Marine Corps Col. Christopher McDonald II assumed command of Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) from Navy Capt. Randy Berti during a change of command ceremony Sept. 25.

During the ceremony, Berti formally transferred authority and responsibility of the depot to McDonald in front of an audience of hundreds of FRCE employees, distinguished visitors and special guests.

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently piloted a new leadership program for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) enterprise, serving as the exclusive testing ground for skilled trade employee development. After months of training, FRCE celebrated the graduation of the program's first cohort Sept. 2, paving the way for a new, one-year development program that is now being offered NAVAIR-wide.

Officials from the Department of War, Department of the Navy and the state of North Carolina cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art repair complex at the North Carolina Global TransPark Sept. 17, significantly boosting Fleet Readiness Center East’s (FRCE) ability to deliver mission-ready aircraft to warfighters.

The new facility expands FRCE’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for three key defense platforms: Navy C/KC-130T Hercules, Marine Corps C/KC-130J Super Hercules and Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft. 

A small team of aircraft maintenance professionals at the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) detachment on board Marine Corps Air Station New River is making a tangible difference on flightline readiness for the V-22 squadrons stationed there.

A commitment to flight line safety and efficiency has earned Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recognition from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) with the CNO Aviation Safety Award for fiscal year 2025.

 An unplanned repair on an Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter is providing Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) with the opportunity to refine its HH-60W maintenance skills before the depot begins planned maintenance on the aircraft platform later this year.

When Marine Corps Air Station New River-based Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) experienced a critical need for CH-53K King Stallion parts while conducting training in Arizona, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) filled the requirement within hours, returning the aircraft to mission-capable status at breakneck speed.

Imagine a military aircraft sustaining heavy structural damage in a remote, forward-deployed combat location. If the repairs are outside the scope of standard squadron-level maintenance and shipping the aircraft to a depot is not an option, how does the fleet rapidly repair and return that critical asset to the fight?

An era has officially come to an end. Now that the Marine Corps has officially retired the AV-8B Harrier II, let’s look back at Fleet Readiness Center East’s 50-year legacy of supporting the platform that revolutionized military aviation.