The National Training Workshop, popularly called N-TRAIN, convened its 2005 session this last weekend in January. As usual, this annual gathering of Auxiliarists from across the nation is taking place in St. Louis, MO.

N-TRAIN workshops are the top rung in the Auxiliary training ladder. The primary function of N-TRAIN workshops is to provide the latest policy/program information and direction to the specific District Staff Officers (DSO) who are included in this years meeting. It then becomes the responsibility of these DSO’s to disseminate the information to their respective District departments.

The content of training programs within the Districts is usually composed of the materials and information presented at N-TRAIN.

This year’s workshops include training for the DSO’s of the following programs:
Aviation
Commercial Fishing Vessel Examination
Legal
Marine Safety
Member Training
Operations
Personnel Services
Public Education
Recreational Boating Safety Visitors

A brief overview of each of these training sessions will follow in the continuing N-TRAIN coverage provided by SITREP.

“The Coast Guard is changing, the Auxiliary is changing - we will have to change the way we do business in many areas - training at the forefront,” said Gail Fisher, Chief of the Department of Training (DC-T).

OPCOM

The N-TRAIN gathering also provides an opportunity for our National leadership to meet and conduct Auxiliary business. The National Operating Committee (OPCOM) is composed of the National elected officers, the various National Department Chiefs and certain appointed National staff positions.

The OPCOM, chaired by National Vice Commodore Steve Budar, meets for two days prior to the start of the training workshops. OPCOM meets to discuss the workings of the individual departments. The meeting provides a venue for the attendees to report their department’s accomplishments and to share their future plans. A value of the OPCOM meeting is the ability of the attendees to share thoughts and ideas with their colleagues and to offer the use of their individual department’s resources.

“We must be vigilant and ever looking for the people (DSO’s) who are and will be committed to do the job right,” said Richard Clinchy, Chief, Department of Education (DC-E). “We must also promote inter-department relationships and share our resources,” he said.

Ongoing dialogue between the various Department Chiefs was evident throughout the meeting and during the one-on-one discussions that took place during the breaks.

The District Commodores are invited to attend the second afternoon of the OPCOM meeting. Their participation, via question and answer sessions following each Departments presentation, was quite lively. “I’m glad we are able to hear these reports firsthand and proffer our questions directly to the Chiefs. This information, from the ‘horse’s mouth,’ so to speak, is valuable to me as a newly installed Commodore,” said Leon Kehr, Commodore, District 5-NR.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION:

An activity as large and complex as N-TRAIN requires considerable planning and highly dedicated execution. The key to their success is their ability to remain “liquid” throughout the entire event. Schedule changes, room changes, audio and visual aid setups, equipment moves and installations and a constant flow of administrative work is a normal part of their day’s work. “Hey, we are here to serve and to be as helpful as we can be,” said Tish Helmer, a member of the team.

The 2005 N-TRAIN planning and administrative team members are Phil and Tish Helmer, Bob and Dee Hendrickson, Bob Mayers, Celeste Penny and Lenore and John Combs.

ANCILLARY TRAINING:

A considerable amount of training takes place well before the arrival of the first District Staff Officer. An example is a unique, full morning training session prepared for and presented to the District Commodores (DCO). In many instances this is the first opportunity for the newly installed Commodores to meet their DCO colleagues from around the nation. Presentations to the Commodores included a lengthy session from the Legal Department, conducted by Don Krispin, Chief of the Legal Department (DC-L).

Limited to “nuts and bolts/boilerplate” information, the session provides an opportunity for the DCO’s to meet and greet while receiving information necessary to their Auxiliary work.

Another training session, running concurrent to N-TRAIN, is an AUX-15 (C School). The purpose of this school is to provide training to active duty and Auxiliary aviators. A professional, highly intense school, whose “graduates” will leave with a better understanding of Coast Guard aviation rules, regulations and administrative duties.