Artisans at Fleet Readiness Center East can now move V-22 fuel bladders more safely and efficiently thanks to a new sling developed in partnership with private industry.

FRCE received the first V-22 sponson fuel bladder sling assembly – also known as a “dog bone” – in late summer. The new sling, first used in FRCE’s clean and blast shop, allows aircraft maintenance professionals to securely lift the flexible fuel bladders designed to fit in a V-22 Osprey’s sponsons, which are projections from the side of the aircraft that hold the fuel cells and landing gear.

New test equipment at Fleet Readiness Center East has positioned the facility to help alleviate one of the top degraders to V-22 Osprey readiness.

The new test stand, which checks the functionality of the V-22 swashplate actuator, cuts testing time in half to produce “ready for issue” components for the supply chain. The swashplate actuator is a flight-critical control that guides the aircraft’s rotors; with the component’s presence on the V-22 degrader list, every day it is in process counts.

Fleet Readiness Center East Executive Director James Ogburn, center, received the Navy's Meritorious Civilian Service Award during a ceremony Tuesday, October 6 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Rear Adm. Trent DeMoss, Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, and FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Mark E. Nieto presented the award, the third-highest honor for a Navy civilian.

Four area schools will receive help funding extracurricular activities centered in science, technology, engineering and math, thanks to Department of Defense STEM grants secured by Fleet Readiness Center East. 

The Integrated Support Environment (ISE) Team from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst was recognized in a virtual award ceremony Sept. 1 as the Michael G. Simodejka Outstanding Sustainment Team of the Year for developing a single, authoritative, data-driven support equipment (SE) degrader list for each aircraft type/model/series in less than three months. Paavan Pujara, ISE Team lead, credits this achievement to the team’s shared focus toward a single goal and by applying Reliability Control Board (RCB) methodologies.

The Navy’s MH-60S Seahawk multi-mission helicopter is ready for a communications upgrade, and engineers with the H-60 Fleet Support Team at Naval Air Systems Command’s In-Service Support Center at Fleet Readiness Center East have developed an innovative solution to support that effort.

When local agencies saw a need for protective face shields, Fleet Readiness Center East stepped up to answer the call. A small team of FRCE engineers recently 3D printed, assembled and delivered more than 700 face shields to area medical professionals, first responders and educators. This brings the total number of face shields manufactured by FRCE and distributed in the community to more than 1,250 since the initiative began in mid-April.

The aircraft maintenance professionals at Fleet Readiness Center East are always ready for a challenge. But when the U.S. Air Force asked the facility to bring an H-1 Huey up to current configurations after it spent more than 10 years sitting in storage, the artisans faced a bigger challenge than they expected.

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has been extending the service life of the C-2A Greyhound transport through a variety of maintenance plans and modifications since 2001.

With a 10,000-pound payload capacity, the C-2A has served the Navy since 1965 by transporting high-priority cargo, mail and personnel from aircraft carriers to shore bases.

Fleet Readiness Center East recently welcomed its second class of apprentices to work at the aircraft repair facility. Twenty new employees reported for duty August 10, as part of a nationally standardized pipeline through which FRCE can hire and train a workforce of highly skilled aircraft mechanics.

The Naval Air Systems Command National Apprenticeship Program is designed to offer qualified applicants the opportunity to work full-time as federal employees, receiving pay and benefits, as they pursue a combination of education and on-the-job training.