By Gary Rice

It’s their job to keep things moving, to keep parts and materials flowing from shop to shop. It’s a big responsibility, and many of the artisans at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point rely on them to procure the materials they need to repair and maintain aircraft. For production controllers Tammy Kiraly and Brenda Jarman, the challenges of working in the Industrial Production Support Department’s Manufacturing Shop are what make the job most worthwhile.

“Our job is to order and receive raw materials, such as sheet metal, tubing, or anything the artisans need to manufacture aircraft parts,” Kiraly said. “When we receive a job order, if the required material is not on hand, we ensure it is ordered in a timely manner. When we rout parts to other shops, we ensure that the correct quantity is there, and we box or wrap everything for safety and protection.”

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.

Originally from Morehead City, Kiraly has been working in the Manufacturing Shop for a year. She first came to the depot as a Co-op in January 2001 and was picked up as a permanent employee last April. Prior to coming to the depot, she was a mom for eight years and also attended Craven County Community College as part of the Co-op Program. She started college in 1992 and graduated last December with an associate’s degree in Information Systems. She says her job involves a lot of computer work, and the Co-op Program provided her with the necessary training.

“I love my job,” Kiraly said. “This is the best job that anyone can ever have. I enjoy the people and the shop, and watching things get made from scratch is really interesting. It makes me feel good to see aircraft leave here when they’re 100 percent done, knowing that I had something to do with it. Our shop is always very busy, but with the war on terror going on, it’s satisfying to get things done quicker because you know they need those aircraft over there right now.”

Kiraly lives with her husband, two daughters, and son. She say’s her main hobby is surf fishing. “I go every Saturday that I can,” she said.

Jarman is relatively new to the depot. Like Kiraly, she came to the depot via the Co-op Program, having received her Information Systems degree from Carteret County Community College. She started Aug. 19 and worked in the Manufacturing Shop during the month of October. As part of her Co-op training, she will work in a total of four different shops, each one for 30 days, prior to being assigned to a permanent workplace.

“It’s kind of overwhelming but interesting,” Jarman said. “The depot’s Co-op Program is a great opportunity and a good way to learn how the shops work together. You get to meet people in the various shops and learn how they conduct business. That makes it easier to do your job because you know how they do theirs. You get to see how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.”

Before coming to the depot, Jarman worked as a supervisor at Cross Creek, a clothing manufacturer, for 21 years.

“When they closed the plant, the company gave the employees the opportunity to go back to school,” she said. “They offered to pay for my college education, so I took them up on the offer, and that’s how I got into the Co-op Program. In the meantime, I had a baby. It was a struggle working and going to school, but it was worth it. It was like I had started a whole new life with a new baby and a new career.”

Jarman, who was born and raised in Havelock, lives with her husband and two-year-old daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys watching football and is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan.

Photo: Production Controller Brenda Jarman packages an order of small aircraft parts at the job control desk in the depot’s Manufacturing Shop. (Photo by Gary Rice)