Clemmons earned the excellence for the ATI’s work with greater than 50 superior know-how tasks that goal to capitalize on strategic investments at FRCE and small enterprise analysis efforts inside the Navy, instructional outreach packages, and his personal mentorship of junior engineers. Because the group lead for Superior Know-how and Innovation (ATI) Staff at Fleet Readiness Middle East (FRCE), Jamaine Clemmons works to implement rising applied sciences in help of naval sustainment operations. Since taking the reins of the group, he and the group have taken on greater than 50 superior know-how tasks that goal to capitalize on strategic investments at FRCE and small enterprise analysis efforts inside the Navy.
This work – together with ATI Staff’s instructional outreach and his mentorship of junior engineers – earned Clemmons recognition as a Trendy Day Know-how Chief in the course of the 2023 Black Engineer of the Yr Awards (BEYA) STEM Convention, held in February in Nationwide Harbor, Maryland. The annual convention showcased profession alternatives in science, know-how, engineering and math for greater than 10,000 college students, authorities and navy organizations, and personal trade individuals.
“Jamaine has distinguished himself as a frontrunner in offering imaginative and prescient and steerage to the event and implementation of latest applied sciences inside the naval sustainment neighborhood,” stated FRCE Government Director Mark Meno. “His group’s efforts have had important impacts to flightline readiness throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise, and the tasks they’re spearheading will assist modernize and enhance operations.”
Clemmons stated he was humbled by the popularity, which he considers a testomony to the onerous work and success of the ATI Staff as an entire, relatively than to himself as a person.
“Our group is absolutely good at what they do,” he defined. “They’re at all times trying to lean ahead, as a result of numerous what we do, we’re doing for the primary time. Know-how isn’t for the faint of coronary heart, and it isn’t for everyone; it takes a novel ability set and really devoted individuals, and this award is simply as a lot, if no more, about them then about me.
“Our objective is to make a distinction, whether or not that’s from a forward-deployed standpoint or applied sciences that we glance to undertake domestically to enhance the way in which we do enterprise,” Clemmons continued. “All of that rolls into our principal objective of supporting the warfighter, and this recognition is an effective indication that we’re doing that properly.”
The group is at the moment working with two tasks Clemmons believes could make a big affect inside the naval sustainment neighborhood: digital monitoring know-how, and superior polymer and metallic additive manufacturing, generally often called 3D printing.
The digital monitoring initiative makes use of passive and energetic radio frequency identification know-how to find gadgets inside a facility. The group hosted a profitable demonstration of the know-how in Might, and continues to work towards implementation. Whereas conserving tabs on elements and instruments may look like a routine job, it stands to have a significant impact on operations.
“It isn’t a brand new technological idea general, but it surely’s one thing the FRCs have searched for over a decade and, with steady know-how developments, it stands to enhance how we do enterprise,” Clemmons stated. “The intriguing half can be being able to make use of this know-how to mixture information at a macro degree and make knowledgeable selections that drive mandatory change right down to the micro degree, and vice versa.”
Additive manufacturing with superior polymers and metallic supplies additionally stands to have a considerable impact on sustainment operations.
“It is a focus space we’re leaning into and trying to be on the forefront of, when it comes to new machines, supplies and utility areas. Within the current previous, we’ve used additive manufacturing to shortly create prototypes, however we’re on the level now the place we’re implementing it for usable finish gadgets,” Clemmons defined. “As soon as we set up metallic functionality, we’ll be capable of do an analogous factor however with stronger materials properties that may permit us to make use of these gadgets from a structural perspective. The top objective is to have the ability to create usable elements, as soon as they’re certified and licensed, for issues which can be onerous to get out of the provision system proper now.”
These two packages are high-visibility examples, however the group additionally focuses on initiatives that make a distinction within the day-to-day efforts of the artisans, Sailors and Marines who keep the fleet. Transferring any of those superior applied sciences from idea to implementation requires making a imaginative and prescient for the mission after which sticking to it, Clemmons stated.
“The group and I set up that imaginative and prescient for every effort: that is our North Star, these are our objectives, these are the issues we’re monitoring towards,” he defined. “And generally we’ve obtained to return again to that imaginative and prescient to remind us why we’re doing this within the first place.”
