The commander of the Korean navy's Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) visited learning sites for Surface Warfare Officers School Unit (SWOSU) and Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit (CSCSU) Great Lakes, Feb. 29, to learn more about how the U.S. Navy trains its Sailors.

Vice Adm. Jin-Sup Jung toured SWOSUs Basic Engineer Common Core (BECC) facilities while Lt. Cmdr. Preston Marshall, executive officer for SWOSU, described the initial training prospective engineer rated Sailors receive when they arrive as fresh boot camp graduates.

Marshall also showed Jung and the contingent of Korean officers the improvements in computer-based training (CBT) and virtual task trainers (VTT) that are recent additions to the SWOSU curriculum.

Marshall explained how the addition of CBT and VTT allows for more training time for accession-level Sailors before they put their hands on the equipment. He said the computer-based and virtual-training make hands-on training invaluable because the Sailors are more comfortable with the procedures and equipment after practicing so much before they even touch a piece of equipment.

Chief Engineman (SW) Hyung Jin Choe, an instructor with SWOSU, explained in detail how the LPD-17 VTT helped save at least half the time from the hands-on only method.

He said there were two groups that went through the course, one with the VTT and another without. The ones using the VTT were able to complete the tear-apart and rebuild in half the time and with no mistakes when compared to the ones using the traditional teaching methods.

In addition to this demonstration, the Korean sailors were shown the fire fighter virtual trainer currently in use in the Damage Controlman (DC) 'A' school. In this module, Sailors use a virtual program to go through the steps of how they would battle a real-life fire aboard a ship.

Once Jung and his contingent completed their visit with SWOSU, Cmdr. Gregory Ludwig, commanding officer of CSCSU, led them through a tour of USS Whitehat, a static boat used by the boatswain's mate 'A' school and other CSCSU courses, and the operations specialist 'A' school facility.

While there, Jung was able to see first-hand how the U.S. Navy trains its Sailors in the multitude of life-sustaining tasks of a boatswain's mate. Additionally, Ludwig showed the Korean visitors the Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) being taught to students in OS 'A' school.

As a centralized learning site, there are many visiting groups that pass through the halls of these buildings. Whether it is prospective commanding officers, foreign officials or top U.S. Navy brass, the instructors are able to show the lessons being taught to the Navy's newest Sailors.

"Sharing this information with our allies can help make training their sailors better," said Chief Damage Controlman (SW/AW) Doyle Ebarb, the leading petty officer for the DC 'A' school, who demonstrated DC 'A' school fire-fighting virtual training during this tour. "It's always an honor to do these tours for foreign militaries."

For more news from Training Support Center, Great Lakes, visit www.navy.mil/.