FRCE marks 100th F-35 parachute milestone

ByJosephAndes

Fleet Readiness Center East

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35 Lightning II program when the depot recentlycompletedits100thF-35parachute repack.

According to Fleet Readiness Center East Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont, the depot inducted its first F-35 parachute in February 2022 and quickly establishedanefficientworkflow.

“We are extremely proud to reach this milestone less than one year after inductingourfirstparachute,”saidBelmont.“This achievement showcases the depot’s ability to support the needs of the warfighter and highlights the continuing expansion of our F-35capabilities.”

FRCEdeclaredcapabilityonitsfirstF-35 componentin2018 Bythecloseof2022,the depothaddeclaredcapabilityon32components, including the parachutes for the fifth-generationfighter

“Our component workload plays a critical role in supporting fleet requirements and mission readiness,” said Belmont. “It’s something we are very proud of Getting theseparachutesandothercomponentsout to the fleet ensures that pilots can continue totrainandconductreal-worldoperations.”

Parachutes for the F-35 are first assembled and installed by the manufacturer At scheduledintervals,theymustcomeoffthe aircraft for repacking. FRCE F-35 Components Program Manager Angie Lane said this process entails rigorous inspections andmaintenancebyateamofhighlytrained specialistsatthedepot

“OurOrdnanceShopworkstheF-35parachutes,” said Lane “Once finished, these parachutes can be used in all variants of theF-35 Theycouldgotoamilitaryservice depot,toasquadron,ortoaforeigncountry thatfliestheF-35.”

Standing up the capability to satisfy these requirements began long before the first parachute arrived at FRCE. A team of experts drawn from throughout the depot had to consider factors such as current and future workloads, manpower requirements,facilityandtoolingneeds,andsupply support.Aprojectofthisscalealsorequires intensive collaboration not only within FRCE,butwithoutsideentitiesaswell

“This was a huge initiative,” said Lane “It encompasses the F-35 Joint Program Office the manufacturer and other partners as well as folks from throughout the depot. Our quality assurance inspectors, engineers,productioncontrollers,Examiner andEvaluatorteamsandtheartisansinside theOrdnanceShopallplaycrucialroles.”

Despite the number of collaborators and thecomplexitiesoftheproject,Lanesaidthe teammaderapidprogress Shesaidknowing theroleaparachuteplaysinmilitaryaviation providedtheteamwithasenseofurgency

“When you think about all the components on an aircraft, you might not think of the parachute first,” said Lane “It’s not partoftheengineorthefuelsystem,butitis absolutelycrucial.”

Because they are life-saving pieces of equipment, great care is taken with each parachutethatisinductedatthedepot.

When a parachute arrives at FRCE for a repack, quality assurance inspectors at the depot review history sheets, which log any changes or repairs made to the parachute. Theyalsoverifythattheparachuteisscheduledforarepack.

The parachute then goes to the artisans in the Ordinance Shop who disassemble it Thisisperformedonatablemeasuringmore than50feetlongwheretheparachuteisput through a rigorous inspection process. The packerslookforimperfectionsanddamage, anything that might potentially hinder the parachute from deploying if engaged. This is often imperceptible to the untrained eye. Because of this, the artisans working the parachutes undergo highly specialized training

According to Andrew Altman, the overhaul and repair supervisor who oversees FRCE’sOrdnanceandCryogenicsshops,the artisans working the F-35 parachutes must graduatefromtheNavy’sAirCrewSurvival

EquipmentcourseinPensacola,Florida.The courseistwoandahalfmonthslong

“Our people train alongside military personnel, said Altman. “It’s parachute rigger school After that, we have to attend additional training specific to the aircraft type, model and series In this case, that means the F-35 We have had a few people come to us who already went through all the training but we had to send most of our peopleouttothis.”

If there is anything that needs to be replaced, the artisans order the parts and replace them. The parachute is then reassembled. Lane said the artisans log any changes made to the parachute as well as anything that was replaced These history sheets go back to quality assurance inspectorswhoverifyandvalidatetheinformation.

“This is important because the informationissharedwithourpartnersandputinto a database,” said Lane. “That way, when a customer receives that parachute, they can electronically obtain this data for their recordsoftheaircraft.”

Because they must ensure that each and everyparachutewillfunctionflawlesslyifit is ever used, Altman said that artisans must pay careful attention to every aspect of the process “You have to be very meticulous,” said Altman. “You are looking over every panel inch by inch You have to be just as meticulouswiththerecordkeepingtoo It’sallvery strict.”

