ORLANDO, Fla. – Vice Adm. David A. Dunaway, Commander Naval Air Systems Command, visited Naval Support Activity Orlando to meet with employees of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) May 9, 2013.

Dunaway was greeted by NSA Orlando/NAWCTSD Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Nakagawa and Acting Technical Director, Rob Matthews.

In his first visit to NSA Orlando since he assumed command of NAVAIR in September 2012, Dunaway addressed employees of the NAWCTSD and NSA Orlando at a Town Hall in NSA Orlando’s “Warfighter Park.”  He discussed his vision and priorities for NAVAIR during a time of contracting defense budgets. He explained how modeling and simulation products from Orlando help increase military proficiency at a lower cost to the taxpayer, “It costs about $16,000 an hour to fly a plane for training.” He stated that state of the art in modeling and simulation can be used for high end training which will save funds for other priorities.

Calling NAWCTSD the “center of excellence in the world for training systems,” he challenged the team to think about innovation daily and to exercise leadership at all levels, including “leading from behind.”

Before Dunaway spoke to the NAWCTSD workforce, he and Nakagawa presented the “Ray Malatino Coach of the Year Award” to NAWCTSD’s Director of Cross Warfare programs, Brian Hicks. Hicks received the award in recognition of his mentorship to employees throughout the command.

Dunaway and Nakagawa also recognized the Chief of Modeling and Simulation David Kotick for his selection as a NAVAIR Esteemed Fellow.

Esteemed Fellows are selected from the ranks of the full Fellows and are limited to the top .25 percent of the engineering population.

Following the awards presentation, Dunaway discussed his strategy for the NAVAIR workforce, explained how sequestration impacted NAVAIR, and promoted innovation. “I most value your thoughts and questions. How you see the world is important to me,” said Dunaway encouraging the workforce to engage in an open dialogue.

He stressed the importance of the organization’s mission and their roles in supporting the Warfighters. “I see NAWCTSD as the center of excellence in the world of training systems,” Dunaway said.

While encouraging the workforce to stay motivated through challenging fiscal times, the NAVAIR commander championed innovation. “Your brains are required. If you have a good idea, work it through the system. Find what’s not useful and fix it,” he said.

Answering questions about the possibility of a furlough, Dunaway explained how he sees the civilian workforce as a critical part of the NAVAIR team. “I value our workforce more than anything,” he said.  “Nobody in the Navy likes furlough. Our civilian workforce is a readiness provider; if they get furloughed we lose our readiness.”  He also explained that even under sequestration, he does not believe that furlough will be necessary in Fiscal Year 2014.

Following the Town Hall, Dunaway attended a “Training Optimization Summit” with NAWCTSD leaders. The Training Optimization Summit focused on the current training of the workforce, the overall status of the training program, and the effectiveness of the program. Before leaving NSA Orlando, the Vice Admiral thanked the NSA Orlando command team for all of their hospitality during his visit.