PENSACOLA, Fla. – Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) hosted representatives from across the fleet for a Warrior Toughness (WT) working group offsite at Naval Air Station Pensacola, June 23-24, 2022.

Navy component command and type commander (TYCOM) stakeholders discussed different methods to train and educate the fleet on WT while building it into the existing culture and infusing it into existing training and programs.

“Warrior Toughness directly elevates the warfighting effectiveness of the fleet,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, NETC’s commander. “I am thankful for the work that has been done and the work ahead as we ensure our shipmates are best prepared to fight and win, wherever and whenever the nation calls.”

WT is a holistic human performance skillset that enhances the toughness of Sailors with a focus on the pursuit of peak performance. The system emphasizes coequal development of toughness in the mind, body, and soul. WT combines performance psychology skills with character development, and teaches the Warrior Mindset, concepts initially developed by members of the Naval Special Warfare community.



“Our job is to put together an initiative that will give the wardroom and Chiefs Mess a cognitive understanding of Warrior Toughness up to the level of what the Sailors are learning at Great Lakes,” Capt. David Thames, Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic’s force chaplain. “We are developing techniques to infuse those skillsets into the training life of a command in such a way to facilitate the chiefs and officers who are leading those training teams, repair lockers and force protection teams to incorporate Warrior Toughness concepts and skills into the way that training is executed onboard ships.”

WT is an enabler of the Culture of Excellence as part of the first line of effort – Developing a Lethal Warfighting Force. In place at Recruit Training Command since October 2018, the WT curriculum is incorporated across all Navy accessions at Officer Training Command Newport, the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. 

NETC has stood up two additional sites in Dam Neck and San Diego to train Advanced Warrior Toughness Trainers (AWTT) at the waterfront.  Currently, all NETC schoolhouses are in the process of injecting WT concepts and skillsets into current curriculum to fortify WT, building on what Sailors learn at boot camp. 

In FY22, each TYCOM was provided 15-20 seats to train AWTT on their staff on WT strategic rollout within their communities.  Both Commander, Naval Information Forces and Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic have trained additional AWTTs and provided templates at the offsite of their successful rollout for use by other TYCOMs starting in FY23.  In FY23, the Great Lakes WT team will be available to provide mobile training teams to various locations as requested by the TYCOMs. 

The WT mobile application is available through the Navy App Locker, and more about WT can be found online at https://www.netc.navy.mil/Warrior-Toughness/

NETC’s mission is to recruit and hire talented civilians, deliver training and education to transform civilians into Sailors and distribute accession Sailors to the fleet to maximize readiness and ensure mission success; to provide specialized training and educational tools to advance the personal and professional development of Sailors throughout their career; and serve as sole claimant for individual training and education and as the principal advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command on training and education related matters.

For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow MyNavy HR: Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MYNAVYHR/, Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/mynavyhr/ and Twitter at http://twitter.com/mynavyhr/