Photo By Seaman Apprentice Damian Cook | Sailors assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) conduct small boat...... read more read more
The Center for Security Forces recently piloted phase two of its Basic Small Craft Operator course at Learning Site Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The course is designed to give Sailors the basic skills needed to complete their craft-specific qualifications.
"Those in attendance well received the pilot,” said David Postupack, small boat program manager at CENSECFOR. “Participants agreed that revisions to the course schedule greatly enhanced the training’s effectiveness, as the practical application of the concepts learned in a classroom environment occurs earlier in the training.”
In June 2022, at the annual Surface Warfare Board of Visitors meeting, CENSECFOR and Surface Warfare Schools Command proposed developing a standardized coxswain course in response to various small craft accidents and incidents throughout the fleet. The Surface Warfare Board of Visitors executive leadership endorsed the recommendation along with supporting actions. Subsequently, CENSECFOR was designated as the curriculum control authority for all U.S. Navy small craft training under the cognizance of Naval Education and Training Command.
“Phase one of the course provides apprentice-level personnel with a basic understanding of seamanship, craft terminology, boat handling, and basic navigation,” said Postupack. “Phase two expands on these concepts and provides individuals with a deeper understanding of how to put those tools to use. BSCO phase one and two graduates will be eligible to test for the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels.”
The course consists of 63 hours of classroom time, 88 hours in the lab, i.e., inland waterways and the ocean, and nine hours of testing. The main training blocks are boat operations, navigation, atmospheric conditions, and casualty procedures.
“There is no demand signal to have fleet trainers certified to teach the BSCO course,” said Postupack. “However, we have worked directly with SWSC during the course development. If such a demand signal occurs, we have included their learning activities in our plans to support surface forces.”
Postupack also shared that there are plans for advanced small boat courses. CENSECFOR’s proposed small boat continuum aligns training to basic, intermediate, and advanced phases of instruction. The basic and intermediate phases would be classroom-based, and the advanced phase would occur at the unit level. However, the applicable U.S. Navy type commands will determine the further development of these advanced courses according to their training requirements.
“We believe the BSCO course will produce coxswains who are more knowledgeable and proficient due to the extensive instruction and training they will receive, “said Postupack. “That, in turn, will lower the risk of small craft incidents for day-to-day and contingency operations in the fleet.”
The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 20,000 students each year in Force Protection, Expeditionary Warfare, Code of Conduct, Law Enforcement, and Small Craft Operations. It has training locations across the United States and worldwide: "Where Training Breeds Confidence."
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.29.2024 22:46 |
| Story ID: | 484189 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, CENSECFOR Pilots BSCO Phase II, by Darryl Orrell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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