Alumni Profile: Justin Kramer

Justin Kramer, Euphonium 2001

JUSTIN KRAMER grew up playing the violin but after being introduced to drum corps by fellow Surf alum Nathan Langford, Kramer was hooked. He marched with Surf for a year before heading to the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Support Equipment Technician. Kramer served as a flight deck troubleshooter for Aircraft Crash and Salvage and on a combat deployment with NAVCET Bahrain doing support operations for SEAL Team 3, Army Ranger, and Nightstalkers.

After his two deployments, Kramer received a unique opportunity to rush for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. He is now a Crew Chief for the #5 Lead Solo jet. In this role, Kramer is responsible for engine turn up operations, instrument checks, and daily aircraft inspections along with maintaining the cockpit, survival equipment, and the overall aircraft appearance.

Kramer says, “The Jersey Surf has definitely prepared me for the high tempo operations of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron.” After a summer on the road, he was well adjusted for the high-intensity Blue Angels schedule that includes 64 airshows in 32 cities between March and November. He says that in both drum corps and in the Navy, “Practice makes perfect. Repetition translates to muscle memory which is key when executing maneuvers that require a lot of concentration, and take pride in what you do.”

In his free time, Kramer is finishing a degree is Aeronautical Engineering and competes in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. He is excited to meet and reconnect with fellow alumni at drum corps or air shows