{"id":24206,"date":"2023-08-22T15:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T15:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=24206"},"modified":"2023-08-24T06:41:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T06:41:16","slug":"frce-employee-retires-after-70-years-of-military-civil-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=24206","title":{"rendered":"FRCE Employee Retires After 70 Years of Military, Civil Service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Freddie Dawkins, a pneudraulics systems mechanic at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), celebrated his retirement from federal service after 70 years of combined military and civilian service.<\/p>\n

FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont recognized Dawkins\u2019 accomplishments during a ceremony at the depot July 27.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Dawkins has had an extraordinary career,\u201d Belmont said. \u201cFor seventy years, he has dedicated himself to serving our nation. It\u2019s remarkable when you think about it. He has served under every U.S. president since Eisenhower. He exemplifies commitment and faithful service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawkins\u2019 lengthy federal service career began January 1, 1953, when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in the aircraft and engine mechanic career field. Dawkins was 17 years old at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I got in and got over being nervous, it was the best thing that happened to me,\u201d said Dawkins. \u201cIt was strict but it taught us discipline. It taught us to be men, because when we came in, we were just teenagers. I grew up in the Air Force.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the early part of his military career, Dawkins served in the distinguished Strategic Air Command, as well as the 31st Fighter Wing at Turner Field, Ga., where he worked with the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.<\/p>\n

Dawkins served tours in the Republic of Vietnam between 1966 and 1969. He received the Air Medal \u2014 with five oak leaf clusters, representing 125 combat missions flown \u2014 and the Distinguished Flying Cross.<\/p>\n

After 26 years of military service, Dawkins retired from the Air Force January 31, 1979. It wouldn\u2019t be long however, before he was once again serving his country.<\/p>\n

Dawkins used the Montgomery GI Bill to study aircraft and engine maintenance. He then worked with a military contractor, working on C-5 Galaxy aircraft, for a short while before taking a federal service position at Naval Air Station Alameda in California. This marked the start of Dawkins\u2019 44 years of civilian federal service.<\/p>\n

Dawkins worked as a pneudraulics systems mechanic \u2014 disassembling, assembling, repairing and overhauling various turbine compressor assemblies daily \u2014 with Naval Air Systems Command since January 1981.<\/p>\n

He received orders to relocate to the Naval Aviation Depot, now known as Fleet Readiness Center East, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in January 1995.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy here,\u201d said Dawkins. \u201cWhen we transferred here, my family and I came to a new area and a new job. We were accepted and blended in. I’ve had a good time. I was able to do what I needed to do and do what I loved to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Known to all at the depot as \u201cMr. Fred,\u201d Dawkins was well known at FRCE for his work ethic and extensive expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe shows up to work early and is ready to go when the bell rings,\u201d said Michael VanWolput, the supervisor for FRCE\u2019s Starters and Turbines shop and Auxiliary Power Unit and Fuel Controls shop. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t mess around. He is one of the best workers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.\u201d<\/p>\n

VanWolput said Dawkins\u2019 brought a wealth of expertise to the depot, gained through seven decades of experience working in aviation maintenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s brought so much to the shop, especially about disassembly and assembly of the older-style units,\u201d said VanWolput. \u201cThese are units that aren’t very common anymore because those particular aircraft are going away. He knows all those units.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawkins was generous in sharing his expertise. He credited the mentorship he received throughout his career as a crucial element to his success.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome in with a positive attitude and be willing to learn and take the advice from the senior people,\u201d said Dawkins. \u201cDon’t sit still. Get in, do your job, and pay attention. You do those things and should be able to advance, no matter what your career field is.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to VanWolput, Dawkins did more than pay attention and do his job, he personified commitment and dedication during his 70 years of service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing how long he’s been doing this \u2014 and he loves it \u2014 you realize just how completely dedicated he is to supporting the war fighter and America,\u201d said VanWolput. \u201cHe will be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.<\/p>\n

Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil\/frce or https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FleetReadinessCenterEast<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Freddie Dawkins, a pneudraulics systems mechanic at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), celebrated his retirement from federal service after 70 years of combined military and civilian service. FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont recognized Dawkins\u2019 accomplishments during a ceremony at the depot July 27. \u201cMr. Dawkins has had an extraordinary career,\u201d Belmont said. \u201cFor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24206"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24208,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24206\/revisions\/24208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}