By Vicky Falcón
NAVAIR Public Affairs Office

Dave Womack is a light sleeper. When he goes to bed at night he knows there's a good chance he'll be awakened by work. He doesn't have nightmares; he has a phone by his bed.

Womack works for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a Carrier and Field Service Unit (CAFSU) representative working out of the Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville, Fl. His mission is to provide on-site technical services for the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and any other aircraft carriers on the east coast.

"There have been many times that I had to call Dave," said CWO2 Arturo Melendez, the V-2 Maintenance Officer onboard Kennedy. "Many times I've had to wake him up in the middle of the night for assistance to trouble shoot equipment, part numbers and special tools. He is always ready to assist me."

Womack and the team of CAFSU representatives he works with are busy people, providing support for American carriers at sea and the French Aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle. Some of the systems they are responsible for include the catapults, arresting gear, flush deck nose gear launch, jet blast deflectors, Heads-Up Display (HUD) and Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (FLOLS).

"We are the eyes, ears and the direct link between many engineers at NAVAIR Lakehurst (in Lakehurst, N.J.) and the ship's force personnel who operate the equipment," said Womack.

"We work closely with the ship's personnel to make sure they fully understand all the operational and maintenance issues with the equipment from ALRE Maintenance Officer down to the new airman," he said.

According to Womack, a big part of his job involves troubleshooting unusual problems encountered by Navy personnel - a responsibility that can take Womack out to the carrier wherever it is deployed.

Womack has traveled to the Kennedy twice since it deployed. Once to Bahrain (Saudi Arabia) where he then made a three-hour flight out to the aircraft carrier to repair an arresting gear valve which is the heart of the arresting gear engine.

"I worked with ship's force personnel until the valve was replaced, tested and was recovering aircraft," said Womack.

"Dave flying out here to assist me in the installation of a valve and taking readings is only a very small part of what he does for this ship, the Navy and me," said Melendez.

"Dave is a very hard worker always ready to lend a hand, never concerned about where he is going to sleep or what he is having for dinner," he said. "His work always comes first, from the time he steps off the plane to the time the equipment is fully operational. I have seen him work over 24 hours straight installing a new anchor damper cylinder in one of my (arresting gear) engines."

CAFSU representatives also oversee extensive ALRE maintenance actions, such as the replacement of trough covers on one of the Kennedy's catapults.

"We only had a little over four weeks to accomplish the job prior to the ship's deployment," said Womack. "This maintenance action normally requires a minimum of four months to accomplish."

Womack praises his team's efforts. "Not only were the covers replaced, but additional emergent repairs were required during this same time and other maintenance actions were also accomplished - and we met the ship's time commitment."

"Our motto is 'We fix 'em to launch and recover . . . anytime, anyplace,'" said Womack. "This was truly a NAVAIR team effort that could only have been appreciated if you were there, rain or shine," he said.

Additional CAFSU duties include annual testing and inspection of many different Naval station shore-based arresting gear and visual landing aid systems.

Womack's 17 years of service as a CAFSU representative have not gone unnoticed. He was recently honored with a Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his exceptional maintenance expertise and leadership. Though the award is an honor for Womack, a greater honor is the respect he receives from fleet personnel.

"My job is a lot easier because of Dave," said Melendez. "His reputation is very well known throughout the fleet and many of my fellow maintenance officers envy me for having him as my CAFSU representative."

"This job is not the normal nine-to-five job," said Womack. "This job is very demanding and strong family ties are needed to keep your sanity."

A good night's sleep doesn't hurt, either.

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology to the American Warfighter. Located in eight principal sites around the country, NAVAIR provides precision naval aviation technologies in sensors, aircraft, weapons, training, launch & recovery systems, and communication. NAVAIR warfare technology is delivering transformational service to the US Navy, to all other Department of Defense services, as well as military organizations of allies around the world. For more information about the Naval Air Systems Command, go to www.navair.navy.mil.

Photo by Ted Defee

Photo caption: NAVAIR Carrier and Field Service Representatives Wilbern McFarland (left) and Dave Womack take a final set of measurements of an overhauled catapult shuttle that was reworked for Naval Inventory Control Point. The shuttle is the same type used aboard all aircraft carriers and is the flight critical component that the aircraft hooks up to during a catapult launch.