About 20 Navy Reservists gathered at Naval Station Mayport final week for a novel coaching course that will grow to be a mannequin for collaborative coaching throughout the Naval Provide Methods Command (NAVSUP) enterprise.
What’s distinctive is that these Reserve Sailors should not simply from NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Heart (FLC) Jacksonville. Some are members of different FLC Reserve items, such because the one connected to Yokosuka, Japan. The FLC Reserve items connected to Singapore and Sigonella, Italy, have been additionally invited.
These items have the identical coaching wants, however usually they’d be centered on coaching solely their very own folks. Jacksonville leaders had the concept that gathering many Reservists in a single place for an intensive one-week class would fill a number of items’ gaps – gaps that had grow to be notably extreme throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a hodgepodge of the place folks have been with {qualifications},” mentioned Capt. Trey Scudder, government officer of the Jacksonville Reserve unit. “I mentioned ‘Let’s do higher.’ We opened it as much as the broader enterprise, and once they acquired wind of this, they have been excited.”
On the finish of the weeklong course, these junior enlisted logistics specialists go earlier than a board to earn their qualification as journeymen logistics assist representatives. It’s a title that tells their leaders they perceive a broad swath of logistics features, corresponding to stock administration, postal operations and dealing with hazardous supplies.
Why does that matter? As Reservists, these Sailors should be able to parachute into an active-duty job if the Navy calls. “If you happen to needed to drop them right into a warehouse in Kuwait or Norfolk, they wouldn’t have a lot of a ramp-up as a result of the logistics assist consultant journeyman qualification means they know sufficient to exit and get began,” Scudder mentioned.
The course was taught by Carlin Palmer, a grasp logistics assist consultant with NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville’s Logistics Assist Heart (LSC) at Mayport. It concerned three days of classroom work, a day of particular person research after which going earlier than a board to be examined. Lt. Cmdr. Emilio Nodal, logistics assist officer at LSC Mayport, coordinated the course and served on the ultimate board.
Beforehand, the varied FLCs had tried to supply the coaching damaged up into quarters, performed on a Friday and Saturday. But when a Reservist missed a category on account of life obligations, it resulted in incomplete coaching and never attaining the all-important qualification. The brand new strategy makes an attempt to keep away from that.
“It’s an enormous factor and an amazing effort between the Reserve element and active-duty element,” mentioned Lt. Cmdr. Tim Clean, Reserve program director at NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville. “It’s fairly revolutionary.”
Organizers say if this system proves profitable, they are going to supply it once more with invites to different FLCs.
Departing the classroom after passing the board, two Reservists mentioned the course was a veritable fireplace hose of knowledge however a very good overview of the required materials.
“It was very fast-paced and a wealth of knowledge directly, however it was info that was wanted for everytime you really do it within the fleet,” mentioned LS2 Elizabeth Pedone, a member of an El Paso, Texas, detachment connected to FLC Yokosuka. “I’m very glad that we did all of it collectively.”
“It’s a number of info, however we received’t get it wherever else,” mentioned LS2 Lluvia Martinez, additionally with the Texas detachment connected to FLC Yokosuka. “The week is superior, as a result of we’re civilians and we don’t get to take a number of day without work.”
The Reserve unit connected to the Jacksonville FLC is made up of about 90 Reservists unfold throughout Florida, beneath the command of Capt. Mark Williams.
NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville is one in every of eight Fleet Logistics Facilities beneath Naval Provide Methods Command. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a various, worldwide workforce of greater than 22,500 navy and civilian personnel.
