Former leader’s influence inspires teammates to ‘tighten up’

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With the catapult of a colorful, aircraft-representative dead-load, the memory of a former Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Carrier and Field Service Unit (CAFSU) lead was alive and well aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) recently.

Aircraft launch history was made this summer during the Navy’s first series of successful Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) test launches from the bow of CVN 78.

One of those dead-loads memorialized John Ledder, whose passing in 2012 was by many accounts sudden and shocking, leaving behind many heavy hearts and big shoes to fill at the CAFSU office.

“As we witness the success of the EMALS test program aboard CVN 78, it’s important that we appreciate the people behind the system; individuals who have dedicated their time, energy and intellect to supporting the Navy in order to deliver the first new aircraft launch technology employed in more than 60 years,” ALRE (PMA-251) program manager Capt. Steve Tedford said. “Individuals like John Ledder exemplify the Team ALRE spirit,” he said.

“John was essentially the father of the core [CAFSU] team down here at the shipyard, and he was incredibly respected,” said Robert Puakea III, current ALRE CAFSU lead at Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP) Newport News and Ledder’s friend of 23 years.

Ledder was a long-time proponent of EMALS integration on the Ford-class carriers, so honoring him with a 15,465-pound weighted sled used to test the shipboard system seemed fitting, said Puakea.

‘NAVAIR’s eyes and ears at the shipyard’
Puakea said Ledder was a member of the original two-man team assigned to “live with the ship” as it was built. He called the current roughly 20-member CAFSU team – charged with delivering the new launch technology to the fleet -- “NAVAIR’s eyes and ears at the shipyard.”

He explained how embedding the CAFSU team during ship construction benefits the Navy by providing the continuity necessary to maintain all the ALRE systems throughout a ship’s service life, while her crews come and go. Two CAFSU representatives, one mechanical and one electrical, learn and troubleshoot the shipboard systems alongside the Sailors and shipbuilder and will remain with CVN 78 through delivery and service. Often, like Ledder, they become the go-to experts and problem-solvers.

‘Tighten up’
“John always focused on providing a quality job and was famous for telling others to ‘tighten up’, which meant to work hard and get the job done right the first time,” said Puakea, adding it’s a motto he and the team practice daily at the shipyard.

That catchphrase adorns the bright orange dead-load, or weighted sled, that also bears Ledder’s name along with signature and numerous personal messages from teammates who understand how important his and their role is to keeping America’s aircraft carriers at optimal operational capacity.

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“John always focused on providing a quality job
and was famous for telling others to ‘tighten up’,
which meant to work hard and get the job done right the first time.”

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Ledder’s ‘tighten up’ motto was often heard at home as well, and especially with their three daughters, said his wife of 26 years, Sharon.

Having grown up with a Navy Seabee father, Ledder had an appreciation for the military, and as a former Eagle Scout he was known for being regimented and having a tenacious work ethic. Being asked to solve problems and learn the ins and outs of ALRE systems aboard carriers as they were constructed was the perfect job for him, according to Sharon.

“John simply loved to figure out how things worked and loved the challenge of coming up with engineering solutions to support the Navy,” she said.

When Puakea called her and suggested she watch an online video of the dead-load with his name inscribed launching off the Ford, she said the tears flowed.

“It’s just such a tribute; we’re so proud of him and of the ALRE family that works so hard,” Sharon said.

From apprentice to expert
Mike Mann, refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) CAFSU engineering technician and subject matter expert, said he had known Ledder for about 28 years, having met him in Lakehurst, New Jersey, where both men had completed an apprentice program.

“It’s still a big loss that’s felt down here; he was just so intricately involved with the shipbuilding process that people were calling for months after he had passed, seeking his assistance and expertise,” Mann said.

Mann said he leaves a penny, symbolic of the first carrier they had worked on together — the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), each time he visits his friend’s mausoleum.

Several of Ledder’s teammates keep a photograph of him in their offices as inspiration for how to conduct themselves on the job. His picture also hangs on the wall of the local Hooter’s restaurant, where he and his co-workers dined every Friday for about 13 years.

Reminiscences were plenty in August 2014, when his family hosted a toga party at their island cabin in New Jersey. Many who worked with and admired him attended, and remain close with his wife and daughters. With smiles and plenty of memories to share about him, 83 guests celebrated Ledder’s life and positive impact.