Topic: MARS Officer - Command Development Course

[MARS]

The end of the dreaded "Command Exams"...

UNCLAS CMS 064-09 MARGEN 048-09
SIC BAB
SECTION 1 OF 2
SUBJ: COMMAND DEVELOPMENT COURSE (CDC)
BILINGUAL MESSAGE/MESSAGE BILINGUE
REF: NAVAL OFFICER CAREER PROGRESSION LETTER DATED 19 OCT 2009
1.  AS STATED AT THE REFERENCE, EVERY MARS OFFICER IS EXPECTED TO
VIGOROUSLY PURSUE COMMAND AT SEA.  UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PRESENT
COMMAND QUALIFICATION SYSTEM WAS OFTEN VIEWED BY JUNIOR OFFICERS AS
A DISINCENTIVE TO ACHIEVING THIS MILESTONE, IT WAS CLEAR TO THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE NAVY THAT THE TIME WAS APPROPRIATE TO REVIEW THE
CURRENT COMMAND QUALIFICATION PROCESS.  THIS REVIEW LED TO THE
DESIGN OF WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE A RELEVANT AND APPEALING COURSE
WHICH WILL ACT AS A CATALYST IN INSPIRING FUTURE COMBAT LEADERS TO
ASPIRE TO COMMAND.  IT WILL BE A HIGH IMPACT AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCE
READYING THE CANDIDATES FOR THIS CHALLENGE AND ARMING THEM WITH A
BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS
2.  THE AIM OF THE CDC IS TO DEVELOP IN OFFICERS THE COMMAND-LEVEL
KNOWLEDGE, LEADERSHIP, APPRECIATION, CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND
DECISION-MAKING SKILLS NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY COMMAND HMC SHIPS.
THE COURSE HAS FIVE MAIN AREAS OF STUDY (PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES):
COMMANDING A WARSHIP, FIGHTING A WARSHIP, MANOEUVRING THE SHIP, SHIP
OPERATIONS, AND MARCOM GOVERNANCE. IT WILL BE A TEN WEEK COURSE,
SIXTEEN CANDIDATES PER COURSE, COMPRISED OF A MIX OF INDIVIDUAL
STUDY, GROUP SEMINARS, PRACTICAL EXERCISES IN A SIMULATOR OR AT
SEA,AND GUEST LECTURERS.  IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE AN ORCA PHASE THAT
WILL GRANT ALL OFFICERS THEIR OIC QUALIFICATION
3.  THE CDC WILL BE LINKED TO THE ORO COURSE AND AS SUCH, IT IS
PLANNED THAT THOSE WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ORO AT-SEA PHASE
WILL PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CDC COURSE.  CANDIDATES SELECTED
FROM THE COHORT OF OFFICERS WHO ARE ORO, COPS, OR SMORO QUALIFIED
BUT HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE COMMAND PART 1 WILL COMPLETE THE COURSE
LOADING.  HAVING SAID THIS, AN OPPORTUNITY EXISTS TO CONDUCT A
COURSE IN APRIL 2010.  IT HAS THEREFORE BEEN DECIDED TO RUN THE
PILOT CDC COMMENCING IN APRIL 2010 WITH CANDIDATES DRAWN FROM THE
AFOREMENTIONED COHORT, STEADY-STATE BEING ACHIEVED FOLLOWING ORO
SERIAL 0031.  IT IS PLANNED THAT THE CDC WILL BE MODULARIZED AND
AVAILABLE FOR DELIVERY THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING COMBINED WITH A
RESIDENTIAL MODULE OF APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS.  THIS MODULARISED
COURSE WOULD BE AIMED MOSTLY AT CLASS A RESERVISTS AS REG FORCE
OFFICERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE 10-WEEK COURSE, AS WELL AS
RESERVISTS WITH A 10-WEEK AVAILABILITY PERIOD
4.  VENTURE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO DEVELOP THE COURSE CONTENT AND
DELIVER THE COURSE FOR THE NEAR FUTURE.  OFFICERS WILL BE GRANTED
THE COMMAND PART ONE QUALIFICATION UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE
CDC.  EACH STUDENT WILL ALSO RECEIVE A DETAILED COURSE REPORT FROM
VEN THAT WILL PROVIDE BOTH THE OFFICER AND HIS OR HER COMMANDING
OFFICER A PRESCRIPTION ON HOW TO BEST PREPARE FOR THE COMMAND PART
TWO BOARD. THE CDC COURSE REPORT WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE COMMAND
BOARD LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.  IT IS EXPECTED THAT OFFICERS
GRADUATING FROM THE CDC WILL BE READY TO CHALLENGE THE COMMAND PART
TWO BOARD FOLLOWING MENTORSHIP AT SEA BY THEIR NEW CO
5.  THE TRANSITION PLAN BETWEEN THE CDC AND THE END OF COMMAND PART
ONE EXAMS WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS.  AFTER THIS
PERIOD, COMMAND EXAMS UNDER THEIR CURRENT FORMAT WILL NO LONGER BE
AVAILABLE.  COMMAND EXAMS SERIES BRAVO (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
TIMEFRAME) WILL THEREFORE REPRESENT THE LAST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE
OFFICERS WHO HAVE ALREADY MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN ACHIEVING
THE COMMAND PART 1 QUALIFICATION UNDER THE CURRENT CONSTRUCT
6.  THIS DEDICATED AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE MARS OFFICER S
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOWARD COMMAND IS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH
THAT WILL COMPLEMENT AN OFFICER S EXPERIENCE AND THE CONTINUED
MENTORING PROVIDED IN OUR FLEET. THE FOCUS IS SHIFTED TO LEARNING
AND DEVELOPMENT VICE MERE EXAMINATION.  IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE
PLACED BY THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NAVY IN DEVELOPING THE HIGHEST
CALIBRE OF CAPTAINS TO LEAD OUR SHIPS AND THE NAVY OF TOMORROW
END OF ENGLISH TEXT/LE TEXTE FRANCAIS SUIT

