VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Celebrating 10 years, the
Center for Security Forces hosted a picnic gathering June 27, for past alumni
and present members to commemorate the decade-long milestone and the
achievements earned along the way.
The Center was officially stood up in July 2004, but its
roots can be traced back to the early months following 9/11.
In the days and weeks following 9/11, the Navy put plans in
motion that would increase the antiterrorism and force protection (ATFP)
readiness posture fleet-wide. A new command, established in November 2001, was
charged with leading this vital undertaking.
Over the next two years, the "Antiterrorism Force
Protection Warfare Development Center" (ATFPWDC) took shape and led
efforts that formed the baseline for the more advanced training of today.
During that same time, the Navy was also undergoing a major
shift in its philosophy and management of individual skills training dubbed
"The Revolution in Training."
A vision introduced and directed by then Chief of Naval
Operations Adm. Vern Clark. The result was a restructuring of the naval
education and training architecture. This dramatic change allowed Navy trainers
to work more closely with the Fleet at defining and validating the training
needs of its Sailors. In turn, trainers can now develop and deliver more
precise or targeted training that instructs Sailors in the vital skills needed
to perform their duties and achieve mission success.
The keystone for this new approach in naval training was the
creation of mission and warfare focused Learning Centers that would replace the
traditional Fleet Training Center construct. In July 2003, the Center for
Antiterrorism and Navy Security Forces provisionally stood up under the command
of now retired Capt. William Daniels. One year later, the Center was officially
established and assumed the missions, functions and tasking of the ATFPWDC.
"Once the decision was made to stand up the new
learning center in 2004, our mission, vision and priorities started to align
and fall in place," said Daniels. "This provided a more clear focus
on the Center's mission to develop and deliver training in areas such as small
arms and crew served weapons to meet the heightened training needs of Sailors
worldwide."
In the wake of 9/11, the mission of the Navy Master-at-Arms
increased at an exponential rate, which also called for an increase in manning.
Daniels went on to share what he views as being the greatest achievements made
by the Center during his tenure as commanding officer.
"The focused training the Center developed and
delivered for MAs played a vital role in the rapid expansion of the rating
during that time. Over the course of only a few years, the rating grew from
some 2,500 Sailors to around 8,000," said Daniels.
The Center has graduated more than 15,000 Sailors from its
MA "A" school as of 2013. This is a notable milestone in view of the
rate's low manning levels prior to 9/11, which was about 1000 Sailors. The rate
saw its highest manning peak in 2007 with more than 13,000 MAs serving
fleet-wide.
"The staff also responded quickly to other Fleet
training requirements that emerged in the post 9/11 era. One called for
specialized training that would teach Sailors the skills necessary to conduct
non-compliant boardings. The end-result was a course that nearly tripled the
length and depth of the original basic course. The new course was lauded as
being outstanding at assisting boarding teams Navy-wide to be successful in
meeting the real-work operational demands of the fleet," said Daniels.
Throughout the last decade, visit, board, search and seizure
(VBSS) boarding teams have become a key element to the nations's maritime
strategy. From searching a dhow in the Persian Gulf to boarding suspect pirate
ships off the coast of Somalia and more, these highly skilled teams are a key
asset in antiterrorism/security force operations worldwide.
Succeeding Daniels in command was retired Navy captains Mark
Kohart, Pete Jefferson and James Boorujy. The Center is currently commanded by
Capt. Raymond Benedict of Brick Township, New Jersey.
"I volunteered for, and was selected into, the ATFP
Specialty Career path ten years ago when it was first announced. I saw ATFP as
a critical capability for the post 9/11 Navy and consider CENSECFOR to be the
pinnacle of ATFP training," said Benedict.
The Center has two additional pillars or major programs of
training on its resume. They are Expeditionary Warfare (EW) and Code of
Conduct. The EW pillar prepares Sailors to serve in expeditionary combat roles
throughout the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) force.
The Code of Conduct pillar provides training that prepares
Sailors to survive on their own while isolated in hostile territory or behind
enemy lines; to evade capture and if captured, how to resist exploitation and
escape captivity if possible.
Benedict also noted that the Center has done a great job
over the years with adapting to the changing needs of its customers. This
includes the integration of new innovative technologies to improve the quality
and effectiveness of its training. An example would be the Navy's small arms
weapons simulator, or more commonly known in the fleet as a firearms training
simulator.
In a single decade, the Center for Security Forces has
become a vital link in teaching and preparing Sailors for long-term success.
The staff remains fully committed to its mission to achieve warfighting
superiority and stands ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead in the years
to come.
"The two biggest challenges will be to keep our superb
level of training current in the face of a rapidly evolving threat and to do so
in an uncertain fiscal environment," said Benedict.
In addition to working closely with fleet representatives,
resource sponsors, program managers, and so on, the Center's success also comes
from the valued input received from its students.
"I read every course critique that is submitted, and I
love to read when students praise both the level of knowledge and the
dedication of the Center's instructors," said Benedict. "That tells
me we have not only taught the course material effectively, but inspired the
students to continue to increase their level of knowledge in a given area when
they return to their units."
Today, the Center provides specialized training to more than
28,000 students each year. It has 14 training locations across the U.S. and
around the world and has adopted the motto - Where Training Breeds Confidence.
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