Submarine Squadrons Host Career Advancement Symposium

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class STEVEN HOSKINS | Symposium facilitators Chief Yeoman (Submarine) Vincent Butler (right), assigned to Command Submarine Squadron 12, Yeoman (Submarine) 1st Class Eric Opitz (middle), assigned to USS San Juan (SSN 751), and Yeoman (Submarine) 1st Class Jake Hale (left), assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command, engage Sailors at the Career Advancement Symposium at Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Nov. 22, 2019. The goal of the symposium is to bridge the gap between Yeoman, Personnel Specialist and Legalman ratings to empower Sailors with the knowledge and tools they need to successfully manage their careers and improve administrative services to fleet. (U.S. Navy photo Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steven Hoskins)  

GROTON, CT, UNITED STATES

11.22.2019

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class STEVEN HOSKINS 

Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) – Command Submarine Squadron (CSS) 4 and (CSS) 12 hosted more than 60 Yeoman, Personnel Specialist and Legalman for a Career Advancement Symposium at Submarine Base New London, Nov. 21–22.

The symposium focused on bridging the gap between the ratings to empower Sailors with the knowledge and tools they need to successfully manage their careers while improving administrative services to fleet.

Symposium organizer Yeoman (Submarine) 1st Class Eric Opitz, assigned to the USS San Juan (SSN 751), said the rates are particularly important to the Navy because they control what motivates all Sailors: financial well-being of themselves and their families.

Optiz said the takeaway goal of the symposium is for Sailors to gain knowledge and resources that assure Sailors around the fleet are receiving the best administrative service possible.

“We need to close the knowledge gap between ranks within our rates,” said Optiz. “What I mean by this is our admin offices are only as good as the performance of our junior Sailors. As natural leaders, we can combat this by building our benches and training our Sailors.”

Rating community leaders and enlisted fleet training managers facilitated the event. Attendees participated in discussions on policies, instructions, personnel management, changes between the rates and ideas that could improve administrative services.

“This training was important because we need our leadership and junior Sailors to constantly train and develop,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Sergio Garcia, assigned to Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. “Polices and instructions are always changing and the only way to keep up is train constantly.”

Yeoman (Submarine) 2nd Class Adam Emig said the symposium was very beneficial, because Personnel Specialist and Legalman Sailors do not serve on submarines and so many of those duties are handled by a Yeoman (Submarine).

“The training was a big eye opener,” said Emig. “It was really good training that covered a lot of problem areas that needed to be addressed.”

“This is a first of many Symposium to come,” said symposium organizer Chief Yeoman (Submarine) Vincent Butler, assigned to CSS-12. “We had a lot of positive feedback from Sailors that want see more training like this.”

• Date Taken: 11.22.2019
• Date Posted: 12.06.2019 16:28
• Story ID: 354410
• Location: GROTON, CT, US