The work might seem overwhelming to those outside of the Ordnance Shop Lane describedtheparachutepackersassomeof themostdedicatedpeopleshe’severworked with “They have friends and family that are pilots,”saidLane “Manyservedinthemilitary.Theywanttoknowthatiftheparachute ever needs to be used, the pilot is going to comehomesafely.”

Despite the successful completion of the depot’s 100th parachute repack, Lane said the team isn’t slowing down to celebrate She said they’ve already set their sights on theF-35seatsurvivalkits,whichFRCEwill likely be declaring capability on in the very nearfuture.

“That’s going to be another huge initiativethatisgoingtotakeonthesamesenseof urgencyastheparachute,”saidLane “There are a lot of folks depending on this depot to givethemwhattheyneed Weallknowthat and we are successful because everyone involved takes this responsibility seriously andputsforthmaximumeffort.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annualrevenueexceeds$1billion.Thedepot providesservicetothefleetwhilefunctioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander,FleetReadinessCenters

Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.facebook.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.

ByJaynaLegg

Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. Raymond

Peoples was a Marine who struggled with drugs,violenceand“alotofdifferentthings” in the decades after his service in the early 1970s His wife died He suffered from depression.Athislowestpoint,heattempted suicide.Heisclearabout why he’s stillhere as in still alive. “I want to live because of the programs here, Peoples said. “I have hopetoday.TheVAsavedmylife.”

RobinBaylorliedsohecouldjointheNavy at 15 and served on destroyers, including in Vietnam After the war, he took a bus home and was spit on and called a “baby-killer” instead of welcomed. He hid his PTSD for decades,throughthreemarriages manyjobs and bankruptcy, and found himself homeless in 2022 when he lost the RV, he called home.“Ihadnoideatheseprogramsexisted; I didn’t even know about the VA,” Baylor said. “Now I don’t know what I would have donewithoutit.”

TeriScottjoinedtheArmyNationalGuard and mobilized for Iraqi Freedom She met her husband in the Army, and his physical and mental health challenges were the reasontheylefttheirhomeinLouisianaand movedtoGurnee,Ill.

“We found ourselves on the other side of the country with no jobs and two kids, our only income coming from the VA.” She had been “avoiding the VA,” but her family was living in a hotel with no hope of findingaplacetheycouldafford,soScott who startedoutasasocialworkmajorincollege called a number she knew would lead to resources She called the Veterans Crisis Line

The three veterans traveled very different roads but shared a destination last year that led to permanent housing Because of theunfailingeffortsofthesocialworkersin theCaptainJamesA.LovellFederalHealth Care Center Homeless Veterans Program, thethreearecountedinthe117“permanent housing placements” the program made in 2022 Itwasmorethan200percentoverthe target the team set as part of the VA secretary’s38,000PermanentHousingPlacement (PHP) National Challenge, and therefore the highest in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Permanenthousingplacementsprovided byLovellFHCCstaffandnonprofitcommunitypartnersincludedapartmentsorhouses veterans could rent or own, often with a subsidytohelpmakethehousingaffordable Lovell FHCC Homeless Program staff also helped some veterans end their homelessnessbyreunitingwithfamilyandfriends

The Lovell FHCC team’s achievement was announced Jan. 27 on a call with VA Secretary Denis McDonough, other VA leaders VA medical center directors, and homeless veterans program teams from across the nation. McDonough said the VA housed40,401veteransnationwide,meeting andexceedingitsnationalgoalbymorethan 6.3percentin2022.

Director Dr Robert Buckley said Lovell FHCC’sgoalwasachieved“throughthehard work and dedication of our Lovell FHCC homeless programs staff our grantees and contractors, and our valued community partners The progress we’re seeing with ending veteran homelessness in Northeast, Ill.,ourareaofresponsibility,showsthatwe havetherightsolutionstoendhomelessness forallveteranswecarefor.”

When asked what their secret to success was, the Lovell FHCC team on the VA secretary’s call credited their boss Delia De Avila, for her leadership De Avila, chief of the Lovell FHCC Outpatient Homeless Program, humbly deflected the praise and said it was the team members’ compassion thatmadethedifference

“This is not an easy task,” De Avila said

“I’m honored and proud to be part of such an incredible team. It truly is a privilege to workwiththem.

JenniferHammond,DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment-VASupportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program coordinator at Lovell FHCC, also credited De Avila, the wholehearted support of Lovell FHCC leaders and team cohesion. “We have an entire team that rose to the occasion and showedupeveryday, shesaid.“Theyserved in every capacity, through various stages of thehousingprocess.

