By Journalist 2nd Class David Beyea, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs
USS KITTY HAWK, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) is putting Sailors through a junior leadership academy (JLA) to get them ready to become petty officers third class.
Kitty Hawk has on average between 200 and 300 Sailors who get promoted to the rank of petty officer third class every promotion cycle. Once these Sailors have been selected for promotion, they must attend the JLA classes before they can put on their new rank.
Kitty Hawk is holding the JLA classes early in order to avoid crowded classes and delayed frockings.
“We have a possible 900 Sailors taking the third class exam, so we’re frontloading the classes now,” said Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW) Wayne Wilson, Kitty Hawk’s JLA coordinator. “Anybody who is eligible for the exam is taking the class.”
Wilson’s goal is to have a JLA class every month, with three classes during the current summer underway period, running the possible E-4 Sailors through JLA in classes of 30 to 40 students at a time.
“We’re trying to keep up with the numbers and also keep a smaller class size to encourage classroom discussion,” explained Wilson.
There will also be the possibility of JLA straggler classes after a frocking ceremony. These classes are for crew members who did not have the opportunity to attend a previous JLA class, such as Sailors who were on emergency leave or who are new to Kitty Hawk.
JLA consists of 15 to 20 lectures taught by senior petty officers from Kitty Hawk’s crew.
“The students seem to get a lot out of hearing the experiences of the petty officers first class,” said Wilson.
The lectures cover subjects from personal finances and basic leadership to Navy Core Values and stress management. JLA not only educates Sailors on Navy programs and policies, but it also strives to teach Sailors how to be good leaders, explained Wilson.
“The class really teaches leadership. Once you get a crow, you have others working under you,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Duane Wilkinson, a Sailor that has already been through JLA. “The class teaches you how to be more responsible, because once you become a petty officer, you have more responsibilities.”
Though JLA strives to give Sailors the tools they need to be effective leaders, it is only the first of such classes. As Sailors go through their naval careers, they will take several classes similar to JLA. Starting with petty officers third class, there is a leadership course for each new rank a Sailor makes.
“JLA is primarily the first leadership course that a prospective E-4 will have in preparation for becoming a petty officer,” said Wilson.
The Kitty Hawk Strike Group is the largest carrier strike group in the Navy and is composed of the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, the guided-missile cruisers USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Cowpens (CG 63), and Destroyer Squadron 15.
Destroyer Squadron 15 is comprised of the guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes (CG 49), guided-missile destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), the destroyer USS Cushing (DD 985), and the frigates USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) and USS Gary (FFG 51).
