Young Corpus Christi native recognized as Honorary Naval Aviator

ByLt.j.g KellieKolnes

Chief of Naval Air Training

The “Wise Owls”, of Training squadron (VT)31,invitedeight-year-oldJulianGalloway and his family to the Naval Air Station CorpusChristiflightlinetoexperienceaday inthelifeofaNavalAviator,June22.

JulianisparticipatinginthePilotforaDay program Pilot for a Day is supported by a local partnership between the “Stingrays” of VT-35 and Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. The goal of the programistoenablechildrensufferingfrom chronicorlife-threateningillnessestoexperienceadayinthelifeofaNavalAviator This program has been in operation for the past 20 years and over 100 children have participated. Typically, VT-35 hosts the children, but in this case, the “Wise Owls” of VT-31 volunteeredtosupportJulian’svisit.

Thedaystartedataparachuteloftwhere Julianwasoutfittedwithacustomizedflight suitcompletewithsquadronpatchesandan embroidered flight bag filled with aviation supplies.

With his flight suit on, Julian greeted everyone in the room with a high five and a huge smile He tried on helmets, favoring one decorated with his favorite cartoon characters Later,hepersonallyinspectedan un-packedparachuteandthencontinuedon totheVT-31squadronspaces,wherehemet VT-31’s Commanding Officer (CO), Cmdr RobertStochel. SeatedintheCO’schair,Julianmadesure everyone understood who was in charge, declaring, “I’m the boss,” and “Now, I’m official. Julian and Stochel exchanged challenge coins in the spirit of military tradition. The coin Julian presented to Stochel is now proudlydisplayedontheCO’sdesk Thetwo bonded as they discussed mutual interests suchasdinosaursandLegos “HostingPilot for a Day was an easy decision and we’re honored to support Julian’s day, Stochel said “Everyone gets involved and it’s uplift- ingforeveryonewhoisabletoparticipate.”

The honorary pilot was also treated to a visit with two U.S. Air Force pilots, Capt. Paul Aanestad and Maj. Matthew Goering from87thFlyingTrainingSquadronlocated onboardLaughlinAirForceBaseinDelRio, Texas.AanestadandGoeringflewinontwo T-38Talonstosupporttheevent Theygave Julian and his family a close look at the jets and presented Julian with his own pair of AirForcewings

Afterwards, Julian went next door for a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol tour that included a close look at a P-3 Orion Julian sat in the pilot’s seat and was introduced to the technology onboard the aircraft. His favorite part of the P-3 Orion tour was exploring the bunk beds in the sleeping quartersoftheaircraftandtakingsometime to look through all the patches, shirts, toys, and stickers he had been given throughout theday.

Continuing on his busy schedule for the day, Julian and his family visited the NAS Corpus Christi fire department. They rode onto the flight line in a fire truck and got a firsthandlookatthecapabilitiesofthetruckmountedhoses

At each place Julian went, lots of smiles wereshared.

“It’s an awesome experience It’s really important for us, and for myself personally, to be able to do it [Pilot for a Day] because it puts a smile on their face and lights them up especially when they’re going through theirsickness,”saidLt RhenNathe,instructor pilot. “It’s also important from a Navy perspective that we can reach out to the community and give back as much as this communityhasgivenus.”

Attheendoftheday,Julianwaspresented with a certificate recognizing him as an honorary Naval Aviator. VT-31’s executive officer, Cmdr Michael Strittmatter led the presentationandnotedthatJulian’stenacity strength,andself-confidenceareexactlythe

Norfolk Naval Shipyard highlights employees chosen for the NAVSEA NEXTGEN Leadership Program: David Leon II and Brittany Tavassoli

ByKristiRBritt

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and its tenantlocationsrecentlysawtheselectionof sevenindividualsfortheNavalSeaSystems Command (NAVSEA) Next Generation of Leadership (NEXTGEN) Program, which offersparticipantsthechancetolearnabout leadership throughout several different initiativesforthenextyear Thisenterprise-wideinitiativetakescivilian employees at a GS 7-11 level through a self-pacedblendedcourseapproachthrough classroom and online studies to build up their skills through assessment, experimental learning and individual development opportunities At the completion of the program, the participants will have the skills to prepare them for future managementrolesthroughoutNAVSEA

Congratulations to Inventory Management Specialist Colt Brinkman, Contract SpecialistBrittanyTavassoli,NuclearEngineering Technician Venita Scott, Quality Assurance Specialist David Leon II, ReactorServicesSupervisoryOperationsProject Zone Manager LaShonda Dunston, Naval Architect Technician Stacia Spath from NNSY, and Radioactive Material Controller Doug Mandell from Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) Kings

Bay. For the next few months, we will be highlighting these individuals in a NEXTGENseries,celebratingtheirachievements astheyworkthroughtheprogram.

Interested in becoming a future participant of the NEXTGEN program? ApplicationswillbeaccepteduntilJune26at12p.m.

For more information and to download an application, visit https://flankspeed.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/NAVSEA_10D5

*** ShipbuildingQualityAssuranceSpecialist David Leon II first heard about the NEXTGEN in 2020 after reading an article in Service to the Fleet highlighting selectees participating in the program. Inspired to take that next step in his career, he went to theCommandUniversitytabonWebCentral tolearnmoreandapply

“Theideaofdoingsomethingnew,something different and something outside of my daily job interested me in applying for NEXTGEN,” said Leon. “I liked the idea of travelingtoadifferentcommandandworking with fellow NAVSEA employees who may not work at a shipyard I also wanted to challenge myself and start building my foundationofleadershipskills.”

When asked about what he hopes to accomplishwithintheprogram,Leonnoted thathedidn’thaveanexactendgoalinmind. Instead, he wanted to diversify his portfolio and gain whatever experience he could from the program. “I hope to accomplish learning more about the inner workings of NAVSEA, build personal relationships, and addtomyprofessionalnetwork,”hesaid.“I