NAWCTSD commander to retire

By Shane Klestinski, Associate Editor

 

Navy Capt. Tim James will relinquish his command of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and Naval Support Activity (NSA) Orlando to Navy Capt. Rob Betts in a ceremony scheduled for May 15, which will also mark the beginning of James’ retirement from the Navy.

 

Originally from Nacogdoches, Texas, James’ Navy career began at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s in systems engineering and went into aviation, which was a pronounced departure from his earlier plans of going into medicine to become a pediatrician.

 

“What got me into the Navy was financial need,” James said. “What made me stay [in the Navy] was different. I loved the mission, I loved the people, so instead of my minimum commitment of five to seven years, here I am, pushing 30 since I raised my hand.”

 

He attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and his first assignment was flying the S-3B Viking with Sea Control Squadron 22 in Jacksonville, Florida. James explained that when he received his orders for that duty, he knew the program was coming to a close. Instead of transitioning to another plane, he went on to be the officer in charge of MESD 712, an anti-terrorism group based in Guam, which became his favorite post during his development as a junior officer.

 

“I was in charge of over 100 sailors who conducted dozens of anti-terrorism force protection missions across the 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets each year without a single mission failure,” James said. “The work and the people were very rewarding and challenging – not what I had trained for up to that point.”

 

Afterwards, James reported to San Diego, California, where he served as a flag aide for a two-star regional commander responsible for all the Navy bases in the Southwest. James said this post also provided him with a “built-in mentor.”

 

“He showed me the wisdom of getting into a community,” James said. “He got me in front of some acquisition admirals and that sounded like a great path forward, so I transitioned over to be an aerospace engineering duty officer.”

 

James went from San Diego to Naval Air Station Pax River in Maryland to work for Naval Air Systems Command, and his new career path led to years of “bouncing around a lot,” involving a move every one to three years.

 

James later reported for duty at NAWCTSD for the first time in 2015 for a year as aviation programs military deputy. He returned in 2021 to serve as NAWCTSD’s executive officer and assumed his current role as commanding officer in 2023.

 

Looking back on his time with NAWCTSD, James said that he is most proud that his team improved its performance metrics, such as on-time awards and deliveries, reduced labor costs, and increased predictability.

 

“At the same time, we continued to increase our employee and customer satisfaction surveys,” James said. “We didn’t have to sacrifice our culture and morale to improve our outputs for the warfighter – a win-win!”

 

Like all career military people, James has enjoyed certain things that characterize the military experience but are not guaranteed in the civilian world.

 

“My first instinct is to say I will miss the culture – good people aligned to a worthy cause and the comradery that brings – but I’m hoping to find a company that can compete in that area,” James said. “I know I will miss the ease of getting dressed every day. All my clothes have been picked and color coordinated for me [for a while].”

 

As NAWCTSD’s current executive officer (XO) prepares to accept his new role as James’ successor in May, Betts said he is especially looking forward to bringing everything he has learned from his engagements with NAWCTSD employees as XO, to his engagements with Orlando’s community and economic leaders.

 

“I’ve gotten to meet and speak with almost all of the teams in the command and learn what they are working on and what their passions are,” Betts said. “We have so many dedicated and driven teammates who are working on projects that aren’t just applicable to the Department of the Navy, or whose passions and creativity extend well beyond our fence line. I want to use my platform as NAWCTSD and NSA Orlando commander to further the connection between Orlando and the Department of the Navy.”

 

Not surprisingly, Betts said his main priority as incoming commander will continue to be the focus on warfighters for whom NAWCTSD develops its training products, as it always has been.

 

“Capt. James has done a tremendous job of keeping the command laser focused on ensuring that our training products and services are designed with the warfighter in mind and delivered before they are needed, so people are well trained before they go on deployment,” Betts said. “That won’t change.”

 

After years of moving around, James will stay in Central Florida once he retires.

 

“The family really loves it here, and we’re going to settle down,” James said.

 

James noted that he’s looking forward to his next career and challenge after the Navy, although he hasn’t figured out what that will be just yet. However, he is confident that it will be “in a great ecosystem and a great city.”