NAS Holiday Gate Hours
Page 4
CFC Online Pledges Page 7
Get to Know NACRA Page 8 NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND Celebrating 70 years of community partnership
VOLUME 70, NUMBER 45
Pax wins four of five community service flagship awards By Connie Hempel Naval Air Station Patuxent River Public Affairs Naval Air Station Patuxent River nearly swept the region in the 2013 Community Service Program of the Year Award competition, taking four of five flagship awards, and an honorable mention for the 2013 USS Bainbridge Award, the Navywide award given to one installation for providing outstanding support to the community. Naval District Washington’s 88th Commandant, Rear Adm. Markham Rich, personally presented the four regional Community Service Flagship Awards: Environmental Stewardship; Health, Safety and Fitness; Personal Excellence Partnership; and Project Good Neighbor, to the naval air station during a Command Quarters here Dec. 5. “These awards are a testament to the hard work you all continue to do day in and out, both on station and in the community,” Rich said. “Your efforts not only strengthen our Navy but also reinforce the bond we have with our communities and bring us closer together as neighbors.”
See Awards, Page 5
December 12, 2013
Supporting Navy’s Blue and Gold
By Donna Cipolloni Tester staff writer
This Saturday, the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen will storm Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to contest the 114th Army-Navy game against their archrival U.S. Military Academy Black Knights. Hundreds of thousands of people across the nation will view the game on television, with many supporting the Blue and Gold. But for Mike Thumm and Art Pruett — two USNA alumni now working at Naval Air Station Patuxent River — that support extends well beyond the football field. Both men serve their beloved alma mater by volunteering as Blue and Gold Officers. “The correct title is Naval Academy Information Officer, but we’re better known as Blue and Gold Officer,” said Thumm, deputy program manager, Weapons Control System, Tomahawk Weapons System Program (PMA-280). Thumm, former commanding officer of the Pax River Marine Aviation
The Navy mascot leads U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen onto the field during the opening ceremonies of the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia. Football fans at Naval Air Station Patuxent River can gear up for this weekend’s game by attending the traditional Eggs and Legs Breakfast from 7:25-9 a.m. Dec. 13 at River’s Edge. Tickets are: $15 for adults, and $7 for kids; cash only at the door.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho
Detachment, graduated from the USNA in 1975. Blue and Gold officers are assigned to specific schools
to identify and recruit student prospects who might be interested in attending USNA and be capable of completing
its rigorous academic and officer-development program. They serve as the liaison between the academy and the candidates, helping with the application process, which requires a Congressional nomination. “There are about 10 different documents or tests to complete in the application process, and the best time to begin working on it is be-
See Football, Page 10
Navy honors Hornet for 35 years of distinction By Liz Mildenstein F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) Communications Support
The F/A-18 Hornet community celebrated the 35th anniversary of the aircraft’s first flight during a ceremony Monday in the Rear Adm. William A. Moffett Building’s atrium at NAS Pax River. Sponsored by the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), the celebration highlighted the accomplishments and continued impact of the U.S. Navy’s longest running tactical aircraft program. “The F/A-18 and EA-18G program continues to thrive; it is by far the predominant tactical force for naval aviation,” said Capt. Frank Morley, PMA-265 program man-
ager, “and it will continue to be for many years to come.” Originally designed to replace the F-4 Phantom and the A-7 Corsair II, the F/A18 Hornet took its first flight Nov. 18, 1978. Today, the F/A-18 platform, including the Hornet, Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, operate in 44 Navy and 11 Marine Corps Strike Fighter and Electronic Attack Squadrons worldwide. Since its maiden flight 35 years ago, the F/A-18 family of aircraft has flown 8,692,167 flight hours averaging nearly 250,000 flight hours per year since the historic journey. “The success of this program rests on the shoulders of many that have come before us, and many that have spent a lifetime supporting this program,” Morley said during the ceremony. The ceremony’s keynote
speaker, retired Vice Adm. Jeffrey A. Wieringa, shared a number of “sea” stories based on his experience as a past program manager. “I became a naval aviator in 1977 — just one year before the Hornet entered into service,” Wieringa said. “So, you could say that both the F/A-18 and I earned our wings right about the same time.” Rear Adm. Donald “BD” Gaddis, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)), also shared thoughts about his time as PMA-265’s program manager and what he believes has made the F/A-18 and EA-18G program so successful. “We have always had very, very good leadership inside the Hornet industry team, PMA-265 and in the competencies,” said Gaddis. “That successful culture is
U.S. Navy graphic
Originally designed to replace the F-4 Phantom and the A-7 Corsair II, the F/A-18 Hornet made its first flight in St. Louis Nov. 18, 1978. Today, the F/A18 platform includes the F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler and operate in 44 Navy and 11 Marine Corps Strike Fighter and Electronic Attack Squadrons worldwide. going to keep us flying as a team until probably 2030 or 2035.” The ceremony was followed by a luncheon and tours of Hangar 201, home of Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron (VX) 23. Four static aircraft displays were on exhibit, each representing an iteration of the F/A-18. Boeing also provided guests the opportunity to “fly” the F/A-18 Super Hornet via its
mobile simulator. For more information about the F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA-8G Growler, visit the Naval Air Systems Command website, www.navair.navy.mil.