Teaching youths to fly Page 3
Submariners at NAVAIR
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Ready to Ride Sexual Assault Awareness Month
VOLUME 70, NUMBER 15
Page 12 NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND Celebrating 70 years of community partnership
April 18, 2013
Military Child of the Year Top 20 finalist from Pax River Eleven-year-old Sierra Jordan honored at county Board of Education meeting By Donna Cipolloni Tester staff writer
St. Mary’s County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano presented a certificate of recognition to fifth-grader Sierra Jordan at a Board of Education meeting in Leonardtown on April 10. Sierra, who turns 11 today, was named one of the Navy’s Top 20 finalists for this year’s Military Child of the Year Award, an annual award sponsored by Operation Homefront. Sierra is the daughter of Navy Counselor 1st Class Josh Jordan, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1, and his wife Nicole. Military Child of the Year recognizes those children who have demonstrated themselves to be exceptional citizens while facing the unique challenges of military family life. Sierra, who has already attended seven schools in her short lifetime, definitely fits that description. “She has always been interested in community service and helping others,” explained Sierra’s mother. “Before she was 8 years old, she’d visit nursing homes with her Girl Scout troop to sing, dance, hand out cards and just talk with the residents. She’s very compassionate.” Sierra has also donated her time to the annual “Spirit of 1945” commemoration,
where she interviewed veterans from World War II and logged their stories of actual events. When her brother Jake, now 8, was born with a spinal defect, Sierra immediately began to question what challenges he would face and wondered what she could do for other kids. While living in San Diego, she raised more than $1,500 for the Make-aWish Foundation and the San Diego Chargers Community Foundation. Sierra has also been a regular participant in Operation Shoebox, sending support, snacks and personal care items to troops deployed outside the U.S. Moving to Southern Maryland last October, Sierra was voted by her classmates at Evergreen Elementary as “Student of the Month” after only three weeks attendance. “The moment Sierra joined our class, I knew she was different,” wrote her teacher Brittany Gilroy, in her recommendation letter to the award selection committee. “With our school being in a transient area, new students come frequently and it’s sometimes difficult for the children to make friends. I’ve seen other new military students struggle with this. However, Sierra fit right into the Evergreen family. With her
See Child, Page 13
U.S. Navy photo by Donna Cipolloni
Navy Counselor 1st Class Josh Jordan sits with his daughter Sierra, 11, and wife Nicole outside the St. Mary's County Public School offices. The Jordan's consider Sierra, who is a student at Evergreen Elementary School, to be "an old soul in a young body."
Scanning the horizon: Navy ATCs see new simulator By Cindy Mattingly Naval Aviation Training Systems communications support Aimed at reducing production costs and upgrading outdated technology, the Department of the Navy launched the Air Traffic Control Tower Simulator System, known as ATC-TSS, with the first delivery installed March 22 at NAS Key West, Fla. A total of 38 simulators are scheduled for delivery at 34 Navy and Marine Corps installations and will replace the existing Tower Operating Training System (TOTS) as well as provide low-cost proficiency training. “Implementing a commercial trainer solution and leveraging the work done by the Federal Aviation Administration, Air Force and academia demonstrates our desire to provide quality and affordable training solutions,” said Capt. John Feeney, Naval Aviation Training Systems (PMA-205) program manager at NAS Patuxent River. Feeney’s office oversees the ATC-TSS program. “The goal is to upgrade technology and increase daily training accessibility while simultaneously reducing operating time and life-cycle cost.” The TOTS, originally fielded in 1991, provided synthetic training to military air traffic controllers. Because of outdated technology, a decrease in the visual capability and issues with the speech recognition program,
the Navy decided to replace it with the commercial system currently used by the Army, Air Force and public sector. The new system, developed by UFA, Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., supports individual or team training and has both out-of-thewindow and binocular views. The product offers 3-D graphics with simulated weather information, airfield lighting and integrated radar displays, as well as simulation of other key tower systems. Another capability includes a photo-realistic airport database for each site and moving models that prepare air traffic controllers to choreograph reallife aircraft movement. “The ATC-TSS is a new tool for Navy air facilities and replaces outdated technology at various Marine Corps sites,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Dugard, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division ATC training systems lead. “The first device will be utilized at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla.” Naval air traffic controllers, also known as swivel heads, are responsible for safely and effectively directing aircraft operating from airfields or the flight decks of aircraft carriers and perform duties similar to their civilian equivalents. “Our air traffic controllers are the military’s bird’s-eye view,” Dugard said. “They hone their skills through synthetic training. The ATC-TSS has built-in scenarios encompassing emergency situations and daily
U.S. Navy photo
The Air Traffic Control Tower Simulator System, similar to the one above, is an innovative training capability used to instruct Navy and Marine Corps air traffic controllers in a synthetic environment. The Navy has procured 38 simulators and began delivery in March. The first device will be used at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla. Full operational capability is scheduled for 2017. routines. Proper training ensures they are detail-oriented, work well in stressful situ-
ations, adhere to strict standards and are decisive.”