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A New Era of Enlisted Education

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy Black

One of the biggest challenges and
greatest responsibilities for the Department of the Navy today is getting you —
America’s Sailors and Marines — ready for the next fight. The war of the future
will likely happen in this generation and it’s not going to resemble what we’ve
fought in the last 18 years.

It’s imperative for all of you to
be experts in your skill sets and have the mental dexterity to operate in
combat environments, so that under high stress in the middle of the night when
chaos ensues, you’ll be more capable of taking decisive action to save each
other and prevail in combat.

For this reason the Department of the Navy’s 2018 Education for Seapower study could not have come along at a better time, recognizing that tough training combined with the broadened intellectual capability of our Navy and Marine Corps team imbued with a passion for continuous learning will be our foundation. This study fundamentally transformed how we think about and prioritize enlisted education in the naval services by allowing you to focus on your job, while capturing credit for skills learned and performed; confidently helping you achieve your education goals by quantifying the work you’re already doing to cultivate in an accredited associates degree.  

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WASHINGTON (March 4, 2020) Graphic created using multiple image sources, photo editing software, and digital design tools to create an infographic highlighting the U.S. Naval Community College. Initial testing of operating capabilities and partnerships are to begin in early 2021. (U.S. Navy Graphic by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexander C. Kubitza)

To that end, former Secretary
Richard Spencer and Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly’s top priority
was to create a United States Naval Community College for enlisted Sailors and
Marines — an exciting demonstration of our commitment to you. The USNCC
provides enlisted personnel from every background an unprecedented opportunity
to learn and professionally grow throughout the course of their career.

The USNCC will kick off a pilot program in January 2021 for approximately 500 Sailors, Marines and DON civilians in the information technology and engineering fields.

In partnership with public and
private colleges and universities, USNCC intends to offer a select number
associate of science and associate of art degrees in fields directly related to
the warfighting needs of the Navy and Marine Corps, all at no cost to you — the
service member. The opportunity to pursue and even complete an associate’s
degree at the beginning of your career will also be transferable to any of our
partnered education institutions to further degree programs or certifications.

The USNCC will kick off a pilot
program in January 2021 for approximately 500 Sailors, Marines and DON
civilians in the information technology and engineering fields. By the end of
2022, USNCC will have more than 5,000 students enrolled and by the end of 2025,
every newly accessed Sailor and Marine will automatically be enrolled, which
will guide you throughout your military career and beyond.

The tuition assistance program
will remain so you can continue your path of learning and pursuing personal
growth.

College and a lifelong dedication to learning is incredibly important. Continuous learning helps to develop critical thinking skills, which makes us better Sailors and Marines, better leaders, and ultimately better citizens. The path of military service is a difficult one, education should enhance your role in our national security as well as enable your future goals. The United States Naval Community College will no doubt advance our fleet performance, provide warfighting advantages and ensure that the development of enlisted Navy and Marine leaders remains a critical warfighting capability for our national defense.

191016-N-YG104-0004 WASHINGTON (Oct. 16, 2019) Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC) Troy E. Black and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Russell Smith pose for a photo. SMMC and MCPON met to discuss naval integration and partnership across the Navy-Marine Corps team. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sarah Villegas)

A Foundation of Mutual Respect

By U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Bellon
Fleet Marine Officer to CTF 176 embarked aboard USS America for Rim of the Pacific 2016

One of the most inspiring aspects of being embarked on a ship for any Marine is to witness firsthand our shipmates’ mastery of their craft during complex operations at sea.  To see Sailors “turning to” during flight operations or replenishment at sea is always a privilege.  Unfortunately, most Sailors are unable to enjoy the same advantage of seeing Marines and soldiers demonstrating the same level of skill at their own tasks because that typically happens over the horizon or across some distant beach.

