All 15 Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) learning sites and detachments located throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, Spain, and Japan assembled for their annual strategic off-site meeting, hosted this year by CSCS Unit Great Lakes, onboard Naval Station Great Lakes, Jul. 25-27.

The strategic off-site meeting provided commanding officers and officers in charge an opportunity to discuss current training initiatives and the future of surface combat systems training.

CSCS Commanding Officer, Capt. Frank Castellano, led the focus of the meeting.

"Our objective for these three days is to discuss our training process," Castellano explained. "This includes Ready Relevant Learning (RRL), Block Learning (BL), Strategic Rating Reviews (SRR - formally known as Combat Systems Strategic Training Ratings Reviews), instructor manpower concerns, Program Objective Memorandum (POM) inputs, and new training technology. Most importantly, this off-site gives us all a chance to come together from across the CSCS domain and interact with each other."

CSCSU Great Lakes Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Scott Dancer, hosted the 50 attendees and provided a three-hour, in-depth tour of his school houses.

"This is where surface combat systems training begins," Dancer said. "I was pleased to be able to provide the sites and detachments the opportunity to see firsthand how we train over 8,000 enlisted Sailors a year in the basic skills to correctly maintain, operate, and if necessary, fight our surface ships."

During the tour, the group observed Surface Common Core (SCC), Apprentice Technical Training (ATT) for eight enlisted rates, and "A" and "C" schools.

The off-site also included overviews from CSCS Headquarters' department heads and sites and detachments, a facilities update on all 52 infrastructures CSCS maintains, a Knowledge Management strategy for the domain, area visits, domain safety, an open forum to discuss training needs, and new technology initiatives.

Acting CSCS Executive Director (Technical) and Technical Support Director, Brian Deters, provided a Virtual Maintenance and Material Management (3M) demonstration to show how CSCS is incorporating new methods of instruction to support high velocity learning.

"This training tool will enable Sailors to refresh their 3M knowledge, better their troubleshooting and maintenance skills, and be exposed to the procedural compliance culture," Deters explained. "We hope to deliver this self-paced trainer to assigned school houses in August."

As the off-site concluded, Castellano reemphasized CSCS' mission to his commanding officers and officers in charge.

"Our mission is to develop and deliver surface ship combat systems training to achieve surface warfare superiority," he said. "Bottom line - training is our mission. Improving surface warfighting readiness is our ultimate goal."

CSCS provides over 528 courses, awards 116 different Navy Enlisted Classifications (NECs), and trains more than 37,000 Sailors each year. CSCS delivers specialized training for officer and enlisted Sailors required to tactically operate, maintain, and employ shipboard and shore-based weapons, sensors, and command and control systems utilized in today's Navy.

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