By Gary Rice
Public Affairs Specialist

Is it worth the time and money required to fix it? Or is it beyond the scope of economical repair?

That’s the determination David P. Bryant has to make regularly in his job as Beyond Economical Repair (BER) Coordinator at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point. Using information provided by shop-level examination and evaluation personnel, he evaluates aircraft components, engines, and airframes structures that come into the depot in such poor shape they exceed the normal scope of repair.

“It’s our job to ensure we don’t put more money and man-hours into a repair than what we’re getting compensated for,” Bryant said. “We check to see if we’ve made money on the item in the past and what our material and man-hour posture is on it. We do a cost-benefit analysis, and if the item doesn’t meet established BER criteria, it will be repaired through normal channels. If it meets the criteria, I forward the information to the Inventory Control Point and let the item manager decide whether we should fix the item or scrap it. If there will be additional costs, I have to round up the funding.”

NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point provides maintenance, engineering, and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines, and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Employing almost 4,000 people, the depot is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet and rotary wing engines. It is the Navy’s center of excellence for rotary wing aircraft, providing engineering and logistics support for all Navy helicopters.

Bryant has been working at the depot since 1985. He started as an electrical worker on H-46 helicopters and graduated from the Apprentice Program in 1991. He worked as a pneumatic systems mechanic for seven years, and prior to assuming his present duties was an Industrial Engineering Technician.

Originally from Arlington, Texas, Bryant joined the Marine Corps at 17 and served with an AV-8 Harrier squadron at Cherry Point. He left the Corps in 1978 and returned to Texas, where married a young lady he met in North Carolina and went to work for General Dynamics in Fort Worth.

Bryant says the BER program is the highlight of his career, since he took a program that had just started rolling and brought it up to speed. His program generated $4.5 million in savings for the depot last year, and he hopes to meet or exceed that amount this year.

Bryant was the first depot employee to be selected for the Navy’s Long Term Training Fellowship Program. He attended night school at Boston University, Cherry Point, and completed the intensive 20-month program in May, graduating with a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems.

“I studied everything having to do with managing computer information systems, project management software, programming, and data base administration,” Bryant said. “I apply these things every day in my job and used what I learned to establish the BER database.”

“Everyone who works with David can tell you how hard he worked to finish the program,” Carol Justice, Components Workload Standards/Special Projects Coordinator, said, “and we’re all very proud of his accomplishment.”

Bryant earned his first master’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University in 1993 and also has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.

“I had the old Vietnam Era GI Bill after I left the Marines,” he said, “and I really grew to enjoy the academic environment.”

As for the future, Bryant plans to remain in federal civil service until he retires and would also like to do some teaching on the side. He hopes to actively pursue his teaching interests with the university programs on base and the local community colleges. As a hobby, he buys and rebuilds 70s-era vintage dirt bikes. He and his wife have three children at home.

“I really enjoy my job,” Bryant said. “I get the chance to be involved in a little bit of everything, and I make daily business decisions that effect the depot. I work with some really good people, and this is a very rewarding position.”

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technologies through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts.

Photo Caption: At the NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point, BER Coordinator David Bryant explains to Industrial Engineering Technician Woody Burke why the large metal container next to them does not qualify for the BER Program. Using standardized guidelines, Bryant determined that the container, used to ship and store an H-53 helicopter main rotor head, was not beyond economical repair. As such, it will be overhauled by depot artisans. (Photo by Gary Rice)