Clemmons additionally helps people set objectives in his work as a mentor. Named the FRCE Mentor of the Yr in 2019, his expertise with mentorship has aided his development in each private {and professional} capacities, he stated.
“Mentorship is without doubt one of the core constructing blocks for fulfillment in any profession,” Clemmons stated. “You want someone in your nook who’s not simply going to let you know what you need to hear, however goes to let you know the reality as a result of they really care about you. These are the values I search for in mentorship, and look to offer to my mentees. You want that help not simply inside your profession, however in life, as a result of it’s powerful out right here on the earth.”
Clemmons misplaced his father when he was simply 12 years outdated, and the mentors who stepped in to help him at the moment made an enormous distinction in his world.
“At that age, I used to be at a fork within the street the place I might have gone in a really unhealthy course actually shortly,” he defined. “However I had household and a church household who actually stepped up throughout that point and obtained me out of that darkish house. At my worst, I had a mom, a pastor, uncles … individuals who stepped in and stated they understood that I used to be hurting, however we wanted to get me again on monitor. And truthfully, I simply needed to make my father proud. That need is what drove me, and to this present day nonetheless drives me.”
One other defining second got here when, whereas Clemmons was working as a manufacturing engineer at FRCE, his senior mentor requested him to think about the place he needed to place himself as he grew in his profession – or, merely put, what he needed to be when he grew up.
“After I first obtained to FRC East, did I feel that inside 13 years I might be on this place? I didn’t,” Clemmons stated. “However once I thought-about the longer term, the reply to my mentor was easy: I needed to be somebody who was in a position to make a distinction. I needed to take possession of one thing and have delight within the work I do. And I really feel like at the moment I’m checking all of these bins, which is an effective place to be. I might by no means have thought that, 13 years into my profession, I’d be getting certainly one of these Black Engineer of the Yr awards. It wasn’t on the record of issues to do. However it got here due to the onerous work and the help system I had in place, from a younger age to now. Mentorship is vital.”
Clemmons stated illustration of numerous backgrounds and views can be necessary to make sure success inside the subsequent era of modern leaders who will form the way forward for naval aviation. Honors just like the BEYA awards can serve for example of success to younger learners who’re eager about STEM careers however won’t typically see engineers who look or assume like they do.
“There’s energy in visualization and having the ability to see you can break down partitions and limitations, you may get there from right here, and there’s a pathway for doing that,” he stated. “It’s good for youths to have the ability to see people who seem like them succeeding in STEM profession fields, and to see that people who’re from a marginalized or minority group are in a position to step into these careers and achieve success. Once you’re acknowledged for an award like this, your contributions can affect someone who might really feel like they will’t make it, to make a distinction as properly.
“We’re at a spot the place we’re influencing the following era of engineers, scientists and innovators who will be capable of do the issues we are able to’t do at the moment, as know-how adjustments they usually take it to the following degree,” Clemmons continued. “It’s necessary for these younger individuals to grasp that they’re good at what they’re good at, no matter their background or nationality. With robust work ethic, onerous work and dedication, you could be the perfect at no matter you do. You can also make these issues occur.”
Being named a Trendy Day Know-how Chief has given Clemmons cause to consider what he needs to realize subsequent in his personal profession, as properly.
“I’m going to look again on this second and inform each of my boys about this part in my profession,” he stated. “No matter what occurs subsequent, that is a type of milestones – but it surely additionally exhibits me there’s a lot extra I can do. The work’s not performed, so the problem now could be how do I do extra? How do I do it higher? How do I enhance upon this?
“Now I have a look at what my subsequent objectives are, how we leverage these new applied sciences to get the group there. So long as we follow that core mission, every little thing else will handle itself,” Clemmons added. “That’s what I inform my mentees: Discover one thing you love to do, discover one thing you’re good at and be darned good at it, and every little thing else will handle itself.”
FRCE is North Carolina’s largest upkeep, restore, overhaul and technical companies supplier, with greater than 4,000 civilian, navy and contract employees. Its annual income exceeds $1 billion. The depot supplies service to the fleet whereas functioning as an integral a part of the better U.S. Navy; Naval Air Methods Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Facilities.
