From the Editor-in-Chief

Mastering the Machine

By LT Annie "Frizzle" Cutchen, USN

Afew weeks after the theme of Rotor Review #159 “Mastering the Machine” was publicized, I had the pleasure of attending a Tactical Advancements for the Next Generation (TANG) event for one of their projects focused on redesigning the surface bridge.

TANG is a Navy program resourced through OPNAVN94 and executed through PEO-IWS5. For the week we volunteered as the end users of, in this case, the surface bridge project (resourced from SEA21/PMS443 ‘Bridge Integration and Ship Control Systems Program Office’). This was one of two workshops TANG has hosted in an effort to brainstorm solutions and improvements to the surface bridge. Every TANG project typically includes multiple end user engagement sessions throughout the project to ensure their voice is heard.

Leading up to this week, under the guidance of an incredible group of artists and engineers, my own reflection on “Mastering the Machine” elicited thoughts of how I may become better at working with the technology that exists in my aircraft currently to execute the mission at hand. The folks at TANG forced us all out of our comfort zone that is Microsoft PowerPoint, and had us get creative imagining ideas for now and the future that make the technology work for us, not the other way around.

My good friend, LCDR Eric “Pennies” Page, has always been well ahead of me, as I noticed every single flight and conversation we have had together, and wrote an outstanding article in this issue about just that. Another dear friend, LT Nick “SEGA” Padleckas, authored another outstanding article in this issue about how we may push our creative innovations, wants, and wonders to the appropriate level. Pennies’ and SEGA’s articles will give you, as they did me, an idea of just how simple, yet impactful, solutions can be and how we, the end user, can make them happen.

The TANG workshop also provided an immense insight into how we may approach problem solving through a creative lens using design thinking principles. The facilitators encouraged their groups of ranks ranging from E-4 to O-6 to brainstorm in new and innovative ways. They took rooms full of type-A personalities, accustomed to working within the confines of notetaking and outdated computer programs, and forced us to draw pictures and build prototypes out of 3D printed models and pipe cleaners. Challenging us in this way resulted in innovation and creative thinking that I had yet to see in my eight years of service. After the workshops, the project team takes these ideas from the workshops and moves them through the prototyping phase of their project. Ultimately coming up with a few solutions that meet stakeholder, technologist, and end user needs.

I walked away from a week of workshopping the surface bridge with a newfound knowledge that the skills rotary wing aviation builds in us all do translate to the surface Navy. Additionally, should we all take the time to think outside the box and step out of our comfort zone, we may find we have tangible solutions to issues that we face in our respective platforms. To me, “Mastering the Machine” means being brilliant at the basics so we may build upon those to master any mission we are tasked with. It also means knowing our respective machine well enough to recognize where the deficiencies are and correcting those for the next set of end users. Should you have the opportunity, I highly encourage you to participate in any TANG event, whether or not it is aviation related.

This next issue of Rotor Review (#160) will mirror the theme for the upcoming symposium, “Forging Legacy, Legends Past and Present.” The due date for submissions is 27 March 2023. Happy reading!