Photo By Troy Lilly | Lt. Cmdr. Stuart Greenfield, F-35 Deputy Assistant Program Manager for Logistics,...... read more read more
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CRYSTAL CITY, VA. (June 28, 2021) As part of the F-35 Enterprise you get to work with talented colleagues to advance the affordability, capability, and availability of the most lethal aircraft in the global fleet. Royal Navy Lt. Cdr. Stuart Greenfield, a British teammate who works for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) on the F-35 Assistant Program Manager of Logistics (APML) team, was fascinated at a young age by the military, its technology, and the value of a hard-working team that serves their country.
"My dad took me to the ‘International Festival of Sea’ at the Her Majesty’s Naval Base, Portsmouth. Every few years, naval ships from all over the globe visited. We got to go on different ships from different nations. I got a flavor for how we all complete our missions differently, but the end goal is the same,” reminisced Greenfield. “I took that idea of international teamwork with me. I remember vividly going onto the flight deck on one of the U.K.'s Invincible-class aircraft carriers, seeing the Harrier, and chatting with the pilots and engineers. It was amazing to experience as a kid, and it captured my imagination and sculpted me to join the Royal Navy."
The United Kingdom has been an integral partner since the F-35 Enterprise’s earliest days, even before the choice of a final aircraft concept. "While we all have the same end goal, we have slightly different ways of achieving it due to our cultures and the different core values found in our militaries, but that is what works well for the F-35," said Greenfield, who knew he would join the Royal Navy in 2009 following his university graduation.
After various assignments, including time with Rotary-Wing support for the Commando Helicopter Force and a stint as an engineering instructor, Lt. Cdr. Greenfield arrived in California in 2017 to support F-35 Initial Operational Test & Evaluation at Edwards Air Force Base.
"I was an engineering officer and did a year out there with the F-35. I then returned to Royal Air Force Base (RAF) Marham in 2018 to support the stand-up of the 617 Squadron," said Greenfield. "I was part of the engineering team that took the aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, where the U.K. team trained with the U.S., and stepped up F-35 operations at RAF Marham."
Greenfield reported to the F-35 JPO in February 2019 to join the F-35B Deputy APML team. There is an APML and at least one Deputy APML for each F-35 variant, and these teams are one of the main links between the warfighter and the program office. "On the Deputy APML team for the F-35B, it is a U.S. Marine Corps Major and me. The APML reports directly to the Product Support Manager, allowing us to have holistic oversight of sustainment across the JPO. Our primary focus is ensuring we meet the Warfighter's needs from a sustainment perspective," said Greenfield.
Greenfield discovered that when he came to the JPO, even with ten years of military experience, he had to learn new aspects of the program since it was an unfamiliar environment. He worried if his lack of acquisition experience would hinder his performance at the JPO.
"From my perspective, I had no acquisition background. My career thus far had been operationally focused. I was used to working on a small team that is at the end of a chain delivering an output," Greenfield said. "However, that is also the rewarding part of being here. It is building those diverse relationships across the program, across multiple disciplines, and also with both government and industry partners."
"It was a great entry to the JPO's U.K. team and Deputy APML role. My U.S. teammates welcomed me, and if it weren't for them, my learning curve would have been greater. I worked on F-35 squadrons for two years before the JPO, so I knew F-35, but I didn't know acquisition, I didn't understand the U.S. way of doing acquisition or how a U.S. program office worked, but my U.S. teammates were there for me and were very helpful with getting me acclimated,” said Greenfield. “Equally, I was the only one on our team who had experience on an F-35 squadron and had maintained the air system. It tied in with the fact that everyone has a unique skill that elevates the quality of your team here."
The learning curve at the JPO allowed Greenfield to realize that making mistakes means pushing boundaries and putting yourself outside of your comfort zone.
"It is easy to sit back and not put yourself out there and not ask the stupid questions, but, I learned we have to embrace the fact that we work in a complicated program where you need to ask those questions. If you don't put yourself out there, successful or innovative ideas won't just appear," Greenfield determined.
The F-35 is currently demonstrating its interoperability aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), and Lt. Cdr. Greenfield thinks that is both exciting and significant for the program.
"The milestone deployment is great! I joined the Navy in 2009, and our last operational carrier deployment with fixed-wing aircraft was in 2010. To see the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force operating on HMS Queen Elizabeth is very exciting. And to do it with U.S. Marines is a testament to the strong relationship between our two countries and the [F-35] B variant operators," said Greenfield. "We trained with the Marines at Beaufort, and to now be deployed at sea with them is fantastic. It shows the great benefits of this program and the interoperability of the F-35. We can deploy on a partner nation's aircraft carrier. I'm jealous of anyone that gets to sail with the Queen Elizabeth for the next couple of months!"
The F-35 global enterprise unites exceptional people with groundbreaking technology to preserve peace and security worldwide. Its international colleagues bring value, broader skills, and new ideas to the daily management of the F-35 program. With Lt. Cdr. Greenfield aboard, the F-35 will continue to maintain its global air dominance for years to come.
| Date Taken: | 06.28.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2021 10:52 |
| Story ID: | 399870 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 532 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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