Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, and the Foundation for Underwater Research and Education (FURE), host the 18th International Submarine Races from June 23-27, 2025, in West Bethesda, Md. ISR serves as a unique naval engineering competition that develops critical domestic scientific and engineering talent in an international forum for the Navy and America’s Maritime Industrial Base. The event serves as a rubber meets the road, real-world crucible for aspiring engineers, providing invaluable hands-on problem-solving experience in vital maritime technologies, directly supporting national security and shipbuilding priorities. Carderock, the Navy’s ship design and innovation powerhouse (“Where the Fleet begins”), is...
BETHESDA, Md. – For more than 40 years, the hum of saws and smell of fresh cut wood have defined Elbert Roberson’s workdays at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division. In October 2025, he will retire after more than 50 years of federal service, 41 of them spent at Carderock, including three decades in the model shop.
Roberson’s career has spanned the transition from hand-built wooden models to additively manufactured components, reflecting decades of change in the way Carderock designs and builds test vessels.
From Federal Beginnings to Carderock
Roberson began his government career at the Department of the Treasury, processing government checks and money orders before moving to the Department of the Army to...
10.31.2025 | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
Story by Alisha Tyer
