USS Normandy hosts change of command

ByEnsignMackenzieCulver

Carrier Strike Group 12 NORFOLK, Va Capt. Errol Robinson relievedCapt GaryChaseasUSSNormandy (CG 60) commanding officer during a Feb. 28changeofcommandceremony.

Captain Chase assumed command in November 2022 completing USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s inaugural deployment during which time USS Normandyvisiteditsnamesakeport Followingthecompletionofthedeployment,heled NORMANDYthroughthecompletionofits finalpre-deploymentwork-upsandmultiple fleetlevelcombatexercises

Captain Chase is a graduate from Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Marine Engineering and wascommissionedanEnsignin1997 Hewill assume command of the Maine Maritime Academy Naval Reserve Officers Training CorpsinApril.

HailingfromQueens NewYork,Captain Errol A. Robinson graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. He holds a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington, a Master of Science degree from Dwight D. Eisenhower School ofNationalSecurityandStrategicResource, andaMasterofArtsdegreeinStrategicMilitary Studies from Marine Corps Command andStaffCollege Heisalsoagraduateofthe Joint and Combined Warfighting School at JointForcesStaffCollegeandanalumnusof the National Security Affairs Seminar XXI program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(2013).

Captain Robinson’s sea assignments were aboard USS Normandy (CG 60), USS Robert G Bradley (FFG 49) USS Monterey (CG 61), and as Commanding Officer and ExecutiveOfficeraboardUSSArleighBurke (DDG51).Duringthatperiod,ArleighBurke, conductedseveraloperationalassignments to include the first-ever Dynamic Force EmploymentdeploymentandArabianGulf deployment as Regional Ballistic Missile Defense Commander in CENTCOM’s area ofresponsibility

Ashore, he recently served as Executive Assistant to Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education) and Chief of Naval Personnel. He also served at the Joint Staff as a Joint DoctrineStrategicPlanner,andasaDefense LegislativeStafferinthe113thUnitedStates Congress He is a designated joint qualified officer(JQO)

“Itismyhonortoleadsuchastellargroup of Normandy Sailors, as we continue to be thevanguardtovictoryinordertopreserve our great democracy As we celebrate this day, I am vividly aware that today is much about the awesome crew and what they have accomplished so far It’s also about the Confidence, Courage, and Compassion demonstrated by the officers and crew as they pivot to execute Commander’s Intent and the required expectations of them moving forward, as one officer relinquish Commandtoanother.”

USS Normandy is the first ship to honor thebattleinnorthernFrance,foughtinthe summer of 1944, in which Allied forces gained a foothold on Europe in preparation for the final defeat of Nazi Germany. TheBattleofNormandyopenedonD-Day, June 6, 1944, and continued into August, when Allied armies broke into the French interior The armada that conducted the invasionconsistedof702warshipsprotecting9000shipsandlandingcraft.Theinvasion shifted the tide of WWII in favor of the allies

CommissionedDec.9,1989 theshipisthe thirdBath,Maine-builtAegiscruiserandthe 14thshipoftheTiconderogaclass Normandy’smottois“VanguardofVictory”andher crewisknownastheVanguardsmen.

LEFT: FamilyofCapt. ErrolA.Robinson look on during a change of command ceremonyfor theTiconderoga-class guided missile cruiserUSS Normandy(CG-60),held on Pier4 at Naval Station Norfolk,Feb.28 2023.

BELOWLEFT: FamilyofCapt. GaryM.Chase,commanding officer,USS Normandy(CG60) lookon during a change ofcommand ceremonyfor the ship held on Pier4 at Naval Station Norfolk,Feb. 28 2023.

BELOW:Adm.GregoryC. Huffman,commander CarrierStrike Group 12 left greets the prospective commanding officerof theTiconderoga-class guided missile cruiserUSS Normandy(CG-60),Capt. ErrolA.Robinson,right and the current commanding officer,Capt.GaryM.Chase, during a change ofcommand ceremonyheld on Pier4 at Naval Station Norfolk,Feb. 28,2023. (U.S.NAVYPHOTOS BYMASSCOMMUNICATION SPECIALIST2NDCLASS MALACHILAKEY)

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast innovates to support fleet need for air combat training aircraft

ByAnthonyCasullo,ToieteJackson andAshleyLombardo

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

JACKSONVILLE, Fla Since Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) inducteditsfirstF-5NTigerII,thedepothas forgedforwarddespitethechallengesassociatedwithstandingupanewproductline.

