CNIC Shore Leadership Training Center Graduates First Class

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Monique K. Hilley, Commander Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) graduated its first Senior Shore Leadership Course (SSLC) at CNIC Headquarters May 20.

Sixteen prospective commanding officers, chiefs of staff, executive officers and command master chiefs, representing six Navy regions, graduated from the two week course.

Upon graduation, students travelled to San Diego to attend the first offering of the Emergency Management for Senior Leaders Course (EMSLC), which took place May 23-27.

"This course prepares senior military officers (O-4 and above) and senior civilian supervisors for the complex task of shore installation management (SIM), including the management of civilian personnel, financial and facility resources, and myriad complex enterprise requirements needed to optimally support the Fleet, Fighter and Family," said Mike Crockett, of CNIC Headquarters' N733, Training and Readiness Division.

CNIC recently established its Shore Leadership Training Center (SLTC) in Norfolk, Va. and, with this initiative, embarked on a revolutionary enterprise transformation of shore leadership training. Both the Senior Shore Leadership Course and the Emergency Management for Senior Leaders Course fall under the umbrella of the Shore Leadership Training Center, which is designed to prepare senior leaders for the challenging and unique environment of shore installation management.

"The former 13.5 day Senior Shore Station Leadership Course (SSSLC) experienced an extreme course makeover, resulting in two separate courses: A ten day professionally-facilitated Senior Shore Leadership Course (SSLC) and a five day Emergency Management for Senior Leaders Course (EMSLC)," said Crockett.

Many lessons were significantly modified to improve time, content and focus and new lessons on Encroachment, Energy and a scenario-based course-threading practical were added to the SSLC curriculum, reinforcing the knowledge and skills necessary for shore leadership to succeed in challenging and multi-faceted demands of SIM. All primary Emergency Management, Training, Readiness software application training and Emergency table-top exercise scenarios were extracted from the SSLC and inserted into the newly created Emergency Management for Senior Leaders follow-on course at the Shore Training Center (STC) in San Diego. Also, much of the course content is now available online via a virtual office, a green initiative that resulted in a 70 percent reduction in paperwork for the course.

In addition, with CNIC N7's assumption of course management, the curriculum and overall execution is professionally facilitated, providing linkage in context, capturing lessons learned and allowing improvements to be made in real-time each day.

The SSLC, which is hosted at CNIC Headquarters at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. and offered approximately four times per year, is required for Navy Installations Command (NIC) prospective commanding officers, prospective executive officers, and regional chiefs of staff, and on an availability basis, command master chiefs. Additionally, command-recommended NIC civilian supervisors, program director and program managers (GS-14 and above) may attend on a space-available basis.

"With the shore enterprise comprised of 11 regions and 73 installations worldwide, the SSLC is an excellent opportunity for CNIC to shape, communicate and influence the most effective and efficient delivery of Fleet, Fighter and Family support during this brief training experience," said Crockett.

During the SSLC, students will receive 10 days of CNIC-focused education and training in functional areas typically encountered at Navy shore commands. Presentations, seminars, case studies and professional readings include CNIC enterprise operations and administration, Strategic Business Planning, Budgeting, Manpower and Human Resources, Labor Relations, Communications, Operations, Fire and Emergency Services, Public Relations/Media Training, Family Services, Legal, Navy Exchange, Safety, Funeral Services/ Casualty Assistance Calls Officer, Facilities, Energy Conservation, Inspector General, and Environmental. There is also a commanding officer leadership question & answer (Q&A) panel.

Approximately four elective working lunches (Air Operations, Port Operations, Joint-Basing and Encroachment) are included in the SSLC curriculum. An Installation Commanding Officers Antiterrorism (COAT) course (A-1B-0500) is embedded in the course, which satisfies the DoD and OPNAV Antiterrorism Standard requirements for Installation Commanding Officer Level III antiterrorism training for prospective commanding officers. This course also includes and meets requirements for Basic Environmental Law (A-4A-0058), NEPA Executive Overview (A-4A-0076) and Explosive Safety and Environmental Risk Management Ammo-33 (A-4E-3002) course completion.

"This course is the first opportunity for many of these prospective leaders to gain an understanding of the CNIC enterprise, their future shore installation management responsibilities, and the critical programs, policies, procedures and knowledge necessary for a successful tour at an Installation, Region or at Headquarters," said Crockett.

The next SSLC course will take place August 1-12, 2011 at CNIC Headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard.