Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Yarborough | 2204026-N-JO245-1378 NORFOLK, Va. (April 26, 2022) – Capt. Matt Kawas, right, speaks...... read more read more
NORFOLK (NNS) – Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet and Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet hosted a Junior Officer Undersea Symposium and Training (JOUST) event aboard Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, April 25-29.
The five-day symposium, a first for the undersea warfare (USW) community, brought together 100 junior officers (JOs) from multiple warfare communities across the fleet in a collective forum to align knowledge, skillsets, strategy and tactics, discuss undersea warfare capabilities and doctrine, and provide JOs a direct line of communication to leaders in the USW community.
“In all of our separate communities, we traditionally come up with solutions amongst like-minded people,” said Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. “In a forum such as this, JOUST challenges our collective way of thinking and encourages the diversity of thought we need to allow us to focus and elevate each community’s unique perspective and come up with solutions together.“
The goal of the symposium is to enhance integration, interoperability and operations efficiency amongst operators in multiple warfare communities and domains that conduct USW operations and to discuss how USW is employed across the fleet.
“We say that Undersea Warfare is a team sport, but our players aren’t practicing together,” said Lt. James Vanderplas, JOUST symposium planner. “With JOUST, we wanted to challenge the traditional model wherein we divide ourselves by platform.”
“Our goal is to unite the communities through our shared USW mission,” Vanderplas said. “JOUST is the first step towards minimizing these barriers. At the junior officer level, we can discuss future capabilities, shared tactics, techniques and procedures, and build the relationship necessary to surge our USW team forward.”
During the symposium, attendees toured several USW-capable platforms, such as a guided-missile destroyer, a fast-attack submarine, a P-8A Poseidon maritime and patrol reconnaissance aircraft and a theater undersea warfare watch floor.
“The tours were very enlightening to see how each branch of the USW community plans and fights with their systems and sensors, therefore maximizing our capabilities and allowing us to see how we all can best coordinate collectively,” said Lt. Stefan Knight, a P-8A Poseidon weapons and tactics instructor at Patrol Squadron (VP) 30. “The better we understand how they are controlling their sensors and systems, the better we can integrate and operate as a team.”
Senior leadership continued the conversation on theater USW operations with the JOs and shared their perspectives and insights of the USW force during a flag officer panel. Rear Adm. Steve Waddell, vice commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet; Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic; Rear Adm. Brian Davies, commander, Submarine Group (SUBGRU) 2; Rear Adm. Marty Muckian, commander, Undersea Warfare Development Center; Rear Adm. Lance Scott, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group; and Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Carrier Strike Group 12 chaired the panel and fielded questions from the audience.
“I’m glad that we had a chance to speak with decision makers and gain a better understanding and perspective from their purview,” said Lt. Cmdr. Savannah Peters, an antisubmarine warfare/subsurface warfare weapons and tactics instructor from Surface Mine Warfare Development Center. “Opening the curtain for JOs to ask questions and receive transparent responses from senior leadership enables us to broaden our understanding in what the fleet is moving toward in regards to the USW community.”
As a keynote speaker, retired Adm. James Foggo, dean, Center for Maritime Strategy, Navy League, engaged with the audience, discussing the Fourth Battle of the Atlantic and the importance of a unified approach the fleet should have in conducting USW operations across the aviation, surface and undersea forces.
Other highlights included community warfare area briefs, conversations about the history of USW, recent operations, lessons learned, and the way forward for future operations.
JOUST is an annual symposium led by JOs, designed to address challenges to future USW operations and leverage and maximize each other’s strengths and capabilities
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2022 09:01 |
| Story ID: | 420008 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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