Photo By Amanda Sliva | Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Commander Rear Adm. Keith Hash recognizes...... read more read more
Debra Zamarron, a self-proclaimed "people person" with a ready smile and a knack for remembering names, will retire in February 2026, wrapping up a remarkable 45-year career at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
Zamarron is a native China Laker; her father was in the Navy and most of her childhood was spent between China Lake and Miramar. She recalls exploring the base, a thrilling adventure made possible by a family friend with access to the gates. "It was a blast," she remembers fondly.
With her entire government service occurring at China Lake, she has witnessed firsthand the command's many evolutions.
After earning her degree in psychology from Humboldt State, she returned to her hometown and began as a summer intern clerk typist at the Naval Ordnance Test Station – now NAWCWD – in the safety and security office.
Just as her internship was ending, President Jimmy Carter announced a hiring freeze. Undeterred, she landed a spot in the Personnel Department’s Intermittent Typing Pool.
At her recent length-of-service ceremony, NAWCWD Commander Rear Adm. Keith Hash found the irony amusing: getting hired during a hiring freeze is a rare feat, he remarked.
Hash also noted the impressive amount Zamarron had achieved during her career. He often tells new hires that a career at NAWCWD "is never just one thing; it's many things," a sentiment Zamarron embodies.
The typing pool was a program that allowed employees to "tour" various departments for a two-month stint. These tours led her everywhere, from the China Lake Propulsion Laboratory to the airfield, to the Michelson Laboratory's basement, which she jokingly describes as "creepy."
After six months, she found her niche as a branch and division secretary with the Range Department, a role she still holds dear. The encouragement of a coworker led her to take a contracts internship within the supply department, where she spent the next decade.
While in contracts, an insightful department head encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. "I saw the light," she admits with a smile, "and where the money was."
California State University Bakersfield made it easier, offering satellite classes on the installation. Even while she was pregnant with her daughter, Angel, Zamarron persevered, walking to class after work and within two years, she earned her degree.
Working in the newly established Policy and Procedures Office, she helped get the group ready to receive their unlimited Automatic Data Processing Equipment authority from Naval Supply Systems Command. From 1984-1990, Zamarron supported the PPO until it split off from the automation portion and was renamed the Contract Technology Division and later became the Procurement Technology Division.
She became an appointed member for the Trail Boss Program and was a member of Sterling Haaland’s centerwide Contract Improvement Action team and was nominated and accepted into the Technical Management Certificate Program.
After a rigorous, three-year program, which included 380 classroom hours in a variety of management courses, she earned her certificate in 1994.
Although she accomplished and performed many roles and duties during her span at NAWCWD, there are a few that stood out for Zamarron.
She highlighted being part of the Procurement Management Review at Naval Air Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1992 right as the Gulf War was declared. “It was exciting, but the entire base was locked down for the remaining review,” said Zamarron.
Another was managing the procurement contract for the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. "I was proud of the work I did with FRCSW," she said. "No one else would take it because it involved a lot of trouble shooting and just overall weird stuff, but I enjoyed it." Plus, she noted, they secured the work without a single protest, a rarity in the procurement world.
When the Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command and FRCSW moved to Commander, FRC, Zamarron transitioned to the Business Systems Office, where she currently handles the complex task of closing out major government contracts.
While she takes pride in her career success, Zamarron emphasized that her greatest achievement is her family: her two children and her husband of 46 years.
Zamarron's advice to those starting their careers is simple: seize every opportunity. It's a philosophy she's lived by, thanks to the colleagues who nudged her along the way, all of whom she remembers fondly.
"You have had an incredible career," Hash acknowledged. "Thank you for your many years of service to our Navy and our Nation."
"I do hope to retire in February 2026," Zamarron confided, candid about the uncertainties of retirement. "It actually calms me to come to work, and I have enjoyed the people," said an emotional Zamarron. "However, I need to retire before the next new system comes out!" she added with a touch of humor.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 13:07 |
| Story ID: | 551385 |
| Location: | CHINA LAKE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | CHINA LAKE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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