Fleet Readiness Center Southwest wins CNO Aviation Safety Award

Story by Janina Lamoglia, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW)

NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. – Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has been recognized with the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Aviation Safety Award for its exceptional commitment to safety, risk management, and operational excellence. This achievement highlights the command’s dedication to fostering a culture of safety that ensures both personnel and aircraft are mission-ready.

“It is an honor to command an organization that not only sets the benchmark in cost, schedule and performance but that also validates its vigorous production effort and fleet sustainment support via absolute teamwork achieving the highest safety and quality standards.” – CAPT Luis “Rick” Rivera FRCSW Commanding Officer.

FRCSW, one of the largest and most successful aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the Department of Defense, supports a workforce of over 2,700 personnel across multiple locations. The command’s approach to safety is deeply embedded in its operations, aligning with the Navy’s High-Velocity Learning (HVL) principles—continuously identifying risks, developing mitigation strategies, and proactively sharing lessons learned.

“This award exemplifies the hard work and dedication of our entire safety team and workforce,” said Christopher Gibson, FRCSW Branch Manager for Safety and Occupational Health. “Safety is not just a department—it’s a shared responsibility across every level of our organization.”

LT Jesta Jackson, who also serves as the command’s Government Flight Representative, plays a critical role in overseeing aviation-related safety programs, particularly in the high-risk environment of returning aircraft to operational status. Her work has helped reinforce safety protocols at the depot, ensuring smooth coordination between maintenance personnel and aircrew.

“Our goal is to build a workplace where risk management isn’t just a checklist—it’s second nature,” said LT Jackson, FRCSW’s military Ground Safety Officer (GSO). “The safety culture here is built on open dialogue, empowerment, and continuous improvement.”

Over the past year, FRCSW has implemented several key initiatives that contributed to this recognition:

Hazard Identification and Mitigation: The command enhanced its reporting systems, encouraging personnel to proactively identify safety concerns. The Safety Office conducted over 120 facility inspections in alignment with ISO 45001 (an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety management system), strengthening hazard abatement efforts across the command.

Medical Surveillance and Hearing Conservation: The team improved compliance in medical surveillance programs by assigning a dedicated point of contact, streamlining scheduling, and increasing participation in mobile audiometric testing which allowed for an increase in testing availability at the command. This resulted in a 30% increase in hearing conservation program compliance within six months.

Enhanced Training and Communication: Safety briefings, human factors analysis, and lessons learned from fleet mishaps were integrated into aircrew meetings and Aviation Safety Councils. This transparency enabled FRCSW personnel to implement best practices from across the Navy and Marine Corps aviation communities.

Supporting the F-35 and F-16 Expansion: As FRCSW took on the maintenance of its first F-35 and F-16 aircraft, safety professionals collaborated closely with logistics, test line personnel, and the Fleet to establish training and risk management protocols tailored to these platforms.

Reduction in Injury Rates: In FY24, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest saw a 60% reduction in Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) injuries and a 53% decrease in Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR)—a direct result of improved risk mitigation strategies and leadership engagement. It should be noted that the FRCSW DART and TCIR rates are the best of any maintenance command under the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) umbrella.

A proactive approach to safety at FRCSW has been instrumental in preventing serious incidents. One notable example involved a Class A mishap investigation related to an MH-53 aircraft, where a quality process gap was identified as a contributing factor. Through thorough root cause analysis, the team worked with Fleet Readiness Center East and Naval Air Systems Command to update procedures, ensuring that similar oversights would not occur in the future.

“This kind of safety improvement effort exemplifies what we strive for—constant assessment and correction to protect both our workforce and the warfighter,” said Jackson.

The CNO Aviation Safety Award is both a recognition of past accomplishments and a reflection of FRCSW’s ongoing commitment to safety excellence. The team is already looking ahead to further advancements, including expanding safety training accessibility, implementing new safety technologies, developing a mobile app for PPE reimbursement, and replacing all standard stop signs.

At its core, FRCSW’s safety culture is a collective effort, strengthened by leadership engagement and artisan buy-in.

“Every individual here—from aircrew to artisans to leadership—plays a role in keeping FRCSW a safe place to work,” said Gibson. “This award belongs to all of us.”

With a firm foundation in safety, quality, and readiness, FRCSW continues to set the standard for aviation maintenance excellence, ensuring that aircraft and personnel are always prepared to meet the demands of the fleet.

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