• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point 2002 - The Year in Review

NAVAIR News Release

18 Dec 2002

By Gary Rice

It was another banner year for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point. The command's net operating result for fiscal year 2002 was over $200,000, which was more than $5 million ahead of the target amount. In keeping with their 59-year tradition of excellence, depot employees enjoyed a year that further focused their dedication to the command's goals and objectives and strengthened their commitment to the fleet and the Warfighter.

The year kicked off with a visit from Secretary of the Navy Gordon England and Congressman Walter Jones on Jan. 11. Escorted by Commanding Officer Col Eugene Conti, the visitors toured the facility and talked with employees.

On Jan. 18, the Boeing Philadelphia Laser Alignment Team visited the depot to assist with the repair of a CH-46 Sea Knight "Phrog" helicopter. That same day, the depot completed its semiannual International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000 registration with flying colors. ISO 9000 is an international standard that requires a third party auditor to evaluate the business practices of an organization. All aspects of the command's day-to-day business were reviewed and analyzed, and the assessment proved that the depot was ready to progress to the next ISO level.

On Jan. 31, the depot held its annual Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Awards luncheon at the Staff NCO Club. Award winners for 2001 were Debra Y. Bautista, Woman of the Year; John C. Adams, Man of the Year; Dennis D. White, Leadership Award; Constance A. Drummond, Supervisory Award; Robert G. Hastings, Non-supervisory Award; and Common Industrial Program Strategic Business Team, Unit Award.

On Feb. 9, an H-53 helicopter with a glorious past returned to the depot for repairs. The helo flew in support of operations in Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia, and Puerto Rico, and is best known as the aircraft that rescued downed Air Force pilot Capt Scott O'Grady in 1995.

In March, depot artisans painted the last of seven A-4 Skyhawk jets flown by a Top Gun aggressor squadron in Puerto Rico. The plane's new tactical camouflage paint scheme was developed at the depot and applied to the last seven A-4s in use in the fleet today.

Ground was broken April 10 for the depot's new and improved aircraft paint stripping facility. The $8.5 million project will add an extra 14,486 square feet to the depot's existing paint removal facility hangar. In other projects, a new distribution piping system was installed to provide high pressure and high temperature compressed air to pneumatic component test cells, a new motor was installed to spin helicopter rotor blades in the whirl tower, an automated shot peening machine was installed in the Propeller Shop, and a new enclosed work area was designed and constructed in the Plastics and Fiberglass Shop's Bonding Room. In June, the depot observed Teammate Appreciation Month with numerous activities and events designed to recognize employees for their year-round efforts in the support of the Warfighter.

In recognition of their commitment to excellence, two depot teams received Admiral Arthur awards. The H-1 Integrated Maintenance Concept (IMC) Team was honored for Business Strategy Achievement, and the Auxiliary Power Unit-Total Logistics Support Team was recognized for its work in alliance with the Honeywell and Caterpillar corporations. On June 27, four teams with depot members - the H-1 IMC Team, the F402 Harrier Engine Process Based Assessment Model Team, the F/A-18E/F Integrated Readiness Support Team, and the C-130 Bleed Air Duct/Overheat Detection System Modification IPT Team - were presented with NAVAIR Commander's awards by VADM Joseph Dyer.

In a depot first, artisans in the H-53 Sheet Metal Shop swapped sections of fuselages to repair two H-53 helicopters. In the Calibration Lab, two new flow meter calibrators were installed. To provide better service to fleet customers by reducing repair cycle time, Theory of Constraints methodology was implemented depot-wide; and in an effort to improve internal depot products and processes, the command adopted a Customer-Centered Culture approach to achieving and sustaining leadership in quality and customer satisfaction.

In another milestone on Oct. 25, the depot inducted its first Air Force UH-1N Huey helicopter. The Huey is the first Air Force H-1 to be inducted at a NAVAIR site, and its induction is a great reflection on the skills of the depot's artisans and their high reputation in the fleet.

During the week of Nov. 18-22, ISO auditors returned to assess the depot's business processes and procedures. As a result, the auditors recommended that the depot be certified to an upgraded ISO standard.

As North Carolina's largest industrial employer east of Interstate 95, the NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point provides maintenance, engineering, and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines, and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Employing almost 4,000 people, the depot is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet and rotary wing engines. It is the Navy's center of excellence for rotary wing aircraft, providing engineering and logistics support for all Navy helicopters. After another year of unsurpassed service to the fleet and relentless focus on quality, the depot is a modern industrial complex that remains an irreplaceable national asset.