“We’re extremely thankful Secretary Del Toro took the time to travel down to Pensacola and meet with our staffs, instructors and students, especially on the such a poignant day as the Navy’s 247^th birthday,” said Rear Admiral Pete Garvin, commander, Naval Education and Training Command. “Fleet readiness does indeed start here as we refine Sailors into highly skilled, operationally effective, and combat ready warfighters.”

Del Toro also received demonstrations of water rescue procedures and a Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS) 3D® simulation.

MRTS 3D® is an example of modernized, on-demand training delivery, developed by Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division as part of the Navy’s Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) initiative. RRL is designed to provide Sailors the right training at the right time and in the right way.

Del Toro also took time to speak to local petty officers first class, selected for promotion to chief petty officer, about the Navy’s new “Get Real, Get Better” call to action for every Navy leader to apply a set of Navy-proven leadership and problem solving best practices that empower Sailors to achieve exceptional performance.

“’Get Real, Get Better’ is something that I completely embrace,” said Del Toro. “Our chief of naval operations embraces it. Our master chief petty officer of the Navy embraces it. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with the challenges that we face as a Navy, and we can only get that much stronger and that much better.”

Following the tour, Del Toro spoke as the guest of honor at the Navy Ball, commemorating the Navy’s 247th birthday. The central theme for the Navy’s 247th birthday is "On Watch - 24/7 for 247 Years," which highlights our Navy's enduring ability to remain fully ready to respond to and effectively deter emergent threats.

“A decisive naval force will always be required to preserve our independence, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 247 years strong,” said Del Toro. “As we begin the 248th year of our Navy’s history, you have my commitment that I will do everything in my power to ensure that our Navy and Marine Corps remains the best in the world for the years to come. Happy birthday, shipmates. Thank you for your service, and may God bless all who serve in the United States Navy and Marine Corps.”

NETC’s mission is to recruit and hire talented civilians, deliver training and education to transform civilians into Sailors and distribute accession Sailors to the fleet to maximize readiness and ensure mission success; to provide specialized training and educational tools to advance the personal and professional development of Sailors throughout their career; and serve as sole claimant for individual training and education and as the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command on training and education related matters.

For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow MyNavy HR: Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MYNAVYHR/, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mynavyhr/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/mynavyhr
Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System 3D®, MRTS 3D®, and the MRTS 3D logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Navy.