Fleet Readiness Center East marked a milestone with the induction of the first F-35B Lightning II aircraft to undergo laser peening modifications, and leaders anticipate the new workload will keep the facility engaged for the next several years.

During this time, experts will apply the high-tech procedure to select F-35B aircraft flown by the United States Marine Corps, strengthening the frames of the short takeoff-vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II and helping the aircraft reach its full life limit.

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) has completed its first aircraft condition inspection (ACI) on an Air Force T-6, marking another historic first for the depot in its long history of unwavering service to the nation's military forces.

FRCSE inducted the trainer aircraft on Aug. 26, 2020, and completed its ACI, strip and paint on Jan. 29, 2021 in just over five short months. 

Steven Spielberg once said this about mentoring: “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”

No one understands these ideals better than Joshua Dowler, the 2020 Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) National Mentor of the Year Award winner for FRCSE, and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast’s (FRCSE) 2020 Dora Quinlan Mentor Award winners, Savanna Massey and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Brian Woolford.

Every field of effort has a standard to beat. Track and field had the four-minute mile. For baseball, the bar is 762 career home runs. For the V-22 Osprey production line at Fleet Readiness Center East, there was the 300-day turnaround time for returning the aircraft to their fleet customers.

On January 15, the V-22 line broke that elusive 300-day mark when the team returned its most recently completed aircraft in 297 days, far below the negotiated standard of 420 days.

Eric Jackson doesn’t consider mentoring a collateral duty. To him, it’s something he does every day for all the people who work with him. He just calls it leading by example.

It’s also something at which he excels, and his commitment to developing the skills and capabilities of his team earned Jackson the title of Fleet Readiness Center East Mentor of the Year. Naval Air Systems Command leadership recognized Jackson and other NAVAIR Mentors of the Year during a virtual celebration of National Mentoring Month held Jan. 26.

Outstanding technical leadership, guidance and passion coupled with more than 26 years of government experience describe Commander Fleet Readiness Center’s (COMFRC) 2020 Mentor of the Year, Brad Hierstetter. 

COMFRC Executive Director, Roy Harris and Fleet Support Team (FST) Executive, Tony Miguelez presented Hierstetter with the award on Jan. 13 at COMFRC Headquarters. “Your dedication to guiding COMFRC and FST members on their career journey, embodies the ideal qualities and character of a Navy mentor and reflects the spirit of this notable award,” Harris said.

When it comes to keeping tabs on assets, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities can present a special set of challenges. Components move through various stages of assembly and disassembly, in and out of different shops, until the final product comes back together and moves back into the supply chain.

Removing coatings and corrosion from aircraft components often requires abrasive blasting, sanding and hazardous chemicals to prepare the surfaces for rework. Engineers and artisans at Fleet Readiness Center East recently observed a demonstration of a quicker, more efficient way to clean these parts for repair, using laser light to remove corrosion and coatings from containers and aircraft components.

New storage solutions are delivering big benefits on the F-35 Lightning II aircraft modification line at Fleet Readiness Center East, with everyone from aircraft maintenance professionals to program leadership noticing improvements in safety and efficiency.

Leaders from the Advanced Measurement Services and Reverse Engineering Labs (AMSREL) at three Fleet Readiness Centers recently convened at Fleet Readiness Center East to chart a path for the new division and learn from each other’s successes.