ROK top training naval officer observes U. S. Navy training

Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) hosted the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy's commander of Naval Education and Training Oct. 3.
    During the day-long visit, Vice Adm. Son Jung-Mok observed training at the U.S. Navy's only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC), and Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes.
    "I am pleased to be here to see how the U.S. Navy trains its sailors," Son said. "The information received during this visit is valuable."
    The visit began with a tour at RTC's premiere training facility, USS Trayer (BST 21), the 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator, the U. S. Navy's largest, where recruits go through Battle Stations, a grueling 12-hour culmination of basic training and the last evolution recruits accomplish before they graduate.
    Son and his staff were amazed by the sights, sounds and smells Trayer presented by using the latest in simulation technology with video screens, piped-in smells, large stereo woofer-created vibrations and shipboard sound effects, from helicopters to missile hits.
    "Battle Stations was very impressive and something we need to look at doing for our Navy," Son said.
    Capt. Steven G. Bethke, RTC's commanding officer, escorted the group during their tour of RTC.  Bethke said it is important that other U.S. military forces, foreign military allies and society get to see how the U.S. Navy trains its recruits at boot camp.
    "This works out to be a best practice where they get a chance to take a look at how they do their training and compare it with how we do our training," Bethke said. "It's just a win all the way around. The relationship between us and the (Republic of) Korean navy is probably the best that there is because we really are very similar in our operating and in our training."
    GSE(SW) Seung Song, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at RTC originally from Busan, ROK, and Son's interpreter during the visit, said Son's visit to RTC benefits both the ROK and U.S. navies.
    "By doing this program with the ROK Navy, RTC promotes a positive relationship with the South Korean Navy, which leads to a positive relationship with our Navy, and ultimately with our nation," said Song, who graduated U. S. Navy boot camp in 2001 and has worked and escorted other ROK visitors and dignitaries since being assigned to RTC in 2009. "For the Korean navy, they learn and adapt new techniques learned here at RTC, and that will improve their boot camp facilities, recruit, PT [physical training] and medical programs."
    Along with the tour of Trayer and Battle Stations, the group also toured one of the 13 new recruit ships, or barracks, on RTC. While inside the recruit barracks, the group saw how each is set up like a ship with galleys, classrooms, berthing compartments and offices. They observed how the daily routine for a recruit is similar to the routine on board a ship or submarine in the fleet, and toured the different facilities that provide training in weapons handling, weapons firing, firefighting, damage control, line handling and the state-of-the-art physical fitness facility, Freedom Hall.
    Son also saw firsthand the training at the Recruit Division Commander (RDC) "C" School, which for the past four years has trained ROK sailors to return to their homeland and use their training as RDCs in the ROK Navy boot camp.
    "The admiral and his staff officers were very impressed with the living conditions for the recruits and all the different (training) systems that are available to the recruits," Song said.
    Following their tour of RTC, Son and his staff had lunch at the historic Quarters AA, where they continued discussions about the tour and working together.
    "Having a solid working relationship is extremely important to both our navies," said Rear Adm. David F. Steindl, commander, NSTC. "The mutual cooperation we have ensures a continued open dialogue, better training and a partnership in maintaining our 'Global Force for Good' on both sides of the Pacific Ocean."
    Later in the afternoon, Capt. Peter R. Lintner, commanding officer of TSC Great Lakes, escorted Son and his staff to various TSC facilities, where they received an up-close look at what TSC Great Lakes and its learning sites have to offer. Lintner began the TSC tour with an in-depth meeting that provided Son insight into the inner-workings of TSC and its relationship to the Great Lakes learning sites.
    The group also toured the Center for Naval Engineering (CNE) and Center for Surface Combat Systems Unit (CSCSU), examining the step-by-step process that trains sailors on their path to the fleet. While at CSCSU, Son observed the learning environment at the seamanship trainer, the USS White Hat. Cmdr. Mark A. Meskimen, commanding officer of CSCSU Great Lakes, escorted Son and his staff through the facility and covered the basics of the Boatswain's Mate "A" School and Surface Common Core training program.
    The tour then proceeded to the Operations Specialist and Quartermaster "A" Schools.
    While visiting the Ship Self-Defense System (SSD) lab simulator, Meskimen explained the training pipeline to Son, and how each school strives to prepare each sailor with the best learning environment possible.
    Lt. David M. Andrews, the Basic Engineering Common Core (BECC)/Strand Director for Center for Naval Engineering (CNE), showed the group the training facilities in BECC and its labs, explaining the instructor-lead blended training environment (ILE) used by the site along with an explanation of the concepts of computer-based training (CBT) at the schoolhouse.
    Andrews, who was assigned to the ROK Navy destroyer Sejong the Great (DDG 991) for a month as part of an exchange program, said he is aware of the need for coordinated training for ROK sailors who sail on many former U.S. Navy ships sold to the ROK Navy.
    "Having worked with the South Korean Navy in the recent past, I can readily identify significant similarities between our Navy and theirs, from the way we operate and maintain our ships to the way we train our sailors," Andrews said. "The ROKs maintain an exceptionally well-trained and maintained fleet and, through the continued development of an already existing military partnership between our navies, I am confident we'll continue to see refinement of their engineering training processes and techniques."
    Lt. Jeffrey Yancy, acting officer-in-charge for CNE, provided Son a tour of the flat panel diesel simulator. He explained how CNE prepares students to become apprentice technicians.
    Song said the entire visit provided Son and his staff new-found training knowledge and a stronger bond with its U. S. training allies.
    "The best part of a tour like this one is that we are building a better relationship between us and the South Korean Navy," Song said. "They are one of our biggest naval allies, and I noticed when Adm. Son was talking to Adm. Steindl that a lot of their training and ideas come from our training."