2 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. Two groups of Fleet Readiness Center East apprentices celebrated success during a graduation ceremony held May 20 at the Craven Community College New Bern campus.
The apprentices earned certificates in industrial systems technology, recognizing their completion of the academic portion of the National Apprenticeship Program. The four-year program – governed nationally by Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers – offers participants the opportunity to work as full-time federal employees, receiving pay and benefits as they pursue a combination of education and on-the-job training.
The apprentices are now fully and completely part of the FRCE family, FRCE Executive Director Mark Meno said in remarks given during the ceremony.
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black visited Fleet Readiness Center East March 15 to receive updates regarding the support FRCE provides to Marine Corps aviation and the facility’s current status of operations.
Berger and Black toured the facility with FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Mark E. Nieto and Executive Director Mark Meno. The itinerary focused on the V-22 Osprey, F-35 Lightning II and future plans for F-35 maintenance and capabilities at FRCE.
“I was proud to welcome General Berger and Sergeant Major Black to FRCE and familiarize them with the vital work we’re doing to support Marine Corps aviation,” Nieto said. “This visit gave us an excellent opportunity to provide him with a firsthand look at how FRCE operations contribute to Marine Corps readiness and explain what we need to be successful, now and in the future.”
If you’ve ever taken a training class for a job-related task, you may have found that you’ve forgotten a step or two when the time came to apply what you learned to your job. But aviation maintenance professionals at Fleet Readiness Center East may soon be able to take their instructor with them to the hangar floor – at least virtually – using augmented reality technology.
Engineers and trainers at FRCE recently observed a demonstration of how augmented reality headsets can be used to create and display hands-free training and troubleshooting aids for artisans and their Navy and Marine Corps customers.