Burghardt Takes Command of Aircrew Systems at Pax River
The Navy’s Aircrew Systems Program Office (PMA-202), which manages all equipment that directly supports aircrew and troops in the performance of their missions, gained a new leader Jan. 30 during a change of command ceremony here at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
Capt. Nora Burghardt
Capt. Nora Burghardt, who previously served as the deputy program manager for Air Vehicle Systems in the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), replaced Capt. Roger Ligon as PMA-202’s new leader during an afternoon ceremony in the Rear Adm. William A. Moffett Building.
Ligon’s next assignment will be working as the military director of the Weapons and Energetics Department at the Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division, China Lake, Calif.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Burghardt earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s in administration as well as dual master’s degrees in material logistics and financial management from the Naval Postgraduate School. Her assignments include stints at Barbers Point, Hawaii, as a maintenance materials control officer; serving aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), where she completed four major deployments, including being the first to arrive on scene in the Arabian Gulf after the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and as an Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Departments (AIMD) officer aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73).
Burghardt’s career includes revitalizing George Washington’s CVN AIMD after a two-year yard period; implementing AIRSPEED, which streamlines workloads and improves maintenance processes; and preparing the crew for Forward Deployed Carrier Operations and home port change to Yokosuka, Japan. Burghardt earned the Chief of Naval Forces Leadership Award for those efforts.
Additionally, during her tenure with PMA-265, she launched and led the program office’s “Should-Cost Will-Cost” program and a cross-functional F414 engine readiness recovery from significant readiness shortfall.
Organized under the Program Management Organization (AIR 1.0), which includes common aviation and aircrew support equipment, PMA-202 develops, maintains and tests a wide variety of programs, including survival electronics, chemical-biological defense and fleet-support systems.
Source: AIR-1.0 Public Affairs
