Training Support Center Great Lakes Year in Review

GREAT LAKES, Ill.— As the new year begins, it is worthwhile to look back at a snapshot of the many changes, events, successes of Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes during 2020.

Students and staff of the command were up to the challenge brought upon by COVID-19 to continue the absolute mission essential work at providing highly trained Sailors for the fleet.

Incoming Sailors from boot camp continue to be expertly trained during a four-day LifeSkills class that teaches them critical information they will need to know in order to have a successful Navy career. The course covers sexual assault intervention, military pay and entitlements, healthy relationships, navigating stress, operations security, banking and financial management service, and responsible alcohol use.

This year saw the implementation of a new Navy Military Training Instructors (NMTI) Academy. Prior to being certified, staff must attend a six-week training and certification program. The training includes shadowing certified NMTIs in the daily performance of their duties, performing classroom instruction, certifying as an Intervention instructor, conducting command physical training, certifying as Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling Series instructors, and ultimately passing an oral board.

This year saw five first class petty officers selected for promotion to chief petty officer and four staff advanced to the rank of first class petty officers. NMTI Senior Chief Electronics Technician Tamika Williams was advanced to Master Chief Petty Officer.

New tactics to support religious services and pastoral care were created by the TSC’s chaplain office where students and staff found solace, spiritual enrichment and pastoral care during the pandemic. TSC students primarily received chaplain care through electronic means and social media. Religious worship services were shared through Facebook and Instagram and pastoral counseling was primarily provided by telephone sessions.

TSC Great Lakes command leadership judged a barracks poster contest that best represented mitigation efforts against COVID 19 June 12. Organized by Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) Sailors, each of the 17 barracks submitted their poster design for judging; the USS North Carolina was the winner of the contest.

TSC Great Lakes' CSADD Sailors were named the 2020 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award winners in the "Peer-to-Peer" Shore category for the U.S. Navy. This is the fourth year in a row they received the award. The award honors groups of junior Sailors that have excelled in encouraging other Sailors to embody the Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and have worked together to promote peer-to-peer mentorship and reduce destructive personal decision-making and behaviors.

The command’s Petty Officer Association and the Chief Petty Officer Association stepped up multiple times during the year to help break up the monotony, benefit morale and letting students know that they were supporting them during mitigation efforts by organizing mass-meal events. Staff met the challenge to provide barbecue, pizza and other lunches throughout the year for over 5,000 students at a time.

To close the year out, buses were loaded and students were making their way to various parts of the country as a Mass Exodus was in full effect for TSC Great Lakes.

More than 4,100 TSC Sailors gathered in the base Moral, Welfare and Recreation gym facility waiting for buses that transported them during the early morning hours to local airports. Present to make sure the event went off without a hitch were numerous TSC, Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit Great Lakes and Surface Warfare Officer School Unit Great Lakes staff.

The past year’s review, along with previous ones, is impressive. TSC has created a long annual tradition of successes proving that the command can look forward to great accomplishments in training.