Photo By Ensign Erik Ekendiz | MAYPORT Fla. (5 April, 2023) - Command Master Chief Julio Hernandez provided...... read more read more
MAYPORT Fla. --. Command Master Chief (CMDCM) Leon Sealy and CMDCM Julio Hernandez visited Naval Station Mayport on April 5, 2023, to train Sailors aboard USS St. Louis (LCS 19).
Leadership and ‘command impact’ are cornerstones of Navy EVALs and FITREPs, but finding the time and mentorship to develop this skill can be challenging. US Fleet Forces’ Fleet Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Training Team initiative targets this issue by providing some of the Navy’s very best Chief Petty Officers to visit crews across the fleet to help Sailors hone their leadership skills and help foster a culture of excellence.
Sealy and Hernandez are seasoned leaders who provide the three-day training for the First Class Petty Officers, the Chiefs’ Mess and the Wardroom. Sealy and Hernandez guided the leadership of St. Louis Blue Crew through the process of self-analysis, using tools to help Sailor better understand themselves, each other, and the concepts that help shape strong leaders.
“We learned areas of improvement that we needed to work on, and we learned what we’re already applying,” said Engineman First Class Edward Bartolome.
Dedicating a day away from the workspace to focus on areas of improvement will pay dividends in the form of comradery and crew cohesion on future deployments.
“It taught us a lot about ourselves and our leadership styles,” said Mineman First Class Shawn Huddleston.
“We also got a good chance to evaluate ourselves as a First Class Mess and reflect on our strengths and weaknesses. All in all, I think it was time well spent.”
This training allowed USS St. Louis Blue leadership to get real, taking a hard look at their leadership style and recognize room for improvement.
“The strengths and weaknesses are usually really similar across the fleet,” said Sealy, “The difference is the attitude. Every command has their issues but it’s the attitude towards these strengths and weaknesses that sets the culture and sets the trend towards improvement. From lead petty officer to commanding officer, each of us has to decide each day to foster a culture of excellence."
“For a ship to be successful, effective leadership is required at every level,” said Cmdr. Jonathan Williams, commanding officer of St. Louis Blue. “Leadership is a developed skillset that can wear down over time and need some preventative maintenance. It is critical that we make time for analysis of our personal and organizational leadership styles and find ways to Get Better. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command First Class Petty Officer Training Team enabled St. Louis Blue to hone our team into efficient Warfighting Leaders!”
USS St. Louis is one of four ships assigned to Mine Division 22. The tenth Freedom-class littoral combat ship to be built, USS St. Louis is the seventh of her name.
LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats and is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.
| Date Taken: | 04.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2023 14:42 |
| Story ID: | 443005 |
| Location: | MAYPORT, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Littoral combat ship (LCS)
