Military leaders, government officials and representatives from local businesses, educational institutions and advocacy organizations gathered at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center Jan. 27 to celebrate the official launch of the Eastern North Carolina Tech Bridge.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro served as keynote speaker at the event, which also included remarks by Rep. Greg Murphy, Fleet Readiness Center East Commanding Officer Col. Thomas A. Atkinson and several other local dignitaries.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) named its 2021 Mentors of the Year as part of its National Mentoring Month observance on January 27. Out of 53 nominations, 10 employees received the honor.

Initiated in 2013, to earn a Mentor of the Year award, peers or mentees nominate mentors through a written submission that identifies how the mentor represented leadership, skill, productivity, and improved morale and workforce retention. NAVAIR recognizes mentors for their ability to align their development and mentoring skills with the mission of Naval aviation.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Frederick J. Stefany visited Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) Jan. 27 to meet with command leadership and see firsthand the maintenance, repair, and overhaul services performed at the depot.

During the visit, FRCE Commanding Officer Col. Thomas A. Atkinson hosted a briefing highlighting the depot’s facilities and infrastructure, the organization’s work with the F-35 program, and the ways the command is overcoming challenges it faces as facilities age.

A supply shortage of clutch servo-valve filters for V-22 Osprey auxiliary power units (APU) threatened to keep a number of aircraft on the ground, until the APU group of the V-22 Fleet Support Team at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) found a way to clean the disposable filters and reinstall them on the aircraft.

In recognition of its consistent and effective airborne operations, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) was recently selected to receive a Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Fiscal Year 2020 Aviation Safety Award.

Joining FRCSW in the Commander, Naval Air Systems Command category was the Naval Test Pilot School and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21, both located in Patuxent River, Md.

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35B Lightning II aircraft when it successfully completed verification of the laser shock peening process and returned the first aircraft to undergo the procedure to the fleet.

Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, commander, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), announced today the assignment of Tom Rudowsky as deputy commander, NAVAIR, effective mid-January.

Rudowsky will assume the deputy commander position currently being held by Acting Deputy Commander Jerry Short.

Two years ago, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) inducted its first MV-22 Osprey for a Planned Maintenance Interval-Two (PMI-2) event.

Since then, the command’s approach to PMI-2 servicing of the tiltrotor aircraft has evolved to an improved readiness level perhaps unseen in the maintenance any other airframe.

PMI-2, along with PMI-1, comprise the Navy’s Integrated Maintenance Program (IMP) that was developed to maintain the aircraft and its structural integrity.

Materials engineers at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) faced a dilemma. Artisans must remove paint from an aircraft before it can be serviced, but exposure to harsh chemical stripping agents can damage the composite materials that make up the V-22 Osprey. Meanwhile, hand sanding methods are time consuming and physically demanding for workers.

As the Navy introduces new aircraft variants to bolster the fleet, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) continues to adapt its maintenance methods and practices to advance the delivery of these assets to ensure mission readiness. 

One such aircraft serviced by FRCSW is the E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning system, the fourth variant manufactured by Northrop Grumman that was brought into service in 2010.