A Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) employee accepted the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, March 15, in the Mechanical Department Chief Petty Officer Mess onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Terry Huling, a NATTC field training specialist, was presented the Department of the Navy's third highest award for civilian employees by Capt. Eric Simon, the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) commanding officer.

Huling spearheaded a complete overhaul of three Special Operations Parachute Rigger (SOPR) courses in response to Special Operations Command, Chief of Naval Operations and Navy Safety Center (NSC) mandates for improved and additional training. SOPR courses, taught at CNATT Unit Norfolk Learning Site Fort Lee, Virginia, are advanced courses designed to provide aircrew survival equipmentmen (PR) necessary skills for inspecting, maintaining, packing and re-using specialized premeditated personnel static line and freefall parachute systems.

Huling worked with CNATT curriculum managers and the PR rating management team lead to develop lesson plans, trainee guides and curriculum outlines of instruction for the Static Line Parachute System, Military Free Fall Parachute Systems and Cargo/Combat Rubber Raiding Craft Parachute Systems Rigger courses. He also designed a revised checklist and modified the current curriculum by incorporating visual aids to illustrate topics of instruction and reinforce concepts for SOPR students.

"As with all Navy jobs, there is a zero margin for error," said Capt. Nate Schneider, CNATT executive officer. "Mr. Huling's efforts toward ensuring the men and women who provide support to our Naval Special Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams in receiving the best possible training are a testament to the outstanding service we provide."

Huling incorporated all NSC recommendations for parachute packing and maintenance functions into the new curriculum, including quality assurance inspections at specified intervals, as well as decreasing the student/instructor ratio while increasing instructor oversight for critical training events.

"The SOPR Sailor's duties are an intense undertaking," said Master Chief Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Aaron Carroll, the NATTC PR and aviation structural mechanic (equipment) training officer. "What these men and women are learning, what Mr. Huling has expanded upon, is ultimately going to benefit our special operations service members. What PR's are taking with them when they leave the SOPR schoolhouse are tools they can use, keeping our shipmates safe during training and missions."

CNATTU Norfolk Learning Site Fort Lee is a training unit of CNATTU Norfolk, one of CNATT's 28 sites delivering and supporting aviation technical training throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a training center under Naval Education and Training Command and is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise, an organization designed to advance and sustain naval aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost.


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