Command leadership from Naval Education Training Command (NETC) visited Training Service Center (TSC) Great Lakes and toured Learning Sites (LS) Aug. 24.

Capt. Mike Whitt, NETC Chief of Staff and Commanding Officer Flag Unit, and NETC Force Master Chief Karim Cole began the day meeting with TSC's command leadership.

"Today was an opportunity for Capt. Whitt to experience the work we do," said Capt. Mark Meskimen, commanding officer, TSC. "It was an honor to introduce him to our outstanding instructors and explain how we train and mentor accession Sailors so they are ready to continue their Navy careers out in the fleet."

The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate the training used at TSC and LSs that provided 24-hour supervision, leadership, training and professional development of accession Sailors prior to their arrival to the Fleet.
Their tour began at student indoctrination's life skills training. Sailors arriving on board from boot camp attend the training before any rate-specific courses. Subjects taught in the course cover issues such as sexual assault intervention, military pay and entitlements, healthy relationships, navigating stress, operations security, banking and financial management service, and responsible alcohol use.

After leaving the life skills training, they visited the Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving (CEODD) where they viewed student training in the basics of in-water procedures, aquatic adaptabilities and water comfort. They continued on to Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School to tour SEAL Pre-BUDs facility and then to the galley for lunch with Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions student members.
At Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit (CSCSU) Great Lakes, they toured Gunner's Mate 'A' school's fire arms training simulator, Electronics Technician/Fire Controlman 'A' school T1 RADAR partial task trainer and Boatswain's Mate 'A' school.

"It was a pleasure to meet Capt. Whitt today and have the opportunity to show him first hand some of the improvements we have made in training technology and be able to discuss where we are headed with training," said Cmdr. James Dancer, commanding officer, CSCSU. "More importantly, I was privileged to introduce him to some of the outstanding personnel we have here that deliver quality training to accession level Sailors every day."

At Surface Warfare Officers School Unit (SWOSU) Great Lakes, command leadership led a tour of the training facilities of Basic Engineering Common Core (BECC).

"It is always great showing others what we do," said Cmdr. Williams, commanding officer, SWOSU. "Like other tours, I wish to strengthen the importance of the training we are delivering to our new accession Sailors. I would also like people to capture the pride and professionalism of my instructors that're not only delivering lessons of instructions, but also instilling added inspiration and confidence to these Sailors."

BECC balances computer based training (CBT) with hands-on training labs, and instructor-led classroom training with realistic simulations creating an integrated learning environment (ILE). They also visited the LPD 17 Maintainer Course, where students gain knowledge and skills to maintain engineering control systems in the fleet.

Their tour ended with the Operations Specialist 'A' school's ship's self defense system lab, followed by a visit at NETC general skills training and TSC barrack USS New Jersey.

"Today was a very amazing experience," Whitt said. "There is a lot of great training and work going on at TSC and the learning sites. Everybody needs to come to the base at least once, especially if you are a senior officer and have spent a number of years in the Navy, you need to come out to appreciate the great work the commands are doing."

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