U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Zachary Musclow received individual recognition for his positive and lasting impact on Marine and Naval Aviation.

While serving as a Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 14 Power Plants mechanic, Musclow proved essential to the production and issuance of 86 F402 motors that impacted not only the Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14 flight line, but also the overall AV-8B aircraft fleet. The number was well above the workshare expectation of MALS-14 and accounted for 50% of the F402 engines provided across the entire enterprise. 

Under Musclow’s direction, the squadron’s power plants completed 47 work requests resulting in an estimated cost savings of $137 million to the Marine Corps. 

The award letter from Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, the Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation, stated, “Your expertise and initiative in these situations allowed the division to efficiently expedite the lengthy engine induction process and return ready for issue (RFI) motors back to the operational squadrons in a more time efficient manner. At a time of deteriorating manpower and experience level within the division, you have streamlined processes and increased efficiency in all levels of maintenance, allowing MALS-14 to continue to be the leader in F402 production. Your knowledge, passion, and work ethic is evident in the billets that you’ve held, working your way from Work Center Supervisor to Production Control Chief, and soon Division Chief. All of these billets are designed for, and traditionally held by, a rank higher than yours. Your success, and the success of MALS-14 Power Plants, has had a substantial positive impact on the operational readiness of the AV-8B fleet.”

After receiving the award in an unannounced ceremony, Musclow said, “This was a total surprise; I wouldn’t be where I am without my mentors past and present and my Marines turning wrenches day in and day out.

“This work matters because if we didn’t do what we did, there would be Harriers on the flight line without engines,” Musclow continued. 

On the group award side, the Valves and Regulators Shop Naval Sustainment Team at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) received NAE recognition for the immense, positive contribution it made to meeting the Secretary of Defense’s Naval Sustainment System (NSS) mission capable goal for 80 percent for the F/A-18E-F Super Hornet fleet.

In the award, Vice Adm. Dean Peters, commander, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), stated, “Your outstanding team efforts were responsible for elevating NAVAIR Sustainment to the next level of enterprise behavior. They serve as an example for other shops undergoing NSS initiatives. The NAE will continue to benefit from your hard work and leadership, and each of us within the NAE is appreciative for the tremendous job you have done in support of the team.”

The team’s work included a focus on people, parts and process flow, and a commitment to providing artisans the tools needed to repair and overhaul the System Flow Control Valve, Warm Air Temperature Valve and Primary Bleed Air Pressure Regulating Valve that were critical degraders prior to initiating NSS.  Team members also established a Production Control Center to increase transparency, accuracy and accountability to the shop, and they introduced physical changes that transformed the spaces to enable better efficiency and throughput while simultaneously providing greater visibility of fleet-focused production goals, inhibitors and delays. They analyzed piece part routing cycle times and material flow, and they attacked root cause issues to improve material availability, capability and throughput. As a result, the Valves and Regulators Shop boosted readiness, exceeding its FY19 production goals on F/A-18 E/F components and its FY19 Fleet Exchange goal of 3,426 by producing 3,533 components.

Kenneth Lane and Michael Cundiff accepted the award on behalf of the more-than-90-member team.

“Our shop did the physical transformation,” Cundiff said of his part of the team effort. “You can see the productivity is better.”

Lane added, “We were really going on the philosophy ‘treat the artisan as a surgeon;’ give them the tools to do the job. We absolutely feel like we contributed to readiness. The main thing is the satisfaction of giving the artisans what they need.”

BoGs provide opportunities for senior Naval Aviation leadership to visit locations across the fleet and have in-person conversations with the teams who work there, creating more visibility into activities or needs across the NAE. They allow NAE members to raise issues some of which are solved on site and some of which are taken for additional action. This recent BoG featured FRCE and MAG-14.

The Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) is a cooperative partnership of Naval Aviation stakeholders focused on sustaining required current readiness and advancing future warfighting capabilities at best possible cost. It is comprised of Sailors, Marines, civilians, and contractors from across service branches and organizations, working together to identify and resolve readiness barriers and warfighting degraders.

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