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Hall of Honor 2020 |
CAPT Terry Magee
Capt. Terry Magee has been leader and ardent supporter of the Hawkeye and Greyhound community for over 50 years. His accomplishments are numerous and significantly impacted the community and Navy:
- Executive and Commanding Officer of VAW-112, leading the squadron to the Battle E and CNO Safety Award with an unprecedented operational readiness rate.
- Amassed over 6000 flight hours and 1000 landings supporting fleet operations around the globe.
- He was recognized for his harrowing efforts in a near fatal aircraft incident during a routine training mission. Because of faulty maintenance, the instrument panel dislodged on climb-out jamming the yoke against the student pilot. Reacting quickly, Capt Magee took over command, assessed the situation, coordinated with the student pilot to free the yoke and recovered the stalling aircraft.
- Commanding Officer of VAW-110, the E-2 and C-2 replacement squadron, leading 150 officers and 700 enlisted in training for manning the 12 Air Wing and 12 carriers.
- Commanding Officer of the Amphibious Ship Duluth (LPD-6) which had a crew of 800 and carried a complement of 1100 Marines.
- Commanding Officer of the Aircraft Carrier the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) with a crew of ~ 5,000. Successfully guided ship and crew through numerous Fleet Refresher Training periods and several diplomatic port visits.
- Plank owner and a Director of the USS Midway Museum, he has been instrumental in the most successful ship Museum in the United States, ranked in many publications and the top ship tourist attractions in the United States.
- Instrumental in the establishment of Ready Room 4, the VAW VRC ready room, onboard the USS Midway.
- Captain Magee was the past President of the VAW VRC Foundation and currently is the Chairman of Board. He was instrumental in the launch of the VAW VRC Foundation, combining the efforts of a VAW reunion organization with the Ready Room 4 organization. In his leadership positions, he was critical in expanding the scope of the Foundations efforts.
- Terry Magee has served for seven years as a member of the Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) board, accruing over 200 volunteer hours annually. STEP ‘s mission focuses on helping service members and change their lives by providing counseling, financial education and, when necessary, grants to creditors in order to set them on a financial self-sufficiency.
As a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), Terry Magee helped to support and promote the mutual business and other interests of the military, their quality of life, and the defense community in the San Diego area.
Captain Magee’s complete and tireless dedication to the VAW VRC community and Navy in and out of uniform is truly deserving the recognition by selection the VAW VRC Hall of Fame.
CAPT James Clifton
Captain James Clifton has been a dedicated Hawkeye Community officer for his entire Navy career and made many significant contributions to its success.
Capt. Clifton graduated from United States Naval Academy in 1982 and then attended Naval Flight Officer training in Pensacola, FL and later received his Wings of Gold from the E-2 Hawkeye training squadron. After completing several E-2C squadron deployments, he applied for and was accepted to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (TPS), Patuxent River, MD. Following completion of training, Capt. Clifton was assigned to the E-2 testing at VX-20 where he was instrumental in testing the Group II upgrades to the E-2C weapons system.
After a successful TPS tour, Capt. Clifton attended the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA and received a PHD in Aeronautical Engineering. His next assignment was to PMA-231 as the E-2/C-2 Class Desk during a time of immense change in the E-2 Program. As Class Desk, CAPT Clifton was responsible for engineering development and the management of numerous upgrades to the E-2 aircraft. Among them were:
Upgrade of E-2C AN/APS-138/139 to AN/APS-145 Weapon Systems
Development of the Navigation Upgrade to incorporate dual GPS to replace the INS/HARS/ADC system
Development of the MCU/ACIS to replace the existing L304 computer and display systems
Development and incorporation of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) to enable the E-2C to become a critical member of the Fire Control capability.
Development of the T-56-427A engine to give the E-2 more horse power for take-off and extend its time on station
Development and incorporation of the inflight refueling capability to extend the E-2 range and time on station as well as improve its safety and flexibility during carrier recovery operations.
Developed, tested and implemented the glass cockpit that enabled all crew members and in particular the pilot and co-pilot to become fully integrated members of all operational mission areas. This capability has been critical in significantly improving capabilities of the E-2D.
All the above listed improvements which CAPT Clifton oversaw were the necessary capabilities and functions for the E-2 to enable the program to incorporate the next generation radar and weapon system to maintain its superiority over developing adversary capabilities. The heart of the E-2 development efforts were the:
ADS-18 Antenna which replaced the 8 channel rotary coupler with an 18 channel rotary coupler in the same volume. Considered by many to be the “Ninth Wonder of the World” due to its engineering, structural and technical complexity.
The Radar Modernization Program (RMP) which replaced the AN/APS-145 Radar with a radar that was two orders of magnitude more powerful to provide significantly more target detection and range capability.
To accomplish the above, CAPT Clifton oversaw the development and testing of the prototype equipment at the PMRF Mountain Top Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, over several years until approved for incorporation into an airborne capability in a C-130.
After receiving approval through testing, the capability was developed for incorporation into the E-2 aircraft.
The overall incorporation of the above development efforts resulted in the E-2D Weapon System which is now the backbone of the E-2 community today and will only increase its relevance into the future. Without the tenacity, knowledge and engineering acumen of CAPT Clifton there would be no E-2D Advanced Hawkeye in the Fleet today and the Hawkeye would be fading away rather than becoming the focal point of US Navy carrier strike group operations. CAPT James Clifton’s critical and invaluable contributions to the Hawkeye Community at a pivotal time in its history and the results of these contributions we enjoy today demand the recognition of a place in the Hawkeye/Greyhound Hall of Honor.
Mr. Robert Knox
In recognition of his untiring efforts during a career at Lockheed Martin to ensure the warfighter received the highest quality equipment and support required to Fly, Fight and Win. From Production Shop Manager at the Lockheed Martin Syracuse Facility, manufacturing and repairing E-2C APS-145 Radar to the critical role of leading the transition to the full rate production of the E-2D APY-9 radar, his performance was truly remarkable. Of note was his skillful management of moving from APY-9 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) to Low Rate lnitial Production (LRIP) and then to a ramp-up to eight systems per year. This effort required clear direction and perseverance in tackling supplier issues, environmental qualification and reliability development testing, system design qualification testing, flight test support while establishing state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.
His attention to detail in planning, schedule development, and material lines of balance provided visibility that drove his team to meet milestones for material receipt and target times for assembly and test. He proactively managed items on the schedule critical paths ensuring LM's building, integrating, testing and delivering the first fifty-four APY-9 Radars to the fleet on time and set the foundation for future production and system improvements. The VAWVRC Foundation and the entire VAW/VRC Community recognizes his dedication to excellence and for "going above and beyond" to ensure the Hawkeye has always had the best radar systems possible. Your career at Lockheed Martin has more than earned you a place in the prestigious VAWVRC Hall of Honor.