Friday, June 27, 2014

CENSECFOR Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary



By Darryl Orrell, Center for Security Forces Public Affairs

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.

No comments: