Navy Training Leader Addresses Annual Training, Simulation Conference
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS101203-09
12/3/2010
By Joy Samsel, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs
ORLANDO, Fla. (NNS) -- Speaking to an audience of defense contractors and military representatives at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) Nov. 30, the head of the U.S. Navy's lead training command said it is people who make the U.S. Armed Forces formidable.
Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, commander, Naval Education and Training Command, made his comments as part of the general and flag officer panel.
Held annually in Orlando, Fla, the conference promotes cooperation among the armed services, industry, academia and various government agencies in the pursuit of improved training and education programs, identification of common training issues and development of multiservice programs.
"Whereas past wars were fought out on the open sea or field, and between readily identifiable foes, conflicts today involve multiple foes that are not only difficult to identify on the field – they might not be on the 'field' at all -- they might be in cyberspace," said Kilkenny. "It is in this dynamic, constantly changing arena we must work to preserve freedom, deter aggression, and provide humanitarian relief when needed. While the technology on display throughout this conference is indeed impressive, we must remember it is our people who make our organizations successful."
In his opening remarks during the panel, Kilkenny described how Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) works with fleet commands to identify knowledge, skills and abilities required by Sailors to be successful at a job, task or function. NETC then designs training to respond to those needs.
"We partner with the enterprises supporting aviation, surface, undersea, expeditionary, and cyber forces," said Kilkenny. "We invite their subject matter experts back to our training commands to see the training and give us the latest information on operations and what they need to succeed. We just hosted 60 chief petty officers from the U.S. 3rd Fleet at out training commands at Great Lakes, Ill. These 'boots on the ground' visits give deck plate leaders firsthand information on how training supports them."
Throughout the panel discussions a common theme was the need to balance training development with budgets. According to Kilkenny there are difficult decisions made, and the command is always looking for ways to provide the best training with available resources, including partnering with other commands or services.
"The realities of today dictate that we take a hard look at what we train, and how much we train," said Kilkenny. "As we have always done, Naval Education and Training will continue to work closely with the fleet to determine the best training to support their needs. We have never, and will never, create our training in a vacuum. We also work closely with our sister services – Army, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard to collaborate on joint training."
The Navy trains the other services in explosive ordnance disposal and cryptology, while the Air Force is the lead on military working dog, kennel management and accident investigation. The Army hosts the print, broadcast and public affairs training at the Defense Information School.
"These are just a few of the areas where we in defense are working together to share training and create efficiencies," said Kilkenny. "My question is – is this all we can do, or are there other training options we can bring together to gain effectiveness and build greater synergy among us?"
The conference is host to vast displays of the latest technology in defense training and simulation. According to Kilkenny, the Navy has embraced technology to support training, as well as a vehicle to possibly export training to the fleet. The Navy's efforts have resulted in the use of blended learning solutions that include instructor lead training, simulations, hands-on labs, computer-based training (CBT) and technical training equipment. Kilkenny highlighted several technology innovations currently being used.
"At the Navy Construction Training Center in Gulfport, Miss. the Seabee school uses a PC-based welding simulator to teach how to maintain a proper arc, rod angle and speed while welding," said Kilkenny. "In our NROTC (Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps) units at colleges and universities across the nation we are deploying a Maritime Skills Simulator. This PC-based simulator is a navigation and conning training tool that brings the midshipman's textbook training to life. Bandwidth on ships continues to be an issue in computer-based training. To support Sailors, 170 platforms carry a Navy Information/Application Product Suite or NIAPS server. With NIAPS, Navy eLearning courses are provided to Sailors onboard ships and submarines. We logged more than 175,000 eLearning courses completed by afloat commands in Fiscal Year 2010."
In concluding his comments and preparing to take questions from the audience, Kilkenny said that the discussions must continue between the services, as well as with other government agencies.
"I believe we in DoD have a great deal to offer," said Kilkenny. "Whether it is to our Sailors, to other members of the U.S. Armed Services, or to the more than 150 nations who send their military members to our Navy schools, we continue to provide world-class training."
NETC is comprised of more than 19,000 military and civilian staff at more than 230 subordinate activities and detachments in the U.S. and at remote sites overseas. Their team of military and civilian staff provides individual training to more than 35,000 students on any given day. Reaching out to allied nations, more than 12,000 international students attend NETC courses annually. In 2009 NETC logged more than 615,000 graduations from their courses.
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