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Editor’s note: These training briefs were compiled by in-classroom reporters, overviews provided by classroom instructors and pre-N-TRAIN information provided by various Department Chiefs or their deputies. It is not our intention to delve deeply into the content materials offered in each training session, we are merely providing this overview so you can know what to expect at your future local training workshops. (Back)
M Department – Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner Program By Denise C. Castrogiovanni, DVC-MV The Commercial Vessel Examination (CFVE) Division N-TRAIN 2005 presentation
is designed to be an educational and informational tool. It was designed
to assist anyone who views this presentation by providing an overview
on the programs we support. It will also provide to the attendee the
various Coast Guard and Auxiliary support levels we interact with to
accomplish the CG mission and goals that we support. By David Hand DC-M As the first meeting of 2005 with our District Staff Officers for Marine Safety (DSO-MS), we conducted an intensive training program to equip and prepare them to support and direct the Marine Safety efforts in their Districts. Our program began with a thorough review and discussion of the duties and responsibilities of a DSO-MS. We then discussed and identified areas that should be considered for modification to meet our changing missions and roles for 2005. Many guest speakers from the active duty and reserve Coast Guard participated with us in this training. They shared their particular expertise, their expectations of the Auxiliary, and their areas of need where the Auxiliary may provide augmentation to them and their field units in performing their missions. They discussed the close working relationship of our programs with theirs and explored the future changes as the USCG moves to the Sector organization model. Each M Department Division explained and explored the programs and
missions that are conducted under their leadership. These presentations
were made to better acquaint our DSOs with the programs and resources
available to them through the National Department to assist and support
them in their day to day activities in the field. We hope that our DSOs left N-TRAIN fully equipped to perform their tasks. We attempted to provide them with the tools they will need to make a positive contribution to the Marine Safety programs in their Districts and throughout the Auxiliary. By providing them these tools, and contacts they should be better equipped to manage their District programs in the rapidly changing and evolving M world of 2005/2006. T Department - Anticipated Plans for 2005: THE WAY AHEAD By James Welch, DC-Td The National Department of Training is in the process of “re-inventing” itself and preparing to handle the diverse training needs of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary now and for the future. The “re-inventing” process was based on and driven by the rapid changes occurring within the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security, the increasing variety of missions Auxiliarists are being asked to do and customer demand for timely, up-to-date coursework. “Re-inventing” the Department of Training will require change for both the National Training Staff and for the member, and are focused on The Way Ahead. Those changes will include implementing Department structural changes,
increasing Department staff skills and technical competencies, developing
alternative delivery methodologies, increasing alignment with the Coast
Guard course development standards and courses, significantly increasing
the use of learning and testing technology and focusing on blended learning
solutions. These changes will have the net effect of providing training
solutions/tools more quickly to the members by: Although these changes are significant, they will allow the Department of Training to better support our members to fulfill the National Commodore’s watchwords – READY, RESPONSIVE and RESOLUTE. As an initial step, we will begin aligning with the Coast Guard’s ELearning efforts so we have better access to their courses, development skills and capabilities, and increased flexibility in delivering content through the use of technology. As we prepare to better utilize technology and ELearning, we must also move in a planned and deliberate fashion. Our strategy must be respectful of the technology acceptance threshold of our members. We will continue to use workshops, self-paced manuals, etc. where they are the best methodology to transfer the learning. Our goal is to provide a cost effective and high quality training experience for our members. The most significant changes will be seen in how we approach program content, the use of technology and leverage resources. AUXOP Courses. Value-added Training. The Department of Training will be adding Instructional Designers, Webmasters, and Course Developers (Web-based, using HTML, Java Script, Flash, etc.) to build these ELearning courses, tools, and make them readily available to the members. We will be searching for new application development opportunities for the following online delivery platforms: online self-pace, web-based instructor taught, online simulation applications, Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS). A new Application Opportunity Identification Process (AOIP) is under development that will allow department chiefs and/or instructional systems experts to submit their critical online applications (tools) for development consideration. Qualification Training. “THE WAY AHEAD” will be exciting. It’s our members that count and those we a dedicated to serve. O-Department - Aviation By Bob Shafer, DVC-OA AUXAIR leaders gathered in St. Louis for N-Train. All of the District Staff Officers for Aviation DSO-AV) were invited to attend the AV sessions or to send representatives from their Districts. Those who attended participated in sessions that covered the current state of the AUXAIR program, with special attention focused on the many changes which have been made in the past year or so. This was a terrific opportunity for all of the DSOs to share information and compare notes on their respective AV programs. There was ample time provided to get to know a bit about AUXAIR in each District and to get to know each other. Although there was time for exchanging ideas and the occasional “war story”, most of our limited time was devoted to a very full agenda. Let’s take a look at some of the items on that agenda. We started off by reviewing the structure of the Aviation program. We looked at the National AV Division and its place in the National Operations Department. We reviewed the various National AV Staff positions, including a couple of changes that were made over the past year. We looked at the typical District AV organization. Although there are differences between Districts, there