Photo By Kimberly Lansdale | SASEBO, Japan (August 12, 2020) - The Center for Surface Combat Systems’ (CSCS) Mine...... read more read more
SASEBO, Japan – The Center for Surface Combat Systems’ (CSCS) Mine Warfare Training Center (MWTC) recently concluded its first mobile training team (MTT) event in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations aboard four forward deployed Avenger-class mine countermeasures (MCM) ships to maintain fleet readiness.
MWTC’s MTT visit awarded critical Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs) to operators aboard Warrior and USS Patriot (MCM 7), USS Pioneer (MCM 9), and USS Chief (MCM 14). Instructors trained indispensable minemen who serve as equipment operators and maintenance personnel.
“We were able to award 23 total NECs,” said Chief Mineman Yves Dessources, MTT lead and Mineman “C” School leading chief petty officer (LCPO). “The training included the SQQ-32 Minehunting Sonar maintenance and operator course and Precise Integrated Navigation System maintenance and operator course.”
The MTT primarily utilized equipment aboard the ships, including combat information centers, for hands-on training. Instruction was also conducted in a classroom onboard Afloat Training Group Pacific.
The length of the entire event was five and a half weeks.
“Actual training commenced 22 July but we had to comply with a 14-day restriction of movement (ROM) upon arrival to Japan and utilize protected transportation to the ship,” explained Dessources. “These requirements do add time and cost but the MTT prevented forward deployed Sailors from having to meet those same requirements at a higher cost to attend training in San Diego. Most importantly, without this option, the travel requirements would either affect the ships due to the absence of their Sailors and / or result in their Sailors’ inability to receive mission-essential training to operate and maintain equipment.”
Warrior’s operations departmental LCPO, Chief Mineman Kyle Maxwell Jacobs, says training received from the MTT was extremely beneficial.
“By conducting the classes here, MWTC prevented a total of 14 months of ROM for waterfront Sailors,” he said. “This allowed each ship to send more Sailors than if the training was held in San Diego. Sailors across four ships received critical NECs, improving mine warfare capability in the largest forward deployed U.S. fleet and its area of responsibility. Thank you for supporting the MCM fleet out here in Sasebo.”
MWTC received further positive feedback, including requests to hold this type of training event at least once a year.
“Based on the efficiency and success of the training, we are optimistic that MTT events will become a permanent part of the MWTC training curriculum, offered one to two times per year in forward locations,” said Dessources.
Cmdr. Dawn Ricketts, commanding officer, MWTC, never questioned her team’s ability to deliver this training successfully.
“There was never a doubt as to whether we would support this training effort, it was just a matter of figuring out who we had to ask to get to ‘yes’,” she explained. “COVID-19 travel restrictions made it a little more challenging but sending instructors forward was the obvious response to sustaining mine warfare superiority. Deploying a mobile training team is a clear demonstration of our ability to be agile, adaptive, and innovative and we look forward to growing this capability across both U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets.”
CSCS is a global organization of professional military and civilian educators and support personnel focused on training the Surface Navy to fight and win. CSCS trains over 36,000 U.S. and Allied Sailors a year to operate, maintain and employ weapons, sensors, communications, combat systems and deck equipment of surface warships to build Combat Ready Ships with Battle Minded Crews.
For information on the Center for Surface Combat Systems, visit: https://www.public.navy.mil/netc/centers/cscs/.
Visit CSCS and MWTC on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Surface-Combat-Systems/1480366868885239
https://www.facebook.com/MWTCSD/
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2020 18:19 |
| Story ID: | 376776 |
| Location: | SASEBO, JP |
| Web Views: | 250 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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