The five-day training event, led by two Navy Leadership & Ethics-certified master facilitators from Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC), served to equip the 17 enlisted leaders in attendance with skills necessary to deliver components of the Enlisted Leader Development (ELD) curriculum at their own commands to Sailors ranked E-3 to E-6.     
 
“This is a train-the-trainer event,” said Chief Builder Michael Ludwig, CNRFC’s Command Navy Leader Development Course for Facilitators program lead. “Our objective is to train the chiefs, senior chiefs, and master chiefs here this week so they’re prepared to facilitate the Navy’s advanced, intermediate, and foundational level leadership development courses for their Sailors.”

 
ELD at the intermediate and advanced levels is scheduled to become a prerequisite in 2025 for Sailors taking the Navy-wide Advancement Exam. It delivers a “character-focused” learning continuum based on foundational courses taken throughout a Sailor’s career, self-study, on-the-job training, and feedback received from coaches, mentors, and advocates.
 
“It’s an initiative to develop the force under the idea of character development and connections,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Michelle Chaney, a master facilitator of the program. “It’s all about helping our Sailors discover who they are as human beings and helping them understand what they bring to the table. We believe fundamentally, through ELD, someone’s character can be developed over time. So, we want to start those conversations early with Sailors so they can gain knowledge about self-awareness and self-management. We want to help our Sailors identify their personal values and learn how those values impact the decisions they make at work, and how they can be of benefit to the Navy.”
 
Throughout the course, attendees learned the ELD material and demonstrated their ability to facilitate a variety of topics including: character ethics, self-awareness, navigating stress, decision-making, and what it means to be a part of the profession of arms.
 
 “I’ve learned so much this week,” said Chief Yeoman Patricia Stanton, attached to Expeditionary Medical Facility Jacksonville. “I really believe this will be a major benefit to our Sailors both in their current and future ranks.”
 
Chief Aviation Support Equipment Technician Casey Summerhays, assigned at Navy Reserve Center (NRC) Austin, echoed Stanton in his comments regarding the benefits that both the Navy and its Sailors of today reap from the leadership development courses.
 
“This helps the cream rise to the top,” said Summerhays. “We’re no longer just telling Sailors what to do. These courses help develop the Navy’s people. This helps Sailors discover who they are and what they’re capable of. It brings out their good qualities, helps identify areas for improvement and strengthens them while developing character and competence. All of this serves to make our Sailors better leaders, better decision-makers, and better warfighters overall.”
 
For more information regarding Navy ELD, visit the Naval Education and Training Command enlisted leader development web page at: https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Leadership-and-Ethics-Center/Enlisted-Leader-Development/Program-Overview/.