CRANE, Ind. – “My parents decided to move here from this huge city when I was 13 years old,” says Johnny Hung. “As far as getting me, my brother, and my sister into college, there weren’t enough open spots available where we were from due to the population size. My parents wanted to give us a better chance at receiving a college education.”
Hung, now an Electrical Engineer at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), has been at Crane for more than ten years. His family immigrated to the United States in 1995 from Hong Kong, China to provide more opportunities for Johnny and his siblings.
Hung says as a young teenager, he was not as good with the English language as his older brother.
“It was hard at first in school,” says Hung. “It was easier for my older brother. He had more practice and was speaking like a native pretty soon. In Hong Kong, I was more outgoing and talkative, and my personality changed when I came here as I wasn’t as comfortable with the language. My saving grace in high school was that I joined the swim team. It helps a lot when you are one team; it forces you to talk.”
Hung attended Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and received his Electrical Engineering degree. He became a U.S. Citizen a few years after graduation.
After gaining experience in the manufacturing industry, Hung wanted to look for a career where he could leverage more of his specific technical skills.
“This was before social media,” says Hung. “I saw something in the local newspaper that Crane was hiring. I didn’t really know anyone that worked there and was unfamiliar with what it was.”
Now, Hung has more than a decade’s worth of experience in modeling and simulation of infrared and radio frequency (RF/IR) technology, which is a high-priority technology area for national security.
“Through modeling and simulation, we are able to save thousands of dollars every day,” says Hung. “We are able to test a multitude of scenarios and gather a wide array of data. Through modeling and simulation, we gain a lot of extremely valuable knowledge and do live testing with more results.”
The work Hung does at Crane is critical to protect Navy and military platforms.
“I think there are times where, if you work in a lab or office each day, you may not feel like what you do matters. Maybe you are assigned to a job and at the time it doesn’t seem important. Then, a pilot will reach out about your work and tell you that what you did saved their life. What we do protects people; it makes a difference.”
About NSWC Crane
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.
Join Our Team! NAVSEA employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce - from students and entry level employees to experienced professionals and individuals with disabilities. We support today's sophisticated Navy and Marine Corps ships, aircraft, weapon systems and computer systems. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, IT and cyber specialists, as well as trade and other support professionals to ensure the U.S. Navy can protect and defend America. Please contact NSWC Crane Human Resources at crane_recruiting@navy.mil.