Petty Officer 2nd Class Bradly Stilley, a hospital corpsman an instructor at the Aircraft Survivability Training Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., shows employees from Naval Acquisition Development Program the “dunker” — a device that is submerged underwater to help train aircrew to escape from an aircraft that has gone down in water. (U.S. Navy photo)
Logistics employees work to learn ins, outs of NAVAIR Aircraft Survivability Center
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — In an effort to understand how Navy and Marine aircrew prepare for an aviation mishap, employees from the Naval Acquisition Development Program (NADP) took a tour of the Aircraft Survivability Training Center, July 1.
Created to promote the growth of entry-level professionals in finance, contracting, logistics, science and engineering, the NADP is made up of employees from NAVAIR’s Logistics and Industrial Operations (AIR 6.0) who have no more than three years of experience as civilians for the DON.
The training center tour was the latest in a series of experiences set up to expose the group to different aspects of NAVAIR.
“Being part of the NADP gives me the opportunity to experience the various divisions and programs within NAVAIR so that I may gain a more holistic view of how each component supports the organization,” said Charelle Johnson, NADP member and operations research analyst currently in rotation with the Design Interface/Maintenance Planning Division (AIR 6.7).
Petty Officer 2nd Class Bradly Stilley, a hospital corpsman and instructor at the center, led the group through the different training areas that prepare the aircrew for a variety of mishaps, such as egress trainers, which simulate an aircraft underwater; ejection seats that teach participants proper body positioning when ejecting from an aircraft; and a virtual reality parachute that allows students to troubleshoot a series of malfunctions that may occur.
“Our goal is to save lives and give the aircrew the confidence to know that it’s prepared,” Stilley said.
Seeing the different activities gave the NADP members a better perspective of how their work impacts fleet readiness.
“This tour made me aware of the rigorous training the warfighter undergoes in order to survive in the aviation environment,” Johnson said. “As a logistician, or aviation maintenance planner, I can save lives by evaluating the testing and operational data to ensure that the tools and equipment the aircrew use are safe and reliable.”
NADP tour coordinators are planning more events in the near future, including the Arresting and Landing Gears labs and a trip to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in New Jersey. For more information about the program, contact Stephanie Souders at 301-757-8416.