Tag: Brandon Null

USS Nimitz: The Jet Shop

All the way at the stern, or rear of the ship, Brandon Null spends his days working with a team of sailors that fix jet engines. They even get to chain them down and test fire them out the stern behind a blast door.

At the tail end of the USS Nimitz, Brandon Null in the jet shop doesn’t pull any punches when talking about what he and his crew do.

“This engine right here costs about $3.7 million dollars, produces about 20,000 pounds of thrust,” and he gets to fix it.

A GE jet engine, from an F/A 18 if memory serves me. Exotic metals, lots of screws and a never-ending list of precise torque values are only a few of the things the sailors in the USS Nimitz’s jet shop get to work with every day.

Null was clearly enthusiastic about and devoted to his job, the immense responsibilities it includes and spoke humbly about how expertly he seeks to perform it.

I’ve replaced a turbocharger in a diesel engine, but this is a whole different animal.

It was cold in his “office.” Null detailed some of the precise temperature requirements his test equipment has, and what might happen if it gets too warm in there.

The racks of servers in his sealed test workspace support a multitude of switches, dials and throttle controls that–when they are testing–link up to an engine secured outside, visible through a really thick observation window. The noise during their six-hour test runout must be incredible, even in here.

It’s spotless in here, or as spotless as a machine shop could be. That makes sense because one misplaced tool or screw could damage an engine.

After hearing his story of being severely injured during the test run out of an engine, I unsuccessfully struggled to hold back tears of pride and respect for him. That experience was formative for him and as he says, “I’m going to be doing this job for as long as the Navy allows me to.”

A look inside the afterburner assembly of the jet engine that Null and his team were working on when I spent a few minutes with him in his fascinating world.

The reverence Null has for keeping his shipmates and his pilots safe by giving his all—every day—made me reevaluate the drive and passion I bring to my life.

| Thanks to the United States Navy for the opportunity to visit the USS Nimitz and see and experience first-hand what life aboard looks like. |