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Navy Lakehurst team wins commander’s award

  • Published
  • By Larry Lyford
  • NAVAIR Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis, commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., recently announced the NAWCAD Commander's Awards and Innovation Awards. Two Lakehurst-based teams were among the award winners for 2009.

"The selection process for both awards was a major challenge considering there were so many highly qualified and deserving nominations," said Rear Adm. Gaddis. "The outstanding level of all of the nominations shows the superior work being performed across the entire Naval Air Systems Command/NAWCAD team."

The first team, the Expeditionary Airfield Team, responded to an urgent call to support emerging Marine Corps airfield requirements in Afghanistan. Team members needed to support deployment of over 4.7 million square feet of airfield matting and over 300 related accessory packages valued at $600 million for installation in the country during a 16-week period. Members provided technical assistance, system development, equipment, spares, overhauls, replenishments, as well as, engineering change proposals and logistics support.

With a mission to equip the Marine Corps to operate aircraft from remote self-sustaining airfields at Forward Operating Bases, senior leaders expanded this support to Air Force and Army FOB's as well. General David H. Petraeus, Commander USCENTCOM, had the team support five FOB's in the country for all three services.

"Team members exemplified teamwork and excellence in the supporting the joint operation," said Paul Reiff, Expeditionary Airfield Team Leader. "Their outstanding achievement implementing the 'lighter, faster, quicker' creed made a difference in the rapid deployment and redeployment of the expeditionary systems. Focusing on excellent customer service drove outstanding material and technical support."

The second winning team, the V-22 Osprey Deck Heat Shield Team, partnered with the Naval Surface Engineering Command to study flight deck heat buildup on the Navy's amphibious assault ships. This deck-degrading heat build-up occurred as the Osprey's jet blast struck the deck in a prolonged manner from a couple of feet away. The team had to prevent deck fatigue damage before the first combat deployment two months away.

To do it, the team designed a mobile piece of equipment to shield flight decks from the MV-22B Osprey's engine's exhaust blast when the rear of the engine had to point to the deck.

This new equipment was critical to the tilt-rotor Osprey operating from shipboard. Just four weeks after an initial request, heat shields were conceived, analyzed and had passed both preliminary and critical design reviews.

With a functional proto-type manufactured at Lakehurst, Support Equipment Engineering Division team members headed for at-sea testing in an operational environment. With resulting improvements for added effectiveness and better mobility, Lakehurst manufactured and packaged the first production items for immediate delivery ahead of schedule.

"You all should be quite proud of this recognition and your accomplishments. I know each of you think about what you can do to support the fleet and it is evidenced by the recognition you are receiving," said Kathleen P. Donnelly, Director, Support Equipment & Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Department.