunaway, who has said, “Leadership is an acquired skill, not just a position, and we need to cultivate and develop it in every member of our workforce.”

“The [JLDP] program helps develop leaders at all levels, employees like Hely who are learning to further themselves and their careers,” Gleason said. “It’s a wonderful component to NAVAIR’s cadre of career development tools.”

For more information about eligibility criteria or the application process for JLDP and NLDP, NAVAIR civilian and military employees can call the NAVAIR National Help Desk at 301-342-3104, 888-292-5919 or DSN 342-3104, and press option 4, then 2, for training and Career Development Office support .