The F-5s were initially purchased in the 1970s by the Air Force and then sold through foreign military sales to Switzerland. In 2002, the Department of Defense decided to repatriate many of these aircraft back to the Navy The F-5 is a twin-engine tactical fighter aircraft that provides air-toair combat training for Navy and Marine Corpspilots Itsreliabilityandlowoperating costsresultinsavingstotheNavyeachyear in maintenance and unnecessary wear on currentstrikefighteraircraftliketheF/A-18 SuperHornetandF-35LightningIIwithout sacrificingessentialpilottraininginaformidableaircraft.

In 2019, the depot-level maintenance and repair of the F-5 airframe transitioned from the original equipment manufacturer to organic support, and FRCSE was designatedastheU.S.Navydepotsourceofrepair

Currently FRCSE performs Phased Depot Maintenance(PDM).Thisprocessincludes replacing certain high time structural and systemcomponentsandthoroughlyinspectingtheaircraftinknowncorrosionandmetal fatigue areas Artisans use various means, includingnon-destructiveinspection(NDI) methodstolookforcorrosionand/orcracks causedbywearandstressfatigue.

“The maintenance we conduct at the depotextendstheservicelifeoftheaircraft as each phase of the PDM addresses time-limited component inspections and replacements at certain flight hours,” said

CrisBaldwin,FRCSE’sF-5ProductionLine

Director

Planned structural component replacements include the upper cockpit longeron (UCL) and the vertical stabilizer (V-stab).

The UCLs, approximately six-foot beams that run down either side of the cockpit, are the main structural components of the airframe and provide fundamental rigidity to the aircraft around the cockpit. The V-stab another critical component, is the static part of the vertical tail that stabilizes and balances the aircraft in yaw. These load-bearing sections of the aircraft are replaced at regular intervals, but before recent process innovations, the work was notabletobedoneconcurrently.

“One of the innovative time reduction effortswastheideatoperformtheUCLand V stab work concurrently,” said Lt Cmdr Ryan McNulty, FRCSE’s F-5 Production Line Military Director “Originally, these weredoneseparatelybecauseeachisacriticalstructuralelement.Withoneortheother removed, there is a risk that the airframe could be permanently damaged due to twisting. Fortunately we have an in-house engineering support team and a dynamic manufacturingdivisionthatprovidedsound, innovative thinking in an effort to conduct theseeffortsconcurrently.

Concurrent work would significantly reducethetimeneededtoreturntheaircraft back to adversary operations but the team faced risks associated with the stability of theaircraft ToconducttheUCLandVstab repairs simultaneously, the airframe had to be adequately supported. FRCSE’s engineeringandmanufacturingteamsdesigned robustshoringtositbeneaththeaircraftand preventtwisting, which illustrates the level ofongoinginnovationatthedepot.

“The F-5 engineering team devised and performed a test to determine if and how muchtheairframewouldflexwhentheUCL andVstabworkwasperformedatthesame time,” McNulty said. “The results proved that by using the shoring, the two repairs couldbeperformedtogether.”

WhiletheconcurrentworkforUCLsand V stabs are the most beneficial of the F-5 production line efforts to reduce the time theaircraftisatthedepot theyarefarfrom the only ones There have been more than 45 innovative solutions proposed to help turn aircraft around faster. More than half ofthosesolutionscamefromartisansonthe production floor, and include V stab work stands, flight control rigging tool test kits, and a mobile, hand-held, E-drill® system to remove hard metal fasteners more than 20 times faster than twist drills These technological advancements should provide increased productivity as the team continuestogetmoreadept

“The F-5 team is an amazing group of professionals with many challenges to overcometomeettheFleet’sdemand,”said Baldwin. “Over the last year, I have seen incredible improvements and I know this line will soon become the best-performing product line at FRCSE. I’m proud of their performance and continued dedication to thewarfighter.”