EPISODE FORTY-FOUR
Welcome to “Safe on Deck”. My name is Antonio Gemma More'. In the fleet I flew the MH-53E “Sea Dragon” helicopter, and these days I instruct the next generation of Naval Flight Officers in the T-6A “Texan II”. Throughout my incredibly short time in aviation, I have been fortunate to meet a wide cross-section of aviators. Along the way I have done my best to document each and every flying memory, but eventually I came to realize that even the sharpest photo or the highest-quality video can only really capture so much. Everyone I have met has a unique story to tell, and “Safe on Deck” is my humble attempt to capture as many of those exciting and inspiring aviation stories as possible.
For episode forty-four I sat down with CAPT J.J. “Yank” Cummings in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1987, CAPT Cummings joined the Navy Reserve as an Enlisted Hospital Corpsman, and after earning his degree and his commission he was selected to fly the legendary F-14 “Tomcat”. CAPT Cummings deployed to the Middle East nine days after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and he was among the first Naval Aviators to strike Taliban targets across Afghanistan. Next, CAPT Cummings served as the maintenance officer in Fighter Squadron 143 where he helped sunset the Grumman F-14B “Tomcat” and transition the squadron to the Boeing F/A-18E “Super Hornet”. Following a tour at NATO, CAPT Cummings was chosen to command Strike Fighter Squadron ELEVEN (VFA-11) flying the F/A-18F “Super Hornet” based aboard NAS Oceana. Upon graduation from Navy Nuclear Power School, CAPT Cummings served as Executive Officer aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) where he was second in command of the Navy’s oldest nuclear aircraft carrier for a nine-month deployment as well as the first F-35C “Lightning II” carrier suitability test. Next, CAPT Cummings served as commanding officer of the brand-new $2 billion USS Anchorage (LPD 23) before working as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Aircraft Carrier Suitability at Naval Air Forces. While at North Island, CAPT Cummings was chosen to be the first of three Naval Aviation technical advisors working closely with Paramount Pictures on the script of the internationally-acclaimed film “TOPGUN: Maverick”. In 2018, CAPT Cummings was selected to command the $13.4 billion, 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and during his time at the helm he led the crew through the COVID pandemic during a period of intense maintenance work both afloat and ashore. CAPT Cummings retired from the Navy in September 2022 with over 36 years of distinguished service, and he currently works at Boeing Defense in customer and field engagement for Navy programs in addition to acting as a keynote speaker, guest lecturer, and mentor at J.J. Cummings Leadership.
J.J. Cummings Leadership
jjcummingsleadership.com
Tailhook Educational Foundation
www.tailhook.net/tef
Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please leave it as a comment below. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-four, with CAPT J.J. “Yank” Cummings. Enjoy!
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** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **
9 апр 2024
