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Division "Spotlight" Program on Stennis Improves Readiness

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS051005-02
Release Date: 10/5/2005 10:17:00 AM

By Journalist 2nd Class Ryan Hill, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS (NNS) -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is conducting an evaluation program designed to ensure that each division on board is kept ready.

The Division in the Spotlight (DITS) program is aimed at making sure each person within a division is taken care of and kept on track with qualifications, personnel records, work assignments and career development, just to name a few.

“DITS is a command-level examination of each division on the ship,” said Capt. Joseph Kuzmick, Stennis’ executive officer. “All divisions in all departments participate. At the rate of two [featured] per week, any division is ‘in the spotlight’ a little less than twice a year.”

During a division’s time in the spotlight, departments on the ship concentrate on that division throughout the week. Each of these departments has the job of making sure that the division is in good standing within the department.

“We measure many things when we operate or execute an availability to tell us whether we are effective,” said Kuzmick. “DITS provides a way to objectively and measurably determine how we are executing many of the programs that take care of our people and equipment. It helps accomplish the ship's mission by providing feedback to senior leadership about the status and effectiveness of various programs so they can make corrections. It also provides help to division leadership in getting their programs on track if they are not and assistance in self evaluation between spotlights.”

Personnelmen from the administration department on Stennis use DITS to make sure Sailors' service records are up to date and correct. The DITS program allows them to concentrate on a division’s personnel to catch any mistakes that may have been made.

“We go through a Sailor's service records and look for discrepancies which pertain to family members' entitlements, pay problems and other things that may be overlooked,” said Personnelman 1st Class (SW/AW) Jesse Villanueva. “The sooner we catch a problem, the sooner we can get it corrected so it doesn’t burden the Sailor professionally or financially. DITS helps us focus on our job.”

The administration officer and a team of experts take DITS information from many departments and evaluate the data. The team looks at areas such as safety, physical fitness and the "marks on the bulkhead" program.

Discrepancies are re-evaluated within a few weeks and at the division's next cycle. DITS programs have proven to be successful on other ships throughout the Navy, and it has already shown success on Stennis, according to Kuzmick.

“DITS is win-win for everyone,” said Kuzmick. “The command has a very positive attitude about it. We’re building the trust level to get better by
self-examination to find and fix what’s not right or could be better. I’m convinced it helps get our ship in better condition, and our people are better trained and better taken care of.”