First IW LCPO Seminar Deemed Success
16 February 2022
SUFFOLK, Va. -- SUFFOLK, Va. – Navy Information Forces (NAVIFOR) introduced the first iteration of the Information Warfare Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO) Senior Leader Seminar (SLS). The 10-day course instructed 17 LCPO from all eight IW ratings. Chiefs serving in their first tour were provided lessons on relevant all-source IW, leadership, and self-care topics to be a successful IW leader for both afloat and ashore tours of duty.
“The IW SLS was a complete success,” said NAVIFOR’s Force Master Chief David Twiford, “The first term IW leaders now have more tools for their toolbox to make them relevant and successful leaders in the IW community.”
IW senior leaders will be better equipped in total force information warfare organization, operational Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC) roles, Sailor/Leader resources, enlisted leadership qualities, Maintenance, Material and Management (3M) afloat and ashore, warrior toughness, and leading themselves.
The NAVIFOR SLS program reinforces themes from Enlisted Leader Development (ELD),
Laying the Keel: Developing the Backbone of the Navy and
Navy Leader Development Framework. The training opportunities are designed to work in conjunction with the current Navy ELD continuum as well as legacy training offered to IW Sailors through their rating ladder to further develop the skills and mindset necessary to prepare enlisted Sailors for the duties and responsibilities required at their respective leadership roles within the IW Community. The Chiefs were given more than 20 classified briefings on current IW initiatives from Flag Officers and Command Senior Enlisted Leaders at IW commands, to include Naval Information Forces, 10th Fleet, The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Office of Naval Intelligence, Commander Naval Information Force Reserve, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, Naval Information Warfighting Development Center, Commander Strike Group 4/15, and Center for Information Warfare Training.
The seminar included a Command Master Chief panel, various senior officers and enlisted from within the IW enterprise, as well as mentorship from a variety of program IW lead chiefs. The attendees were also afforded the opportunity to have a mentorship lunch with retired Fleet Master Chief Susan Whitman.
“The IW LCPO Seminar is a great idea for newer leading Chiefs. There isn’t anything for these leaders at this time,” said retired Fleet Master Chief Susan Whitman. “This seminar is a place not only to learn but, also to network. For me, giving back after retirement is a priority. After 32 years of experience, policies and programs change but leadership transcends,” said Whitman.
A newly pinned chief, Chief Information Systems Technician Christine Brown from Commander, Carrier Strike Group Two, emphasized that the seminar makes her even more excited for the IW community's direction. “Force Twiford has a great mindset about IW, and I look forward to doing my part to open Sailor's minds to the IW community as a whole,” said Brown.
Chief Cryptologic Technicians (Technical) Steven Neely from Naval Information Warfighting Development Center, Norfolk, said, “This was the most informative two-week course I have ever been a part of.”
NAVIFOR plans to conduct this seminar in different geographic locations throughout the year, with the goal for this to become a formal course of instruction offered similar to the IW Officer intermediate course. The next seminar will be in San Diego at the end of February with the follow on seminars in Hawaii and the Gulf Coast in no particular order.
NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.
For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at
https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil.
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