French Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Eric Janicot visited the Program Executive Office for Manpower, Logistics and Business Solutions (PEO MLB) on Nov. 3 to learn about the U.S. Navy’s Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) program.
“We were honored that Vice Adm. Janicot wanted to learn about RRL and how we are modernizing the way the Navy trains its Sailors,” said Christine Rodriguez, program executive officer for the Program Executive Office for Manpower, Logistics and Business Solutions (PEO MLB). “France and the United States have been strong allies dating back to the Revolutionary War. Discussions like the one we had about RRL only strengthens the cross-collaboration between our two nations.”
RRL is the Navy’s long-term investment to enhance the fleet’s mission readiness by continually improving Sailor performance and ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to compete and win across the spectrum of conflict, said David Kemp, PEO MLB’s RRL portfolio director. “The Navy is committed to meeting the real-world performance needs of the fleet by using modern and agile learning methods to provide timely, relevant training at the most appropriate time in a Sailor’s career.”
During the meeting with Janicot, Kemp detailed RRL’s key initiatives and how it uses a holistic approach and innovative training technologies to reimagine how the Navy trains its Sailors. RRL utilizes an agile, multi-path approach in delivering the training warfighters need when they need it to succeed in combat. The three major lines of effort are:
- Career-long learning continuum: Developing detailed learning roadmaps for every Navy career covering technical, professional and leadership content with requirements linked to real fleet needs.
- Modern delivery at point of need: Establishing the information architecture that supports multiple delivery options and increases access to Sailors, accelerating learning and enhancing training effectiveness.
- Integrated content development: Enabling faster delivery of fleet-relevant content to provide increased operational agility with processes, standards and resources aligned for efficiency.
Previously, training was primarily conducted in the schoolhouse, but RRL is breaking the Navy out of its dependence on “brick and mortar” schoolhouses to deliver modernized training material at the actual point of need.
“The ‘Street to Fleet’ method focuses on bringing the learning to the students through various methods of delivery such as pier-side trailer training, mobile device access, virtual reality simulations and experimental artificial intelligence,” Kemp said.
Sailors are being trained using simple visual demonstration tools and videos to more complex, immersive simulators and virtual trainers. These modern tools enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of training through repetition and “hands on” performance-based fundamentals.
Performing training on modern day equipment, removing industrial methods of operation, and catering to different learning styles are some of the many ways RRL appeals to new recruits and leans into the technology dependent societal shift that is occurring within younger generations.
Additionally, instead of frontloading training early during a Sailor’s first couple of years, RRL is now spreading it out throughout their career, delivering the training that is needed as they advance. This implementation will ensure that Sailors are able to receive performance support throughout their entire length of service. Ongoing performance support such as consistent IT investments, hands on assignment training, online refresher modules, and user-based curriculums will ensure that Sailors are appropriately prepared at every stage to avoid learning atrophy.
“One day RRL won’t be considered a special initiative to modernize the Navy’s training,” Kemp said. “It will be the way that we train.”
==================
About PEO MLB
The Program Executive Office for Manpower, Logistics and Business Solutions (PEO MLB) is the Department of the Navy’s (DON) acquisition agent for manpower, logistics and business solutions information technology. The systems and solutions PEO MLB develops, acquires and delivers are the backbone enabling the DON’s day-to-day administrative, business and financial operations. PEO MLB provides Sailors, Marines, DON civilians and their support systems with the services needed to complete their missions and the tools to manage their careers.