Photo By Scott Pittman | Erik Hansen, logistics management specialist for NUWC Division, Keyport, is among the...... read more read more
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Erik Hansen, one of Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport’s latest graduates of the Naval Acquisition Development Program, has quickly made a name for himself within the command's Unmanned and Theater Undersea Warfare Systems Department.
“From the very beginning, Erik was eager and high energy,” said Regina Dansbee, lead logistician for the Undersea Weapons Department. “Erik was excelling and really setting a new standard. He was kind of a rock star, gold star performer.”
Hansen, a Colorado native, was born in Aurora but raised in Dillon, a ski resort town nestled high in the Rocky Mountains and at one point, dreamed of becoming an Olympic snowboarder. Hansen ultimately earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2009. After 13 years in working in various levels of the retail industry, he decided to pursue a new path in public service. He initially considered military enlistment but ultimately ruled it out due to age restrictions. While exploring other ways to serve his country, he discovered the NADP, applied, and was accepted into the program in early 2022.
The NADP equips next generation logisticians for successful careers in government service. To be eligible, candidates must hold a bachelor's degree, achieve a minimum 2.95 grade point average upon graduation and fulfill the qualification requirements set forth by the Office of Personnel Management.
The program encompasses a variety of careers beyond logistics, from business and information technology to engineering and contracting. It has two tracks: a three-year option for those with an undergraduate degree, and a two-year path for those with a master’s degree.
Hansen said his retail background prepared him well for his tenure as an NADP entry-level employee.
“I did some supply stuff back in my other jobs, and it translated well,” said Hansen. “One of the things they were going for with procurement was just general inventory tracking and getting things there at the right time, supporting the warfighter before they even think they need support. My business background definitely applied to that."
Hansen completed three external NADP rotations, in which he gained experience in foreign military sales, unmanned undersea vehicle operations and military cybersecurity.
His major achievements included developing a lifecycle sustainment plan for the Razorback torpedo tube launch and recovery system, streamlining parts provisioning for aircraft carrier tactical support centers and undersea warfare decision support systems, and establishing a Keyport-wide SharePoint resource center for NADP employees.
According to Dansbee, this resource center—which Hansen developed in collaboration with NUWC Division, Keyport computer engineer and fellow NADP entry-level employee Parker Piedmont—has since become a “gold standard” in online Navy collaboration tools. Its success even led to Hansen and Piedmont being invited to present their end product to Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters and other Warfare Center stakeholders.
Colleagues of Hansen's praised his positive attitude, team spirit, work ethic, and eagerness to learn and teach.
“He's certainly earned my trust,” said his supervisor, Systems Engineering and Integrated Product Support Branch Head Lucas Romas. “We've got nothing but faith in his ability to get the job done. He’s very big on collaborating with others, even outside his competency. He's always asking the 'why' questions, like, 'Okay, I want to understand more,’ ‘What's the big picture?’ or [‘What are] the detailed consequences of this?’ He’s excited to be at work, excited for the overall mission and vision, and his positive attitude rubs off on his teammates."
NUWC Division, Keyport Logistics Management Specialist Darrell Farris, Hansen’s team lead during one of his rotations, added, “I can count on him no matter what. He's just a go-getter who wants to learn and wants to teach others so they have those tools for themselves to make whatever project they're working on successful."
Since completing the NADP in February, Hansen has worked as a logistics management specialist in the Systems Engineering and Integrated Product Support Branch of the Theater Undersea Warfare Command Control Communications Computers Cyber and Intelligence Systems Division within the Unmanned and Theater Undersea Warfare Systems Department. In this role, he's been applying his procurement and asset management expertise to critical projects like the Gen 2 Interface Processing System, mentoring newer members of the NADP cohort and continuing to exceed expectations.
"I knew the whole time he was in the program that we were going to have a very high [return on investment] when he graduated," said Dansbee. “I expect to see him accomplish great things over the course of his government career.”
Hansen advises prospective NADP employees to embrace the breadth of learning opportunities the program has to offer and not get too caught up on the details of any single project.
"My biggest tip is just know that your single job is to learn,” said Hansen. “Don't lose sight [of that]. That's your job—it's to learn."
For more information about the NADP, visit https://www.secnav.navy.mil/rda/workforce/Pages/NADP/Applicants/ApplicantInformation.aspx.
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport is headquartered in the state of Washington on the Puget Sound, about 10 miles west of Seattle. To provide ready support to Fleet operational forces at all major Navy homeports in the Pacific, NUWC Division, Keyport maintains detachments in San Diego, California and Honolulu, Hawaii, and remote operating sites in Guam; Japan; Hawthorne, Nevada; and Portsmouth, Virginia. At NUWC Division, Keyport, our diverse and highly skilled team of engineers, scientists, technicians, administrative professionals and industrial craftsmen work tirelessly to develop, maintain and sustain undersea warfare superiority for the United States.
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2025 13:58 |
| Story ID: | 493036 |
| Location: | KEYPORT, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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