It was the example of physicists and engineers that changed the course of Dan Sexton's career.
When Sexton started college at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2001 he began as a business major but, thanks to an internship at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility research lab, chose a different direction.
"I was surrounded by physicists and engineers who were developing highly complex systems," Sexton said. "I became very interested in electronics and changed my major the next semester to electrical engineering."
Today he works for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center's Technology Development Directorate, Aviation Technology, Systems Integration & Demonstration. In this role, Sexton serves as the subject matter expert electrical engineer for the fabrication and instrumentation branch of the technical support division at CCDC AvMC TDD, directly supporting the Army's research and development mission as he creates technical integration solutions for Army aviation platforms, thus expanding the capabilities available to the Warfighter.
"I develop detailed designs for systems and components to allow them to be powered and communicate with various aircraft types," Sexton explained. "I also provide flight test instrumentation, detailed analysis and testing of these systems while working with pilots, designers, technicians and aircraft maintenance."
AvMC's mission is to deliver collaborative and innovative aviation and missile capabilities for responsive and cost-effective research, development and life cycle engineering solutions. The center's core technical competencies depend upon a preeminent, multidisciplinary, adaptive workforce that conducts leading-edge research, development and life cycle engineering, while promoting discovery and innovation across government, academia and industry.
"I am part of a team that has pioneered solutions to provide Army aviation with the latest capabilities and functionality," Sexton said. "I continually look for the most efficient and effective way to provide new and improved methods for design, instrumentation and system implementation. I take a lot of pride in my work and I am proud of the capability my team provides to the Warfighter."
After receiving his master's degree in electrical engineering from Old Dominion in 2014, Sexton continued working at the Jefferson Lab until he was hired as a support contractor for AvMC in May 2015. He became a government civilian in December 2015.
It's a career Sexton said he enjoys.
"I enjoy developing solutions for the dynamic challenges associated with these component and system implementations," Sexton said. "The compact size of our organization allows for involvement with design, fabrication, installation and testing to see the results of the product I help create. Additionally, this allows me to connect and collaborate with many individuals internal and external to our organization. This, along with the uniqueness of each project, makes for continuous opportunities to learn and develop new solutions and no two days are ever the same."
--
The CCDC Aviation & Missile Center, formerly known as the Aviation & Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, which conducts responsive research, development and life cycle engineering to deliver the aviation and missile capabilities the Army depends on to ensure victory on the battlefield today and tomorrow. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
Social Sharing