Photo By Monica Mccoy | Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division’s South East Acoustic Measurement...... read more read more
Relocating to Alaska isn’t for everyone, but for the Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility (SEAFAC) Deputy Site Director Eric Simon, it was the perfect place to establish roots.
Originally from Colville, Washington, Simon developed an interest for engineering in high school, which would eventually lead him to a career with the U.S. Navy.
“I finished a two-year degree and went off to work to make sure the math and science that was kicking my hind-end was worth the effort,” he said. “I began working for an engineering firm, and that company was working with vibration data collection and machinery condition analysis – kind of like an EKG (electrocardiogram) looking at the heart to see if there are any problems.”
As a technician, Simon supported machinery vibration analysis aboard naval ships. While working in this position, he decided to return to school to complete his bachelor’s degree. Although having to start from scratch and working a full-time job, Simon graduated from Seattle University in 1999 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He continued working for his employers for another four years before moving to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division’s Bremerton Detachment, now Detachment Puget Sound, in Washington.
Simon officially joined the command in June 2003 and worked in the Submarine Onboard Signatures Branch as an onboard engineer for the acoustic trials group. In 2016, Simon went back to school to further his education.
“I decided school had been long enough away that I needed more punishment,” he said. “So, I chose to pursue a master’s degree in acoustics through the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Going back after 17 years was rough – there was certainly a learning curve.”
He began his distance-learning NPS program in 2016 – astonishingly, on a submarine – and graduated in 2018. Simon humbly admitted, however, that it was a challenge returning to upper level calculus and physics.
After graduating NPS, he started to support contracting operations for the command and became a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for Carderock’s SEAFAC site, in Ketchikan, Alaska. In 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Simon was offered the deputy site director position at SEAFAC and accepted.
Today, his main responsibilities include being one of the primary technical points of contact for the SEAFAC operations and maintenance contractor; working with the COR to write task orders for the contract and develop the next contract solicitation; tracking facility repairs and maintenance; and long-term project planning for the site.
“Think of my job like this – If you own a home, eventually you have to replace the roof, clean the gutters, update the heating system or fix the water heater,” Simon said. “My job is to attempt to plan for those items and work with the contractor to budget and plan for the normal infrastructure stuff.”
Having worked for Carderock for almost 20 years, Simon said he has appreciated working with dedicated professionals who want to make a difference for the Navy. He encourages young employees to take the opportunity to go on rotation and gain broader perspective for their job.
“For me, that’s made the career worthwhile,” he said. “Doing something that is having an effect on the Navy and the Sailors that are out there.”
Since relocating with his family to Alaska in December 2020, Simon said they have enjoyed their new surroundings.
“It’s already been more than a year – it went pretty quickly, but it’s been a good year, almost two,” Simon said. “We’re enjoying it, the family is happy and doing well.”
Some of Simon’s favorite off-hour activities include camping, fishing, hunting and watching rugby.
“I haven’t played since the start of the pandemic, but I would if I could,” he said. “There is an old boys’ team in the Puget Sound area that I hope to occasionally still play with when I get the chance.”
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.29.2022 11:37 |
| Story ID: | 436048 |
| Location: | KETCHIKAN, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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