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    The Marines have landed at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast as 1st Leatherneck in 77 years comes aboard as executive officer

    PR 17-17A

    Photo By Clifford Davis | Col. Frederick Schenk became Fleet Readiness Center Southeast’s new executive...... read more read more

    NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES

    09.05.2017

    Story by Clifford Davis 

    Fleet Readiness Center Southeast

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Col. Frederick Schenk, a Marine Corps pilot whose call sign is “Tin Man,” hopes to keep aircraft production at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast moving like a well-oiled machine as the facility’s new executive officer.

    Schenk is the first Marine Corps officer to be part of the Navy command’s leadership team in the plant’s 77-year history, joining FRCSE Commanding Officer Capt. Trent DeMoss.

    The eight fleet readiness centers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps provide maintenance, repairs and overhauls of the services’ aircraft, aircraft engines and components. The traditional path for a Marine officer in aviation maintenance is to join the command at Fleet Readiness Center East, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

    The integration of Marines at FRCSE and Navy officers at Fleet Readiness Center East, a Marine Corps command, was intended to help integrate a maintenance program that serves both branches, Rear Adm. Mike Zarkowski, Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, said.

    “Capt. Mark Nieto and Col. Fred Schenk are the first Navy and Marine Corps officers to hold the executive officer billets at FRC East and FRC Southeast, respectively,” Zarkowski said. “Each comes to the job with different skill sets, experiences and approaches that will strengthen the FRCs and the partnership between our blue and green teams.

    “The change is about making the organization better with the right leadership with the right approach at the right time.”

    As an officer accustomed to breaking new ground, Schenk welcomed the untraditional assignment.

    “The Navy and Marine Corps are really one big team,” Schenk said. “When I was told I was coming here, I was extremely happy.

    “Capt. DeMoss and I have worked together in the past, and know each other well.”

    The Wisconsin native comes to FRCSE with an impressive resume. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Schenk became an AV-8B Harrier pilot and served two tours with VMA-231.

    His next role as a test pilot in the early stages of the F-35 Lightning II program also earned him a place in naval aviation history. Schenk was the pilot of the first F-35 to land on a carrier deck, aboard the USS Wasp.

    “It was ironic, because I did my first deployment and my first Harrier landing on the USS Wasp in 1998,” Schenk said.

    Although he’s joining a Navy command, Schenk comes to the job with bona fide credentials. One of FRCSE’s major workloads is the F/A-18 A through D model aircraft, known as the Legacy Hornet.

    Schenk served as the head of Naval Aviation Systems Command’s service life extension program for the aircraft from 2012 to 2014. In that role and others, he had plenty of interactions with his future command.

    “We came down here to see the production line and what was going on with F/A-18 production as we were doing the high flight hour inspections,” he said. “It gave me an opportunity to visit the team, and understand what was needed here from the program office so we could help get those aircraft back in the air.”

    As a former Harrier pilot, Schenk’s next assignment was the program manager for Naval Air Systems Command’s AV-8B Weapon Systems Program Office.

    “When I was the Harrier program manager, we were able to reach out here to FRCSE to manufacture some critically needed brackets for us to be able to install our digital video recorders into the airplanes,” he said.

    Looking forward, Schenk said his focus is on producing the aircraft needed by the Navy and Marine Corps team.

    “Certainly my top priority, and it’s the command’s top priority, is delivering aircraft and components to the fleet,” he said. “We’re here to help generate readiness on the flight line, and get those assets back to the fleet so they can go out and execute our nation’s missions.”

    However, Schenk also said that it’s important to him that civilian and military members of his command enjoy the work they do.

    “A second priority is to foster the great team we already have here, and have some fun,” he said. “We’re here serving the fleet, doing great work, and we ought to be able to enjoy it.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.05.2017
    Date Posted: 09.05.2017 11:57
    Story ID: 247128
    Location: NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, FL, US

    Web Views: 3,167
    Downloads: 0

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