HUD-VASH combines Housing Choice Voucher(HCV)rentalassistanceforhomeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by Lovell FHCC

It is one of four parts of the Lovell FHCC Homeless Veterans Program. The other three are Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) that runs the Walk-in Center for Homeless Veterans, the Grant and Per Diem(GPD)Program,andVeteransJustice Outreach(VJO),whichassistsveteransand militarymemberswhohavebeenarrestedor areotherwiseinvolvedinthejusticesystem. Ifahomelessveteran,orabout-to-behomeless veteran, doesn’t qualify for housing assistance through one program, he or she frequentlywillbeeligibleforanother

Hammond said the team built on what was already working weekly meetings to address barriers with minimal delays, daily “mini-huddles” so staff and resources were utilizedtofullpotential,streamliningofthe referral process, increased and improved communication with landlords, and showing up in person to check on housing applications

AkeycomponentinLovellFHCC’shousingplacementsisitscommunitypartners

Catholic Charities, Veterans Path to Hope, Lake County Veteran Assistance Commission, Midwest Veteran’s Closet, Military Outreach USA, and Lake County Veteran and Family Services to name a few. Some provideemergencyandpermanenthousing. Others donate and even deliver the items that make the placements “home” beds and furniture, linens, dishes and housewares,andfoodandclothingifneeded.

Marshalling the resources available to veterans through programs such as HUD-VASHandShallowSubsidy,andcalling on their community partners, the social workers doggedly work every day until the veteranstheyservehaveaplacetocallhome

In the Scott’s case the effort was “all-hands-on-deck” to find the Army veteranandherfamilysuitablehousing Searchforwillinglandlordexhausting ScottenlistedintheArmyNationalGuard in 2005 and stayed for seven years She and her husband met in 2016 while serving together Scott was a water treatment specialist,butmainlypulledsecurityinIraq whenshewastherein2007-2008

WhenScottexplainedshewasfacingher husband’sproblemsandhousinginstability, the Crisis Line linked her to Lovell FHCC SocialWorkerEricaO’Neill.

One of the first results was O’Neill called CatholicCharities,whichtookoverpayment of the family’s hotel bill. After that, O’Neill helped Scott enroll in the HUD-VASH program.

AndthenO’NeillbecameScott’sunofficial counseloraswellasherchampion

“I would call her up all the time just because I needed someone to talk to about what I was going through,” Scott said “I hadhealthissues.Myhusbandhadhisown issues OuronlyincomewasfromtheGIBill anddisability Andwewerelivinginahotel withtwoteenagersformonths Itwasalot.”

Scott, O’Neill, and other staff members from the FHCC Homeless Program and Catholic Charities, followed “any and all leads to find the right place and a landlord willingtotakeachanceandrenttoaveteran intheHUD-VASHprogram.

In addition to a tight rental market in

Lake County Hammond explained that HUD-VASH restrictions also complicated the search. It can be difficult to find landlordswhowillacceptthevouchers,andthe maximum rent allowed was limiting Additionally, the family wanted to be in a strong schooldistrict,andtheyneededaplacewith three bedrooms separate bedrooms for theirsonanddaughter

Helping veterans find permanent housing means accommodating their families too, Hammond said Scott’s family “faced anextremenumberofbarriers,”Hammond said.IttookadedicatedFHCCandcommunityteamtoovercomethoseobstacles

They finally found a veteran landlord in Waukegan who liked the idea of renting to fellow veterans and was willing to rent through HUD-VASH with some handholding from Scott’s and her husband’s HUD-VASH case managers “Since we are both veterans, we each have our own case managers,” Scott said. “Yeah, the social workershadtoputupwithbothofus.”

Scottandherfamilymovedintotheirnew home after nearly eight months living out of suitcases, in one room, in three different hotels Today she is virtually studying computer science at Colorado Technical Universityandexpectstograduatenextyear andlookforacybersecurityjob.

Scott’s journey is even more unlikely considering she was “anti-VA” at all costs originally “FromthemomentIbecamea veteran, IknewIwasn’tcoming totheVA,” she said. “But I was told I had to sign up whenIgotout.”

Today, Scott is thankful “Once we were signed up for HUD-VASH, everything started changing for the better,” she said. “We knew long-term housing was in our future. It wasn’t a theory It was becoming morereal.Wejusthadtowait.”

Walk-In Center for Homeless Veterans changedhislife BaylorspentmuchofhislifeinMontana. He actually joined the Navy twice the first time in 1959 When he got out in 1962, the only job he could find was one paying $1.10 an hour, not enough to live on. So, he reenlistedandendedupservinginVietnam,ona ship,asaradiooperatorwhotalkedto“spotters”onland.

