After detaching from VFA-192, he reported to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) where he began his career in Navy acquisition. This career path, as the Lead Systems Engineer, Deputy Program Manager and ultimately the F/A-18 Program Manager, led to the position of Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft (PEO(T)), which included the procurement of all tactical aircraft and weapons systems on the Navy's aircraft carriers. In addition, Godwin co-led the NAVAIR Warfighter Focus Group, which was tasked with balancing near-term and future readiness of the aviation fleet.