Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently achieved another first in its support of the F-35B Lightning II platform by completing the depot’s first overhaul of a key lift system component.

The Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) Office of General Counsel recently earned recognition from the Department of the Navy Office of General Counsel for its development of an innovative tracking system that helps focus legal efforts on high-priority mission requirements and improve outcomes for the command.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy honored Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) for its exceptional financial management performance during the Department of the Navy Financial Management Awards Ceremony June 18.

Three individuals from the FRCE Comptroller Department – Andrew Frossard, Jennifer Bean and Alana Erevia – received recognition for their financial management achievements. This marks the second consecutive year that members of the depot’s workforce have been recognized by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for their contributions.

After soaring through two decades as a Marine Corps fighter pilot, Ross Fearon wasn’t quite ready to hang up his flight suit.

Instead, he embarked on a new mission after retiring from the Corps, trading combat maneuvers for flight testing on the cutting-edge F-35 Lightning II aircraft service at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE). In his new role as an F-35 maintenance test pilot, Fearon ensures the nation’s warfighters receive flight-ready aircraft following modification or repair at the depot.

When a critical need for new tooling arose for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, innovative thinking and forward-leaning technology at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) helped fill the gap and put 2,000 tools in aircraft maintainers’ hands within days. 

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently hosted a training exercise designed to sharpen the skills of a Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Forward Deployed Combat Repair (FDCR) team that travels to forward-deployed and combat locations during conflict and repairs battle-damaged military aircraft to return them to the fight.

The North Carolina Department of Labor recognized Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) for its occupational safety and health excellence with a Gold Award, the department’s highest workplace safety honor, and two Million-Hour Awards during the state’s 2025 Safety Awards Luncheon in Greenville May 1.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that FRCE has earned a Gold Award from the state, highlighting the command’s dedication to upholding safety standards.

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) opened a new chapter in its support of naval aviation’s heavy lift mission with the induction of a CH-53K King Stallion April 17, marking the first time the platform has ever been inducted for depot-level maintenance.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has selected Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) to receive the CNO Shore Safety Award in the Large Industrial Activity category for the second consecutive year, recognizing its continued efforts toward safety and occupational health excellence in fiscal year 2024.

The annual CNO Shore Safety Awards recognize commands with the best overall safety programs that emphasize risk management and mishap prevention and are considered the top safety award within the Navy. This is FRCE’s fourth time receiving the award.

Ten members of the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) workforce recently earned recognition for their contributions to the Beneficial Suggestion Program (BSP), which allows employees to improve the way the command does business. Employees who develop a money-saving idea that increases the life or quality of a product, reduces costs or improves delivery times have the opportunity to earn a portion of the savings generated by their recommendation.