Nathan Cruz

Dependable, collaborative United States Navy Veteran with strong communication, customer service, and problem-solving skills. Adaptable, team player that learns quickly and works well in fast-paced environments. Safety conscious and quality oriented professional with experience maintaining and repairing electrical and mechanical systems on aircraft. Areas of strength and expertise include: Small Team Leadership | Supply & Logistics Planning | Safety & Quality Assurance | Aircraft Inspections Ammunition Assembly & Servicing | Testing & Troubleshooting | Inventory Management

• Humanitarian support relief to the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, Accompanying HSC-9. (2019)
• Global War on Terrorism Service Metal
• Humanitarian Service Metal
• National Defense Service Metal
• Good Condunt Medal
• Navy Marine-Corps Achivement Metal

From January 2014 to January 2023, I served in the United States Navy, culminating in my role as a Weapons Maintenance Technician with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 2 (HSC-2) in Norfolk, Virginia from January 2020 to January 2023. I was responsible for servicing and maintaining MH-60s armament systems, ensuring operational readiness by inspecting completed work. I performed over 173 pre-flight inspections, maintained aviation ordnance shops, armories, and storage facilities, and inspected, assembled, and tested over 127,000 aviation ammunition units, 638 rocket launchers, and 496 AGM-114 missiles. Additionally, I supervised night check maintenance operations in support of search and rescue efforts.

Prior to this, from September 2014 to December 2019, I served as a Maintenance Technician at Naval Air Station Norfolk. I collaborated with my team to decrease maintenance discrepancies by 90%, organized and established local tool containers, achieving “on-track” grades during quality assurance audits. I completed ammunition and crew-served weapons inventories with 100% accuracy and successfully executed 356 maintenance actions, including aircraft acceptances/transfers, phase inspections, and special inspections. These actions contributed to 4,300 safe flight hours and the on-time graduation of 83 Fleet Replacement Pilots and Aircrewmen. I planned, organized, and performed necessary services to maintain systems in pristine working condition and maintained accurate maintenance records and reports. I led teams of seven crew members in intense and dangerous environments, such as ground aircraft operations and flight deck operations, and was proficient in the upload, download, and release and control checks of various armament systems.

Additionally, I held several key roles such as Leading Petty Officer, Quality Assurances Safety Observer (QASO), Collateral Duty Inspector (CDI), Team Leader, and Plane Captain/AO2(AW). As the Dispersed Technical Publication Library (DTPL) Coordinator, I managed updates and compliance of technical manuals. As the Tool Control Program Manager, I maintained, replaced, tracked, and calibrated all tools and test sets essential for mission success. As the Arms, Armament & Explosives (AA&E) Manager, I tracked, received, dispersed, and ensured proper storage of all AA&E in accordance with local and federal laws. In my capacity as QASO, I oversaw the compliance of loading and maintenance procedures for 2-7 manned load teams under training and hazardous conditions, providing subject matter expertise. As a CDI, I performed inspections on mission-critical components and oversaw maintenance activities. As a qualified H-60S Plane Captain, I performed vital inspections of all flight-critical components and serviced all fluid-based systems.

• DTPL Coordinator (Dispersed Training Publication Library)
• Quality Assurance Safety Observer, 2019
• Collateral Duty Inspector, 2018
• Tool Program Manager, 2016
• Hazmat & SDS (Safety Data Sheet) Coordinator, 2016
• Aircraft Ground Operations & Aircraft Servicing, 2014
• Electrical Systems & Maintenance, 2018
• Explosive Driver Training, 2015
• Ordnance Handling/Safety, 2015
• NCCER Welding Lv. 1&2, 2022
• Tool Control Manager, 2019
• H-60S Plane Captain, 2017

• Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)
• Craven Community College
• Grand Canyon University (GCU) Alumni
• American Veterans (AMVETS)

NCCER Welding course Lv 1&2-Welding Safety, TIG, MIG, Stick, oxy fuel cutting, plasma arc cutting, air carbon arc cutting, metal preparation, welding symbols, and reading welding detailed drawings.

MH-60S Aviation Ordnance Pipeline- operate electrically-controlled mechanical systems; align, troubleshoot, and maintain electromechanical devices and systems; apply safety standards to electromechanical systems during operational and maintenance procedures; troubleshoot power distribution systems to electromechanical systems; and use built-in-test equipment and hand-held testing instruments for troubleshooting.

04-NOV-2014-Navy Military Training

06-NOV-2014-Personnel Financial Management

12-NOV-2014-Shipboard Aircraft Fire Fighting

21-MAY-2015-H-60 Wire System Repair Organizational Maintenance

22-MAY-2015-Laser Safety Fundamentals

28-MAY-2015-Mh-60s Conventional Weapons Loading

01-JUL-2015-Mh-60s Aviation Ordnance Pipeline

04-MAR-2020 Hf-Rising Tide Aviation Maintenance Never Events

05-MAR-2020Hf-Rising Tide Aviation Maintenance Never Events

Lead Loader on the 2017 Combat Deployment (Operation Inherent Resolve) on the MH-60S AirCraft.