Will "Toast" Burney

Experience

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  Fighter Squadron ONE ZERO THREE (VF-103)

  Jun 1994 - Dec 1998

  F-14 Radar Intercept Officer (RIO)

  Training Officer, Integrated Weapons Team Branch Officer, Schedules Officer, Legal Officer, Mission Commander, Forward Air Controller (Airborne).Responsible for developing training plans to ensure combat readiness and tactical effectiveness in the employment of all air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons by all squadron aircrew. Synchronized and balanced operational priorities, training and readiness requirements, and aircraft and aircrew availability as schedules writer during intense operations in the Arabian Gulf. Planned, coordinated, and managed all squadron live-fire missile exercises. Lead and mentored 20 enlisted technicians responsible for the F-14’s maintenance-intensive weapons systems. Deployed on USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, and Arabian Gulf from Jun 1998–Dec 1998 including flights supporting Operations SOUTHERN WATCH and DESERT THUNDER. Deployed on USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, and Arabian Gulf from Jun 1996–Dec 1996 including missions supporting Operations DECISIVE ENDEAVOR and SOUTHERN WATCH. Show less

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  Navy Fighter Weapons School

  Jan 1999 - Jun 2002

  TOPGUN Instructor / U.S. Navy Subject Matter Expert

  Instructed graduate-level strike-fighter tactics and weapons employment in the classroom, in the cockpit, and in briefing/debriefing settings during five TOPGUN courses per year. Served as the Navy/Marine Corps-wide subject matter expert on tactical employment of forward-looking infra-red systems and laser-guided weapons. Advised defense industry, DoD acquisition professionals, and the U.S. Navy test community on the development, procurement, and implementation of future sensor and weapons systems. Show less

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  Strike-Fighter Squadron TWO (VFA-2) / Fighter Squadron TWO (VF-2)

  Jul 2002 - Oct 2004

  Department Head / Operations Officer / Safety Officer

  Strike Lead, Mission Commander, Forward Air Controller (Airborne), MAWTS-1 Augment Instructor, F-14 Radar Intercept Officer, FA-18F Weapon Systems Officer.Managed all of the squadron’s training and readiness requirements, training plans, exercises, and a $3.9 million operating budget. Developed the squadron’s tactical standard operating procedures which streamlined the transition from the F-14 to the FA-18F. Responsible for operational risk management assessments for all squadron activities. Deployed on USS Constellation (CV-64) in the Western Pacific Ocean and Arabian Gulf from Nov 2002–Jun 2003 including combat missions in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and SOUTHERN WATCH. Show less

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  NATO Joint Warfare Centre Norway

  Jan 2006 - Jun 2008

  Joint/Combined Exercise Planner / Staff Officer

  Responsible for planning and executing large-scale headquarters exercises for all of NATO’s major standing headquarters, the NATO Response Force, and the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). Created standard operating procedures used across the Joint Warfare Centre streamlining and standardizing NATO exercise development.

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  Navy Fighter Weapons School

  Jul 2008 - Sept 2011

  Commanding Officer / Executive Officer / TOPGUN Instructor

  Led and mentored an elite staff of 33 of the Navy and Marine Corps’ finest and most talented officers. Managed a half-million dollar annual travel and supply budget. Instructed graduate-level strike-fighter tactics and weapons employment in the classroom, in the cockpit, and in briefing/debriefing settings during four ten-week TOPGUN courses per year. Served as the Navy/Marine Corps-wide subject matter expert on potential threat countries’ pilots and air combat training/tactics involving close interaction with numerous intelligence agencies. Show less

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  Tactical Air Support, Inc.

  Sept 2011 - Feb 2014

  Senior Tactical Systems Analyst / Weapon System Engineer / Subject Matter Expert

  Provided ISR and sim-CAS support for U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ground forces combat training involving systems/capabilities such as:– NVDs – IR Marker – A-29 Super Tucano – L-29 DelfinDeveloped, revised, and updated tactical reference publications for F/A-18-A–F and EA-18G aircraft to include systems functional descriptions and employment considerations for Integrated Fire Control capabilities; ATFLIR, LITENING AT, and LITENING G4 targeting pods; Laser Eye Protection devices; and Radar Theory. Supported advanced experimentation for F-35C integration and operational interoperability with U.S. Navy and Joint forces. Show less

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  Sound of Freedom Farm, LLC

  Mar 2014 - Nov 2020

  President
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  2 Circle Consulting, Inc.

  Mar 2014 - Feb 2019

  Senior Analyst

  Provided strike and air warfare tactical/technical subject matter expertise to the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval Air Systems Command, and other customers/stakeholders in support of:- Naval aviation training quality and aircrew performance live data collection- Materiel and non-materiel acquisitions decision making- Aircrew training and readiness optimization- Proficiency-enabled modeling and simulation- Live, virtual, constructive (LVC) training solutions development

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  BroadBay Group

  Apr 2014 - Dec 2016

  Sensor Operator

  Provided Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and simulated Close Air Support (CAS) training support for U.S. and allied special operations forces combat training exercises involving systems/capabilities such as:– Forward-looking Infrared (FLIR) – Night Vision Devices – O-2 Skymaster – DA42 TwinStar– Laser Target Designator & Ranger – IR Marker – Video Downlink (ROVER) – Secure Comms

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  Military Aviation Museum

  Aug 2018 - Apr 2019

  Docent / Volunteer
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  CAVU International

  Apr 2019 - Nov 2020

  Asst. Ops Manager / Safety, Performance & Leadership Coach

  Provides coaching & mentoring to all levels of leadership in high performance/reliability organizations, covering operational discipline to include planning, communication, execution, debriefs and lessons learned for normal & emergency operations.

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  Valkyrie Aero

  Nov 2020 - Nov 2022

  Mission Systems Operator
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  ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company)

  Aug 2021 - May 2022

  Mission Systems Operator
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  TOPGUN Association

  Jan 2023 - now

  Member Board of Directors

  The mission of the TOPGUN Association is:- To support the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School in the performance of its mission within the Navy and Marine Corps,- To capture and articulate the history and legacy of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School and its critical role in the future of naval aviation and the success of United States Naval Forces,- To stimulate and educate the next generation of naval aviators, and- To inspire tomorrow’s leaders.

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  CAVU International

  Jan 2023 - now

  VP - Human Performance Curricula

  Responsible for all online and in-person Human Performance syllabi, course content and standardization emphasizing Leadership, Continuous Improvement and Team Resource Management contributions to Operational Excellence in high-risk, high-reliability industries.