Six NAVAIR civilian employees, five from the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), were on board when USS Enterprise (CVN 65) embarked on her final voyage that set sail from Norfolk, Va., in March.
The objective of the trip was to provide the six NAVAIR professionals better perspective on how their work impacts carrier aviation’s day-to-day operations.
Cmdr. David Kindley, deputy program manager for PMA-265’s Mission Systems, spear-headed the effort to take Navy civilians onto the ship. He said his goals were to have the civilians see firsthand the enormous capabilities of the aircraft carrier and the carrier environment, as well as its limitations, and how strike missions are planned, executed and supported.
By being aboard the ship, the NAVAIR civilians gained a different perspective and an even greater appreciation of what our men and women in uniform deal with day in and day out while deployed, said Kindley.
With more than 5,000 Sailors on board and space at a minimum, every person on the ship knew his job and knew what he had to do to support the mission, noted Neil Williams, PMA-265 F/A-18 radar chief engineer.
“I was impressed with what ship personnel are able to do given their environment,” said Lori Daugherty, PMA-265 acquisition lead, who learned more about the training involved and procedures that are followed onboard ship.
Although the original intent was to learn from the ship/airwing team, the NAVAIR participants were able to provide answers to the fleet that might not have been addressed otherwise, including challenges at the squadron level, for the airwing and even for the Strike Group commander. “It was gratifying to be able to return the favor to our hosts, even if in small part,” Daugherty added.
Capt. Frank Morley, PMA-265 program manager, was supportive of the trip and was pleased program office representatives were able to help while onboard. “It is not everyday we get to provide real-time feedback and assistance to the fleet,” said Morley. “So, this trip was a win-win for NAVAIR and the fleet.”
PMA-265 personnel said they were astounded by the complexity and challenge of putting so many pieces together to form such a cohesive unit, including the ship itself, the air wing and individual aircraft squadrons.
“We came away from this with a renewed gratitude for the sacrifices our military members make each and every day,” said Kevin Frankle, F/A-18 post
