APS Brings African NCOs to Prepare Training for Deployment

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher B. Stoltz, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- Sailors from Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training (MCAST) helped African sailors develop a senior enlisted leadership curriculum for non-commissioned officers (NCO) at the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa headquarters in Naples, Italy, Aug. 10.

Building off the information learned from earlier Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2012 missions, the course provided eight sailors from Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, and Senegal a training outline for senior enlisted leadership that will be used in future APS missions.

"They've had basic and advanced instructor training from previous training missions and engagements that they're basing the curriculum on," said Chief Equipment Operator David Martin, course instructor. "They showed up well-prepared to further that training with 85 slides already finished and ready to add more."

 The African sailors came together to build a final objective for the training, a mission statement for the NCO trainees, a slideshow of 110 slides and an instructor book.

"We learned how to develop the objective, enable the objective and review the objective that will be used to improve our training methods in our home countries," said Senegalese navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mamadou A. N'Diaye. "We can take this improved curriculum back for our NCOs, so they can learn from it."

During the course, the African sailors noticed personal growth and were excited to get back and teach the new curriculum.

"I'll be able to bring up better leaders with this training," said Nigerian Chief Petty Officer Sylvester Amede Odaiche. "The course in Cameroon was basic and this is advanced, and I feel it has made me a better instructor."

Each instructor will train small classes of about 25 NCOs in advanced leadership courses throughout upcoming APS missions.

"I think that things in the curriculum course are very well organized and very easy to understand," said Gabonese navy Petty Officer 1st Class Pierre Mboulou Allogo. "I learned a lot about leadership and the role of being a leader, and that means training our people to be leaders as well."

APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.