By Vicky Falcón
NAVAIR Public Affairs

Ten years into his Navy career ABE1(AW) Brian Morrison is working his first shore duty. Although he loves the water and enjoyed his two tours on the carriers USS KITTY HAWK CV-63 and USS NIMITZ CVN-68, Morrison is ready to keep his feet planted on dry land for a while.

A year ago Morrison reported for duty at Naval Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, part of the Naval Air Systems Command headquartered at Patuxent River, Md. Morrison is part of a tight-knit team of 33 men and women who run a TC-7 catapult and MK-7 arresting gear facility. Morrison, the maintenance control leading petty officer, is responsible for monitoring, tracking and documenting all divisional maintenance actions.

So what does he think of the change?

"I couldn't have picked a better shore duty," Morrison said. "NAVAIR is one of the best shore duties an ABE (Aviation Boatswain's Mate Equipment) could have."

He says he could have chosen a general billet and ended up anywhere, but he wanted to continue working with catapults and arresting gear, so he chose NAVAIR.

Morrison says he's able to learn all aspects of his rate at the test squadron. "This is an outstanding place to get on-the-job training and work on leadership skills," he said. "This is an excellent place to learn and work up through the ranks."

As the arresting gear leading petty officer on NIMITZ, Morrison was in charge of one portion of that gear. "In the fleet you tend to work one phase of the job. Here, I'm able to work in all facets of the rate - catapults, arresting gear, maintenance, and quality assurance."

Because of that flexibility, Morrison feels he is better prepared for stepping up to the next rank, and better prepared to go back to the fleet. "I can function and be productive anywhere," he said, "and that's a direct result of the training environment here at TC-7."

Morrison grew up in Aberdeen, N.C. His father made a 30-year career of the Airforce, but Morrison loved the water and enlisted in the Navy in 1992.

Prior to enlistment, though, he had never seen a Navy vessel in person.

"I was standing on the end of the pier at Naval Air Station North Island and watched the CV-63 KITTY HAWK round the corner and come toward me," he said. "It still had aircraft on deck, and I was speechless, just amazed to watch it cruise into port; I am still in awe of the carrier today. Sometimes it's hard to believe that I am actually a part of the greatest Navy in the world."

While in the fleet, Morrison admits he knew nothing about NAVAIR. Now, though, he holds the command in high regard.

"We're doing an outstanding job supporting the fleet," he said. "Without us, (the fleet) wouldn't have new equipment. Fighter, attack and trainer aircraft, weapons systems and components - they all come here to be tested on our catapult and arresting gear to see if they are viable on the fleet. Our job is to test and evaluate and make sure they're viable."

"We insure that the fleet gets quality products and that money is not wasted," he said. "We play a critical role, and I take pride in my job."

Morrison is also proud of having a part in some of the cutting edge technology that NAVAIR is evaluating.

"A lot of the equipment we test here you can't even take pictures of," he said. "We see and test everything new coming to the fleet."

Morrison says he looks forward to the day when he's back on a carrier and can point to a piece of equipment and say, "Hey, we tested that at NAVAIR. I was a part of that testing."

Morrison wants to make the most of his remaining two years of shore duty. He is also hoping to spread the news about NAVAIR to his buddies in the fleet. "I want (sailors) to know about this place," he said. "I want them to know this is the place to be for shore duty."

Photo by Vicky Falcón, NAVAIR Public Affairs (for high resolution photo, please call 301-757-5116)

Caption 1: ABE1(AW) Brian Morrison prepares for catapult and arresting gear testing from a control tower as part of NAVAIR's Naval Strike Aircraft Test Squadron.

Caption 2: ABE1(AW) Brian Morrison