Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT), hosted the bi-annual, two-day leadership training symposium, May 5-6. The first day was held at Drexler Manor Conference Center on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, and the second day on Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.
More than 150 surface leaders, including flag officers, commanding officers, command senior enlisted leaders and SURFLANT staff members, gathered to discuss the manning, training and equipping of the surface force.
With McLane discussing leadership roles, the conference provided a venue for surface force leaders to focus on the symposium’s key topics.
“We are exploring new ways of balancing by phase of the ship life cycle,” said McLane. He also spoke on managing maintenance period best practices, and taking care of Sailors’ health, comfort, and morale during those maintenance periods. He added that a key objective of the gathering was to empower leaders to integrate newly found knowledge at their own commands.
“This [symposium] is centered around educating you, but it is up to you to implement what you learn here at your commands.”
Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, stressed the importance of self-sufficiency and discussed where the community is going to go with risk management assessment to improve decision making.
Throughout the symposium, leaders presented briefs, discussed numerous topics and answered questions regarding re-assessment of operational risk assessment, maintenance, self-sufficiency, and interoperability with allies and partner nations.
CMDCM Jason Kutsch, command master chief of the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) attended the symposium and spoke on the event’s positive value.
“As we discuss maintaining the competitive edge and the ideals of ‘Getting Real & Getting Better’ it is apparent that our Sailors are our competitive edge,” said Kutsch. “More so than the number of ships and the mission that those ships are doing. Proper manning and caring for our Sailors is required and is a key part to risk management. ”
SURFLANT mans, trains and equips assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable force for conducting prompt and sustained operations in support of United States national interests. The SURFLANT force is composed of nearly 80 ships, 17 pre-commissioning units, and more than 30 shore commands.
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