RCM II Practitioner Hardee Gets First Star

Michael D. Hardee was promoted to Rear Admiral (lower half) in a ceremony May 1, in the Rear Adm. William A. Moffett Building.

Hardee is serving as the commander for NAVAIR’s aviation depots and has been assigned as chief architect of Fleet Readiness Centers.

Hardee’s captain shoulder boards were removed by his daughter Sarah and wife Marianne. His one-star shoulder boards were pinned with the one star by NAVAIR commandeer Vice Adm. Wally Massenburg and Hardee’s father, Roland.

Hardee graduated from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. with a bachelors of science in biological sciences and received his commission from Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1977. After flight training, he was designated a Naval Flight Officer and received his wings in 1978. Hardee acquired extensive operational and acquisition experience through a variety of afloat and shore-based assignments. He completed ship’s company sea duty assignments onboard USS Shreveport, (LPD-12) earning his Surface Warfare Designation in 1982, USS Ranger (CV-61), USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and fleet assignments at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Air Station Miramar and Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific Staff.

He graduated with a masters degree in the material logistics curriculum from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1988. Hardee was then assigned to Carrier Air Wing Two, where he served as air wing aircraft maintenance officer, and completed two Western Pacific deployments aboard USS Ranger, including a combat cruise during Operation Desert Storm. After completing the program management course at Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va., Hardee was assigned to NAVAIR. He assumed his duties in Aviation Support Equipment, PMA-260 in 1992, where he served as the assistant program manager for Systems Engineering for Consolidated Automated Support Systems Automated Test Equipment (USM-636 CASS). During this tour, he completed PMA-260’s (Aviation Support Equipment) Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) in preparation for initial production of CASS. In 1995, he was assigned to Commander, Naval Air Forces, Pacific Fleet staff as the aircraft maintenance plans and policy officer, implementing more than 100 changes to the OPNAVINST. 4790, the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program and continued research in Human Factors in aircraft maintenance with the Naval Postgraduate School. Assigned again to PMA 260 in 1999 as principal deputy program manager for Aviation Support Equipment program office, he became a certified Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM II) practitioner, responsible for the physical asset management of the Navy’s common use Aviation Support Equipment. Hardee and his team won the Department of Defense Value Engineering award in 2001 for their accomplishments in RCM.
Assuming command of DCMA Sikorsky Aircraft in November 2001, he was responsible for the contract management of and delivering rotorcraft and rotorcraft products from five major programs to U.S. military departments and allied nations. During his tenure, DCMA’s flight activity won the agency’s Major Flight Operations Safety award for 2002.

Assigned duties as the NAVAIR’s Enterprise AIRSpeed Project Officer and Chief of NAVRIIP Staff in 2003, he was responsible for the planning, introduction and implementation of Lean, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints in fleet aviation intermediate maintenance activities. Hardee’s personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, four Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals and an Army Commendation Medal.

(This article was submitted by NAVAIR Public Affairs.)