PENSACOLA, Fla. --- What happens in a command when a Sailor feels like they’re being treated unfairly? Sailors can use the direct approach stating the behavior isn’t right or they can reach out to their command managed equal opportunity (CMEO) program manager and file an informal or formal report. The CMEO, with assistance from the command climate specialist (CCS), will help that Sailor.
At the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), Chief Operations Specialist Kimberly Meeks is helping the domain as the command climate specialist. Her responsibilities include serving as a primary advisor and subject matter expert to commanders and the CMEO program managers, and provide assistance to other members in the chain of command on equal opportunity (EO) issues. CCSs also provide EO briefings, training and assist visits to subordinate commands as well.
“My role is to advise; we assist on command climate assessments, we advise on all harassment and discrimination cases to ensure they are done correctly, and we train both the CMEOs and triads,” said Meeks. “We train them how to be more inclusive and how to enhance the command climate. We do a lot of training to ensure each command understands the policy, stays within compliance and implements their command resilience team (CRT) in the best possible way.”
In response to the release of the new operational stress control NAVADMIN 222/19, released Sept. 30, CCSs and their counterparts will focus on building CRTs to help Sailors solve their problems and stress at all operational times, not just prior to deployments.
As the CCS, Meeks hopes that Sailors feel comfortable coming forward when they need help.
“My direct number is listed on every equal opportunity/sexual harassment poster in every command across the domain, if anyone has a question or feels the need to talk to someone about a situation, it is important for them to seek counsel if needed, or make a report to their CMEO or CCS,” said Meeks. “The problem typically won’t just go away or get better. In the Navy we are all ‘entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and to work in an environment free of harassment and unlawful discrimination’ (OPNAVINST 53545.1G Page 1-1).”
Depending on the Sailor’s case, Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Ben Midkiff, CIWT’s CMEO works together with the CCS. As the CCS, Meeks not only trains and works together with Midkiff, but other CMEOs in and out of the domain as well.
"The CCS is instrumental to the CMEO doing their job as well as ensuring that CIWT and the Navy in general are taken care of," said Midkiff. "A CCS is vital to CIWT’s success. My work with the CCS ensures that every CIWT employee, military or civilian, has a level playing field on which they can perform to their best ability. A discrimination and harassment-free environment that stresses diversity of thought and action is integral to successful training especially in the dynamic world of information warfare training. A considerable portion of the training conducted throughout CIWT is accession-level training. So it is important that our newest Sailors have the tone set early in their careers that the Navy can accomplish its mission at the highest levels of professionalism.”
While the CCS and CMEO strive to do their duty, communication between the two is fundamental. The climate specialist is responsible for ensuring the CMEO program is compliant with all relevant Department of Defense and Navy instructions. When a CMEO, someone considered to be an equal opportunity/sexual harassment subject matter expert, needs advice or guidance, they turn to the CCS.
“As a CIWT staff’s CMEO program manager, I coordinate all of my duties with the CIWT domain’s CCS, Chief Meeks,” said Midkiff. “She is fully committed to being a resource for every Sailor, and she approaches her duty as CCS with true passion. At the end of the day, she is the subject matter expert within CIWT on matters of equal opportunity, discrimination and harassment. She ensures the CMEO program mangers within the CIWT domain are fully trained and speak with her expertise on matters of command climate.”
Meeks sees her job as an important one, but she also sees its importance as a part of the bigger picture. She and other Sailors throughout the fleet are working together to improve the Navy in general.
“The CCS, doing their job at their respective commands, ensures that the culture and climate across the navy are kept in a good condition,” said Meeks. “The CIWT domain is my little piece of the pie but as CCSs we also train our local area since CMEOs are not always in the same location as their CCS. Each of us doing our part–making commands understand how to use their CRT, what behavior is unacceptable, how to process reports and how to make a better culture and climate–makes the Navy better as a whole.”
In making the Navy climate better, Meeks and Midkiff urge servicemembers to come forward when they need help with any case. There is no requirement for a servicemember or staff to attempt to solve a problem alone; seek assistance through the CMEO/CCS that way the problem can be addressed and resolved.
“The Navy recommends handling everything at the lowest level possible and using the informal resolution allows that,” said Meeks. “However, not all Sailors are comfortable with that or the behavior is at a level that they want to go straight to a formal resolution sometimes. If informal does not work, they always have the option to go for a formal route. They can find the CCS if they are coming forward and the report is not being processed or they don’t feel comfortable with their CMEO. My name is listed on all NAVPERS 5354/2 report forms and I am always an avenue and an option in order to get the Sailor help and guidance, as are every other CCS.”
With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past three years. Training over 20,000 students every year, CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.
For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training domain, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/, https://www.public.navy.mil/netc/centers/ciwt/, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.