Future Leaders Educational and Experiential Training (FLEET), a program designed to teach leadership skills by partnering Sailors with local middle school students, was launched in March 2017.

FLEET is a two layered program that provides leadership training to Division Officers (DIVOs), who take the curriculum into the classroom to teach Middle School students at Yokosuka, Japan.

Designed by Lt. Amanda Byrd, USS Shiloh's operations officer, the FLEET program uses small group discussions, humorous skits, and even one on one coaching with students through small group activities, to teach the younger generations leadership skills.

Eight officers, from four different ships including Shiloh, Benfold, Chancellorsville, and Antietam have participated and contributed to the FLEET program.

"FLEET is not only about accelerating the leadership growth of our DIVOs, it's also about bringing military Officers into the community to volunteer, and growing a greater sense of pride in Naval service," said Byrd. "If we can help the students, teachers, schools, and families, it supports waterfront readiness for the ships as well."

Participating officers benefit from the relationship they build with the students, and continue to grow and apply the leadership training they are given before joining the Fleet.

"I did not learn these [leadership] skills until I became a college student at the United States Naval Academy," said Ens. Jennifer Pendleton, of Huntland, Tennessee, Shiloh's gunnery officer. "Through FLEET, I am not only teaching the students how to set and achieve goals as individuals, but I am also teaching them how great leaders help followers to accomplish their own goals."

Cmdr. Justin Harts, the commanding officer of USS Benfold (DDG 65), spoke to the students and officers about his "sea stories" in leadership.

A graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Harts recollected how he struggled in his courses, but then a great mentor and friend at the Academy stepped in to help him succeed and to graduate.

Dale Duncan, the student's Social Studies teacher, agrees that the class's relationship with junior naval officers has been effective in his classes. He wants to correlate principles gained from his students' relationships in FLEET to tasks in school.

"I am excited for FLEET's impact because it will help my students develop peer leadership skills," he said. "Teamwork is difficult when there is not a clear leader assigned to take charge. I believe my students' group work will improve because of the FLEET program."

Duncan also observed that FLEET training is giving his students the ability to learn from failure. Those situations are teaching them to draw upon the inputs of others when formulating effective solutions.

As a pilot, the first phase of FLEET, "Leading the Self," was completed April 21, 2017. The first phase will be launched again, along with its second phase, "Leading Others," from January to May 2018. FLEET intends to spread the program to other classrooms at Yokosuka Middle School and continue to build throughout the year.

Shiloh is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.


For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Commander Task Force 70, visit www.navy.mil/.