Last modified Fri., March 06, 2009 - 09:35 AM
Originally created Thursday, March 5, 2009

CMO-11 "Black Tips" to disestablish

By Clark Pierce, Editor

During a recent tour of the flight line near Hangar 1000, CMO-11 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Pat McCormick observes AD2 Thomas Bacon and ADAN Jeffrey Chidester as they perform scheduled maintenance on a P-3C turboprop engine. (Photo by Clark Pierce)

The era of wing-level maintenance ownership of P-3 Orion aircraft at NAS Jacksonville ends tomorrow with the disestablishment of Consolidated Maintenance Organization (CMO) 11.

Cmdr. Pat McCormick, CMO-11 commanding officer, recently discussed the short history of the organization that was established in October 2006.

"In preparation for the P-8A Poseidon (the P-3C replacement) transition, the Navy combined the P-3 squadrons' maintenance departments at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Whidbey Island, Wash.; and Jacksonville, Fla. into CMO-2, CMO-10 and CMO-11 respectively to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

"The CMO concept divided the command into maintenance deployment teams that were paired with squadrons - in our case, VP-5, VP-16, VP-45 and VP-62. When a VP squadron deployed, the CMO sent a maintenance detachment to accompany the squadron to ensure mission-capable aircraft," said McCormick.

"Leadership intended the CMO to mirror the new P-8 organization of 2012 that would be flown by Navy aircrew and maintained by contractor logistics support. The only Navy maintainers involved would be ordnance support. The idea was to focus solely on transitioning flyers to the P-8 without simultaneously transitioning maintainers," McCormick explained.

"Things changed in November 2008 when patrol and reconnaissance leadership decided to revert back to legacy maintenance departments at the squadron level. This was not a negative reflection of CMO performance. It was simply determined that there is better synergy by deploying as a single unit, rather than two separate units of flyers and maintainers," continued McCormick. "With the advent of P-8, leadership believes traditional, squadron-level maintenance will maximize our expeditionary capabilities. So, we can go anywhere, any time - with flyers and maintainers operating as one unit."

At its height, CMO-11 mustered 680 officer and enlisted personnel.

"Our maintainers will all revert to VP squadrons. And junior officers will once again hone their leadership skills as branch officers in charge of the various maintenance shops. The only people losing their jobs are me, my XO and my command master chief," said McCormick.

The CMO-11 Disestablishment Ceremony is scheduled for March 6 at 10 a.m. in Hangar 1000.