After he got out for good in 1965, Baylor was a police officer and then operated an appliance business for 30 years His first wife the mother of his three children, died after 21 years of marriage. He said he struggled with many things in his life for many years

In Vietnam, “I made some big mistakes,” said Baylor, who has a 80 percent service-connected disability rating “As a result,IhadPTSDanddidn’tknowit.Ikept all my troubles secret for 50 years I didn’t tellmyfamily.”

Afterhisthirdmarriageendedindivorce he lived in an RV for a short time until he was scammed out of a large sum of money andleftwithanemptybankaccountin2022.

“I found myself homeless,” Baylor said. “I lost the RV, my trucks,couldn’tafford three months’ rent up front, and I also couldn’t rentbecauseofthebankruptcy.”

He said he came to the Walk-in Center forHomelessVeteransatLovellFHCC,and O’NeillworkedwithVeteransPathtoHope tofindBayloranapartmentinFoxLake,Ill.

Baylor’s rental assistance came through the VA’s Shallow Subsidy initiative. Shallow Subsidy provides grants to nonprofit community organizations to then provide rentalassistancetoveteranhouseholdseligible under the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. Veterans may work and not lose the benefit for two years, even if their incomes including disability payments increase Baylor said SSVF Case Manager Ryan Jacobson,fromVeteransPathtoHope,“has been a Godsend He got me into a two-year program so that I am comfortable, money- wise.”

Not only was Baylor homeless when he came to Lovell FHCC, but his son, also sufferingfromPTSD,was,too Todayhisson and granddaughter live with Baylor in the Fox Lake apartment Baylor said Jacobson andO’Neillalsohelpedhisfamilywithfood anditemsheneededfortheapartment.

“Ryan and Erica have helped me a lot,” Baylorsaid.“I’mveryfortunate.”

Trouble and struggle having a home equalspeace

“At 30, 35, in my 40s, I’ve struggled with life,”saidPeoples,whowasatankcrewman, driverandgunnerintheMarineCorps “And I’ve been around this VA (Lovell FHCC) all thattime.”

Peoples has volunteered off and on at Lovell FHCC since 2011. In recent years he’sworkedprimarilyinthegymatthemain hospital,whichhesaidimproveshis“whole stateofmind.

“Trouble” in his life included drugs, he said, and that led to him residing in Lovell FHCC’s homeless domiciliary in 2017 He’s alsolivedinarecoveryhouseoutofstateand became homeless again. He decided to ask for help at Lovell FHCC last year and today residesinhis“ownplace”inZion.

“Godblessedmewiththeabilitytoreceive helpthroughHUD-VASH,”Peoplessaid “I feelsafe,independent,andatpeace, Peoples said.“I’mabletopaymybillsandhavealittle extra.” The “great place” Peoples finds himself in today is due to the FHCC social workers, who he said are “kind people I got some greathelpfromallofthem,andIstilldo.”

Through the Lovell FHCC Homeless Veterans Program, Peoples received furniture, a phone and help with transportation. One of his housing requirements was to live close to a bus stop, so he can take the buswhereheneedstogo,whichincludesto LovellFHCC.

Hisapartmentishisrefugefromwhathe calls“triggers,”orthesituationsthatcontributed to problems for him over the years “I can go home and shut the door and find peace, he said. “I’m not dealing with some ofthethingsthathappeninthestreet.”

Lovell FHCC social worker Greg Mavromatis,whohasknownPeoplesformorethan adecade,saidPeople’swillingnesstoaccept help and do what he needs todo to succeed iscrucial.

“Ourprogramscanhelppeoplewhohelp themselves,”Mavromatissaid.“Ialwayssay, theysavetheirownlives,evenifit’sastruggletomoveforward.”

Everyoneofthe117veteranswhoreceived help from Lovell FHCC and its community partners in 2022 has a compelling story to tell about resilience, hope and human compassion.LovellFHCC’sWalk-inCenter for Homeless Veterans can be reached by calling 224-610-1148. It is in Room 170 in Bldg 131 on Lovell FHCC’s main hospital campusinNorthChicago Afterhours,social workersareoncalltorespond.

If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veteransat877-4AID-VET(877-424-3838). Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programsforVeteransexitinghomelessness.

About Lovell FHCC: Lovell FHCC is the nation’s only integrated medical facility between the VA and the Department of Defense It serves active duty military personnel, their families, military retirees andotherveterans,alongsideNavyMedicine Readiness and Training Command Great Lakes Lovell FHCC which is located in North Chicago, operates four Naval Station Great Lakes clinics and three community-basedoutpatientclinicsinMcHenryand Evanston,Ill.andKenosha,Wis.