are certain things which are supposed to be similar. For example, many Auxiliarists are unaware that AV is mandated to be a District run program; there is no AV staff officer position authorized at the Division or Flotilla level. We reviewed the reasons and regulations behind this structure and we discussed how an effective AV organization is set up. We conducted a through review of the various regulations and guidance which govern the AUXAIR program, and there are many. Some are rather obscure, so we covered all of those to make sure that they are understood by all. We heard reports from each of our Branches in the AV division, Aero-Medical, Capabilities, AV Management, Training, Homeland Security Operations, Recruitment, Special Projects, and Standards and Safety. We heard a review of what has been going on throughout the AV Division over the past year. There have been some rather significant changes to the AV program that have a direct impact on flight safety. We have some new standards concerning such things as Risk Assessment and Check Flights for our pilots. We took some time to go over these items in detail. There have also been changes in some of the regulations affecting AUXAIR. We discussed the changes in the Auxiliary Manual, the Operations Policy Manual, and other various rules and regulations. We went over all of those in detail so that everyone is up to speed. Finally, we devoted some time to a “DSO-AV Survival Guide”, discussing some of the common issues and questions with which all DSO-AVs grapple. We discussed how to choose crew, how to delegate, how to manage, how to lead, how to put on a workshop and how to mix with our active duty colleagues. These are area that go beyond the black and white of rules and regulations, but which are important factors in the success of any AUXAIR program. O-DEPARTMENT – SURFACE OPERATIONS By Linda Nelson, DC-O The presentation of the Operations Workshop and DSO Roundtable are traditional components at N-TRAIN. The Qualification Examiner (QE) Guide, Surface STAN Team, Operations Policy Highlights, and Training Scenarios will be new elements. COMO Wargo introduced the QE Guide to the District Staff Officers for Operations (DSO-OP) . This document is intended to make life easier for the QE by providing “one stop shopping” for information that a QE requires. Sample questions and answers are provided for dockside oral exams. Check sheets are provided for underway check rides. COMO Wargo will also chair the Surface STAN Team, which will focus
on these objectives: Master Chief Gary Jensen, USCG, discussed some of the changes that are expected in the long awaited Auxiliary Operations Policy Manual (OPM). While a lot of the major restructuring of the OPM deals with the Aviation and Communications Divisions, there will be new policy for the surface community that reflects how we do business in the post 9-11 world. Master Chief Jensen also talked about SAMA, and the use of UTL-Ts. The training scenarios presented were developed by the Marine Safety (MS) Department in cooperation with Surface Operations. An emphasis was made on customizing these scenarios for use in different geographic locations. Presenters included Master Chief Gary Jensen from OCX-2, COMO Lew Wargo, BC-OSQ, and Mark Simoni, DVC-OS. We also had visits and comments from operations experts from both the active duty and Auxiliary operations personnel. E-Department - Education By Dick Clinchy, DC-E N-Train 2005 marked the second year for the department where we spent more time listening than talking. What we principally listening to was feedback from our DSO’s to ascertain future directions. On Friday evening we conducted a brainstorming session where we learned from the DSO’s the plusses and deltas in public education. These were identified by information being brought to N-Train by the DSO’s that they “harvested” from their Public Education Staff Officers (SO-PE and FSO-PE). Being far closer to the action than we at the national staff, our DSO’s were very representative of their constituents…the Flotillas. On Saturday we conducted breakout sessions addressing four principal
subjects: Saturday afternoon we conducted a joint discussion with the Recreational Boating Safety Program Visitor (RBSPV) members present. Our aim was to encourage greater synergy in the RBS directorate. Other topics that were presented and discussed included the following:
We presented an explanation of our new learning partnership with McGraw-Hill/International Marine and what it will mean to the quality of our future public education products…and a preview of the “Boating Essentials Library” P-Department – Personnel Services By Greg Trask, DC-Pd The Department of Personnel is all about helping. Our missions involve assisting the Districts, Divisions and Flotillas grow by helping them recruit new members; assisting the Academy by finding qualified and interested young people; and maintaining programs that assist the members with proudly serving in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. As such, our N-TTRAIN program highlighted some of the many programs that work behind the scenes as our organizational demands change and grow. Recruitment. New possibilities and venues are the watchwords as we move into the new realities that are our missions. Diversity of recruitment is absolutely essential and the ability to recruit on a targeted basis to fill needs that exist will become increasingly common. As such, part of our presentation time was spent looking at the world in a new way so that we can meet this need. Retention. Uniforms. Participation. V-Department - RBSV Program By Peter J. Urgola, DC-V Highlights of the Program Visitor Workshop By Peter J. Urgola, DC-V Highlights of the Program Visitor Workshop In January, the US Power Squadron signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Auxiliary to participate in the RBS-VP. Implementation and training strategies were discussed to effect an efficient introduction of USPS members to the program. Building effective Teams, Goal Setting, Communications, and Performance Measures are key skills required for any successful project. The DSO-PVs were provided those basic skills and they assisted in identifying areas to utilize a team approach in delivery of the RBS message. They also participated in establishing goals and measures to determine how successfully goals have been met. In addition to safety, opportunities to support maritime security issues were discussed and the Water Ways Watch Program was presented. The DSOs-PV were asked to carry this important message to their Districts and to cascade it to the Flotilla Program Visitors. The more individuals and partners that are involved in this vital program the more successful the effort. In summary, this years N-TRAIN experience for the DSOs-PV provided
them with an opportunity to share local successes and to discuss important
problems which hamper the progress of their efforts. |