160714-M-JM737-007 MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 14, 2016) - U.S .Marine Staff Sgt. Kyle Nicholson briefs Brig. Gen. David Bellon, Royal New Zealand Navy Commodore Jim Gilmour and Col. Carl Cooper on the data he collected as Assault Amphibious Vehicles with Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment came to shore during Rim of the Pacific 2016. Bellon is the Fleet Marine Officer, Amphibious Force; Gilmour is the Combined Forces Amphibious Component Commander; Cooper is the Commanding Officer, Provisional Marine Expeditionary Brigade Hawaii. Twenty-six nations, 49 ships, six submarines, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC 16 from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships between participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 16 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Robert Sweet)

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (July 14, 2016) – U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Kyle Nicholson briefs Brig. Gen. David Bellon, Royal New Zealand Navy Commodore Jim Gilmour and Col. Carl Cooper on the data he collected as Assault Amphibious Vehicles with Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment came to shore during Rim of the Pacific 2016.

 

If I could change one aspect of RIMPAC 2016, it would be to have a way for the embarked sailors to See and appreciate what the nearly 4,000 Marines and soldiers have been accomplishing ashore.  This week I had the privilege of accompanying Commodore Jim Gilmour of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Commander CTF 176, into the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii to observe training being conducted by members of Provisional Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Hawaii.  We came across a combined platoon-sized force made up of Australian and New Zealand soldiers as well as Tongan, Indonesian and U.S. Marines who were preparing for a live fire attack on a dug in enemy.  The range where the attack was to take place was located at approximately 6,000’ elevation over tough terrain.  The entire evolution lasted over an hour and pushed Marines and soldiers to their physical limits.  It was the culmination of weeks of hard training and integration by all involved.

POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii (July 18, 2016) – Republic of Korea Marines participate in a live fire exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, July 18, 2016.

POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii (July 18, 2016) – Republic of Korea Marines participate in a live fire exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, July 18, 2016.

 

The attack started with Australian snipers engaging targets 700 meters away as a Marine Corps machine gun section ran up a steep hill fully loaded with with their guns and ammunition.  In an instant, they had their guns in action and began suppressing the enemy.  “The enemy” was a series of computerized pop-up targets dug into a distant hillside that only go down when they have actually been hit with a number of bullets.  Suffice to say, targets were lying down quickly as the guns raked through their positions.  Almost simultaneously, the remaining members of the platoon maneuvered into attack positions.  To the left of the machine guns, an Australian Army assault team scrambled up the hill and fired an 84mm rocket into what remained of the first enemy position.  Within seconds, the sniper, machinegun and rocket fire lifted as Tongan and Kiwi squads overran the enemy.  With that, the entire platoon began leap-frogging through sequential enemy positions deeper on the range.  All were neutralized with great skill with everything from individual weapons, mortars and hand-grenades.  The effort truly reflected the weeks of training and conditioning these individual soldiers and Marines committed to long before RIMPAC started but have been solidified by the last couple of weeks, by working closely together to ensure that the blended team functions as safely and as smoothly as possible.

Most of us who have been around the track a time or two know that the individual relationships fostered during RIMPAC at all levels, inspired first and foremost by mutual respect, have a way of paying off down the road in some real world contingency years from now that we cannot even imagine when we find an unexpected familiar face during times of high stress and high stakes.  In the interim, by working together, we are all gaining a more well-rounded perspective that will only lead to greater understanding and stability in the Pacific.   RIMPAC 2016 is part of an enduring effort by the United States to grow relationships within the Pacific that first and foremost lead to stability and safety in the region.  Stability starts with mutual understanding and respect at the individual level.  Having our Sailors and Marines get the chance to sail alongside and work shoulder-to-shoulder with peers at every level from 26 different nations, is the foundation of future stability.  We have professionals from Seaman Apprentice to Lieutenant Generals who are working with their peers from the participating nations to solve complex problems and deliver safe and realistic training on a daily basis.  The inevitable outcome of these sustained efforts during RIMPAC will be a foundation of mutual respect.  Like any other relationship everything else grows from this foundation.

Editor’s note: For more information on RIMPAC 2016, visit the following links:

Be a part of the conversation on social media using #RIMPAC and #PacificPartners.