[Dimsum]

....and if they remove the FNO course, I may just come back to the Naval Reserve!   

I kid, I kid (just in case any Career Managers are taking notes!) 

[Snakedoc]

Interesting news and I'm glad to see the modular equivalent of the course mentioned as well for the Class A world.  Addition of the ORCA OIC qualification is a nice little addition/incentive for reservists currently trying to get on the ORCA OIC course.

[Sailorwest]

It will be interesting to see how this will work. There would certainly be advantages of doing it this way as those who are maybe academically inclined but who have no real potential for command might be weeded out through a course such as this. Part 1 can have a significant effect on merit rankings and perhaps it is not reasonable that a person who has time to prepare and write an exam should get that benefit without any demonstration of real ability to lead in command. The challenge i could see here is that experience at sea will be more critical in being able to progress through these course modules. For the average Cl A who has more limited time to get that experience, I am not sure that this program would offer them much until they are able to get that experience. It would appear that you may need COPS to get course loaded. That course tends to be difficult for Cl A to get on if they are not intending to proceed to the coast to take up a position on a ship.

[FSTO]

It is about bloody time they got rid of those useless exams.

[Lex Parsimoniae]

UNCLAS
DGMPR 14/09 MARGEN 38/09 161215Z SEP 09
 
SUBJ: COMMAND QUALIFICATION CERTIFICATES
 
1. COMMAND IS AND REMAINS THE HIGHLIGHT OF A MARS OFFICER S CAREER. THE PURSUIT OF COMMAND IS NO EASY FEAT WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES BEING SUCCESS AT THE COMMAND QUALIFICATION BOARD. IN THE PAST, SUCCESS AT A BOARD MEANT HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS AND THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE AEEG QUALIFICATION CODE. SOME BOARDS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO ISSUE CERTIFICATES HIGHLIGHTING THIS ACHIEVEMENT
 
2. THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES FROM THE SPRING 2009 COMMAND BOARD ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENT WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE ISSUANCE OF THE FIRST OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE OF COMMAND QUALIFICATION BY CMS
 
3. SUCCESSFUL OFFICERS FROM PREVIOUS BOARDS MAY BE ISSUED THE SAME CERTIFICATE AT THEIR REQUEST. ANY COMMAND QUALIFED OFFICER MAY REQUEST THE CERTIFICATE BY FORWARDING THE FOLLOWING PARTICULARS BY E-MAIL TO LCDR BOISJOLI, DMTE 2-2 SO OPERATIONS TRG:
 
A. FULL NAME
 
B. SN
 
C. BOARD DATE
 
D. BOARD CHAIR.
 
/BT

[Acer Syrup]

Sorry, ORO, COPS, OR SMORO? Not familiar with these.

[Lex Parsimoniae]

Sorry, ORO, COPS, OR SMORO? Not familiar with these.

Operations Room Officer (ORO), Coastal Operations (COPS), and Submarine Operations Room Officer (SMORO).

[Acer Syrup]

Thank you

[Journeyman]

I avoided comment when the tread/message initially appeared, but since it's been resurrected....

SUBJ: COMMAND DEVELOPMENT COURSE (CDC)
1.  ---
IT WILL BE A HIGH IMPACT AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCE
READYING THE CANDIDATES FOR THIS CHALLENGE AND ARMING THEM WITH A
BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

It sounds like some Naval staff officer graduated from the PowerPoint school of cliché buzzwords


OK, I'll get back in my lane, away from the Sea and Air folks