Rear Adm. John Wade, commander of Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, (NWDC) spoke with officers during a luncheon held in the officers' club onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Feb. 12.

"The world is changing," said Wade. "We have got to mutually support and better integrate with our other communities, and with the joint force or coalition partners so that we can become more lethal and we can increase the tactical proficiency force."

Wade spoke about concentrating on short-term goals with a focus on training and tactics, stating training promotes confidence and competence the communities need, to execute missions when Sailors are faced with operational conditions which might be deemed demanding or unusual.

"It makes us more of a deterrent force in that potential enemies may think twice before taking action," said Wade. "They know there will be consequences because we have focused on becoming more lethal and more tactically proficient. If we have to fight, we're better prepared to fight and win."

Wade also spoke on the critical importance of maintenance, saying it holds Sailors to a standard. He emphasized a greater focus on thinking tactically and encouraging Sailors to integrate advanced tactics in their everyday work.

The luncheon was sponsored by the Surface Navy Association's Arabian Gulf Chapter, which focuses on promoting greater coordination and communication among those in the military, business, and academic communities.

NWDC develops and integrates innovative solutions to complex naval warfare challenges to enhance current and future warfighting capabilities. NWDC is the proponent for advanced, cross-domain warfighting capability development and serves as the WDC for the operational level of war.

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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.cusnc.navy.mil/.