Intercontinental Collaboration: NAVFAC EURAFCENT Hosts Virtual PWO Conference

NAPLES, ITALY

11.25.2020

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brianna Green 

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Europe Africa Central

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Europe Africa and Central (NAVFAC EURAFCENT) has multiple projects underway in 22 countries from Somalia to Iceland. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVFAC EURAFCENT provides direct support to three combatant commands across four continents. These projects are managed between host nationals, contractors, U.S. Civil Service members and sometimes enlisted U.S. Navy Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps officers. At the top of this diverse team, the NAVFAC public works officer (PWO) coordinates, communicates and manages tasks from stakeholders to installation commanding officers to strategic guidance from higher headquarters.
Nine public works officers dialed in from Poland, Spain, Romania, Greece, Bahrain, Djibouti, Somalia, Sicily and Naples, Italy for a three-day symposium. The conference provided the opportunity to virtually meet one another, share best practices and hear from NAVFAC senior leadership on key issues, challenges and resolutions.
NAVFAC EURAFCENT Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey J. Kilian welcomed his PWO team. Some of them are relatively new to the job.
“If you are sitting in your jobs now and have questions but may be reluctant to ask those questions, you need to get rid of that reluctance and ask them,” said Kilian. “We don’t expect you to be perfect. You do not just show up at your duty station and the next morning you’re an expert in Public Works. It takes time in the seat, and it takes experience to become efficient in that job.”
Headquarters provides this conference as one of the tools to help them gain experience and obtain efficiency.
The agenda included briefings and discussions with directors from business and support line leaders from financial management, operations, general counsel and contracting. Also, it included sessions with Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, NAVFAC Atlantic Commanding Officer and Rear Adm. Christopher “Scotty” Gray, Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central.
Both admirals reminded the PWOs the key role their departments play here in Europe, Africa and Central command directly supporting U.S. and allied warfighters.
“You guys are at the forefront of these challenging conditions and pretty hefty resource constraints, and you’re making it happen, so I want to say thanks to you guys for that,” said Gray. “What you do is instrumental to our ability to fight and succeed and win in the future environment.”
Following the completion of the event, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hightower, assistant operations officer and symposium coordinator said, "It’s not FEC (Facilities Engineering Command) versus Field, it’s FEC and Field verus problems. We are better prepared to solve these problems together."

NAVFAC EURAFCENT manages facility project planning and design, including all related acquisition, construction, leasing, environmental, maintenance, and contingency support required by the Navy and Department of Defense commands where the Navy is designated as the lead agent in Europe, Southwest Asia, and the Gulf of Guinea, Africa, and the Horn of Africa. Subordinate Public Works Departments provide facilities support service to each installation throughout the area of responsibility.

• Date Taken: 11.25.2020
• Date Posted: 11.25.2020 04:33
• Story ID: 383755
• Location: NAPLES, IT