Courtesy Photo | The Executive Leadership Development Program is an immersive, hands-on, program...... read more read more
BARSTOW, Calif. — The upper echelon civilian ranks aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow can submit an application to participate in the Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Program.
“(The ELDP is) celebrating our 26th year,” said Bob Swaney, the former deputy director of the ELDP. “We had our first class in 1985.
“The overarching goal of the Executive Leadership Development Program for General Schedule civilians grades 12 through 14 is to have a clear understanding and appreciation for the warfighter,” Swaney explained.
The ELDP develops this appreciation of the warfighter throughout the class year by accomplishing four basic goals.
“Knowing yourself, expressing yourself, building a team and understanding the mission of the Department of Defense,” Swaney said.
Achieving the mission of the ELDP involves a lot of up close experiences for the students.
“This is one of a very few if not the only program that does (hands-on training) as extensively as we do in the ELDP,” said Swaney, a native of Bristol, R.I.
“We’re out there with the warfighters at a number of locations around the world in a ten month time period,” he said.
Students experience as much as is practical of what the warfighter goes through physically and training-wise, as demonstrated by a recent ELDP class trip to Camp Pendleton.
“They spent the night in one of the rather austere barracks out there so that they could be gingerly awakened by one of the (drill instructors) at 0400,” Swaney said, “and then they prepared themselves for a three mile hike that included the (Improvised Explosive Device) Lane as part of the morning routine.
“The class then went for training in the (Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer) and then followed up with live firing of the M16A4 (rifle),” he said.
While the ELDP class does not necessarily “deploy” to a war zone, they do go to the most heavily fortified front line in the world in the fight for democracy.
“We do go to Korea in November where we do train with the American and Republic of Korea army forces over there,” Swaney said.
“They go in to Rodriguez Range for a day. The watch all of the operations such as tank maneuvers.
“They go up to the Demilitarized Zone for a day so that we will never forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice there. Nor will we ever forget ‘the forgotten war.’ They are, after all, still at war and only in armistice!
“They also have a day of training with our great Air Force people as well,” the Air Force veteran added.
The ELDP is very aggressive and requires a completion of an indoctrination period called “boot camp for civilians,” and then seven to 10 days of traveling a month for the next 10 months, Swaney said.
“They’ve been in to the desert. I think they actually went in to Bahrain this year,” he said.
“I also believe that they’re going to go on to the continent of Africa in May during their African Command deployment,” Swaney continued.
While the ELDP class does not actually jump out of airplanes during their time at Ranger training at Fort Benning, Ga., “They do the ‘slide for life’ thing so that they get the feel of coming out of an airplane without a parachute,” Swaney said.
“There are 60 GS-12s through 14s in each class,” Swaney said. “We get well over 500 applications for those 60 slots.”
For those aboard MCLB Barstow who want to be considered for the program, the point of contact is Chad Trusty, the Employee Development Officer with Human Resources.
“I have an application packet and a Word document explaining more about the ELDP,” Trusty said.
“Once we get all of the applications, we hold a board to review them all and nominate two people for the program,” said Trusty, a native of Orange, Calif.
The cost of the program, if a person is selected, is borne by the Corps.
‘The ELDP is part of the Centrally Managed Civilian Leadership Courses. Marine Corps University, Lejeune Learning Institute, will centrally fund the tuition, travel and per diem costs for the selected candidates,’ explained a recent base-wide request for applications.
The deadline to submit the application is no later than close of business April 11, 2012, Trusty said.
Class of 2013 Orientation Session is scheduled for August 22-23, 2012.
Application forms can be requested via email from chad.trusty@usmc.mil.
“I think people who feel they are qualified should apply for the ELDP because it’s all about improving yourself, and when you improve yourself you improve the whole organization,” Trusty concluded.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2012 11:27 |
| Story ID: | 87051 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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