Chairman’s Brief

The Future Of NHA

By RADM D.H. “Dano” Fillion, USN (Ret.)

Symposium 2021 is FINEX and was a huge success due in large part to the Leadership of RADM Pat McGrath and the Team of Studs (relax, that is a gender neutral term in my vocabulary), consisting of CAPTs “Super G” Gillcrist, “BP” Personius, Arne Nelson, CDR Mike Brattland, and the ladies who keep all the aircraft moving in the right direction: Allyson Darroch and Linda Vydra. CAPT “Easy” Eastham and the entire team that executed symposium did a superb job. And as I told a group of industry leaders at the Warrior Breakfast I attended, none of the dreams of what NHA was, is currently, and will become did happen or can happen without our industry partners. Thanks to all our industry studs (refer to definition above) for making dreams become reality!

OK, I was just reminded by the Navy Nurse (Ret.) at the NHA Jax Beach facility that the Chairman’s page has the word “brief” in the header, so do some of “that brief stuff, Dano!” So we had our very first Helo four-star ever (and he will not be the last) educate all of the membership on how the FORCE OF THE FUTURE will be built, and the Flag Panel talked to ALCON about what that force will look like—summarize to say it will be different from what we are now. And wait for it…so too will NHA be different. It has to be. We must continue to grow, and serve as the organization that is there for all helicopter maintainers, AWs, and the folks in the front. And most importantly, we will be there for the families/significant others who provide the support that motivates all who wear the uniform, and all who have worn it in the past.

NHA is your organization from the time you join until the time you leave the Navy, and beyond. No kidding, we are. We have to do a better job of this, and we will. The Executive Director and I are going to get around to all ready rooms. I will bet you a beverage of choice; it is GOING to happen. Put it on the flight schedule! OK, you got me with Rota, Japan and maybe Hawaii, but we will ZOOM / BOOM / whatever, to sit and LISTEN to what the young maintainers, AWs, pilots, and their families want from their organization.

OK, the 9-Line:

Based on conversations at Symposium with folks younger than me (don’t go there, Air Boss) I heard some things that quote “suck.”

So think about what you want to see differently, or, put another way, tell me what sucks and what you would like your organization to do about it, no kidding.

Some topics in discussion with the leadership for the 2022 Symposium in Norfolk, VA: HEALTH, WEALTH and STEALTH.

Got you scratching your head? Great—more to follow!

This last comment is for our good friend, Commodore "Bick" Bickel, since he is a ten-pound-head smart guy and he assigned all of us five books to read at NHA Symposium.

“Life hinges on a couple of seconds you never see coming. And what you decide in those few seconds determines everything from then on….And you have no idea what you’ll do until you’re there.” - Marisha Pessl, Special Topics in Calamity Physics

I have no idea what “Calamity Physics” is but I suspect it must be a lot like landing on the back of the boat at night!

Remember that NHA works for you. I’ve included my email below; if you want to give me a VFR direct 9-Line, please do it! Until we talk again, I am, as always…

V/r and CNJI (Committed Not Just Involved), Dano nhachairman@navalhelicopterassn.org