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The Professional Naval Chaplaincy Executive Board (PNCEB) was held at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) for a professional development off-site Feb. 28 to March 2, 2023, which was the first time that Naval Air Station Pensacola has hosted the PNCEB.
Rear Adm. Gregory Todd, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Navy, Rear Adm. Carey Cash, Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the U. S. Navy, and senior enlisted leader to the Chief of Chaplains, Master Chief Peter J. Butucel attended the offsite. The board also included 30 Religious Program Specialists and chaplains from Echelon 2 and 3 commands. Together, leaders of the religious ministry teams discussed ways to improve the delivery of religious ministry and remain spiritually ready to care for those under their charge.
Faculty from the College of Leadership and Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College, in Newport, Rhode Island, led professional development training during the first two days of the offsite. They developed challenging curricula for preparing the senior Religious Program specialists and chaplains to keep pace with the modern challenges facing the fleet.
Captain Charles Varsogea, commanding officer of the Naval Chaplaincy School in Newport, Rhode Island, and force chaplain for NETC, thanked the board members and the faculty for traveling to Pensacola.
“Rear Admiral Garvin appreciates that the Chaplain Corps is at a critical moment in its commitment to help the Navy face the most significant challenges in a century,” said Varsogea.
“I am also extremely proud of the work the Navy’s most senior chaplains and Religious Program specialists will do while gathered here to organize themselves to create, increase, and sustain Spiritual Readiness throughout the Sea Services, especially at a time when readiness of every kind is of paramount importance,” said Varsogea.
Rear Adm. Garvin, commander, Naval Education and Training Command, welcomed the board members to Pensacola and thanked them for their crucial contributions to force development.
“We must pursue excellence at each and every level. Professional development opportunities like these allow you to be an invaluable resource in a rapidly evolving fleet, and in an evolving world. Whether it’s through your faith, leadership or providing personal advice, chaplains play such an important role in the development and care of our Navy team. You help strengthen the hearts, minds, and souls of Sailors and Marines at every command, helping to make them better warfighters,” said Garvin.
The religious ministry teams strengthen Total Sailor Fitness by increasing Sailor trust and connectedness, as outlined in the Chief of Naval Operations’ Navigation Plan 2022. Chaplains and Religious Program specialists work in conjunction with the Warrior Toughness program to build resilient Sailors, Marines, and military families. They teach the skills necessary to overcome the challenges of military service and augment fleet readiness.
Warrior Toughness (WT) is a holistic human performance skillset that enhances the toughness of our Sailors with a focus on the pursuit of peak performance. The system emphasizes coequal development of toughness in the mind, body, and soul.
On the final day, leaders discussed the future of the Chaplain Corps and programs that are vital to the delivery of religious ministry throughout the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The 28th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy, Rear Admiral Gregory Todd, delivered closing remarks to senior leaders.
“Investing in our leaders is critical to the future of the Navy Chaplain Corps and NAS Pensacola was an ideal venue for that to happen,” said Todd.
“The in-person training provided by Naval War College’s College of Leadership and Ethics was insightful in building a collaborative leadership team focused on the Spiritual Readiness of Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. While team building was my goal, the team couldn’t wait to put their learning to work, culminating the week by tackling some thorny manpower issues. My profound thanks to RADM Garvin and the NWC professors for enabling our leadership growth,” said Todd.
The offsite provided an opportunity for religious ministry teams to build trust, analyze feedback to honestly evaluate their current efforts, and align their future efforts to produce more effective, mission-capable religious ministry teams.
NETC recruits, trains, and delivers those who serve our nation, taking them from “street to fleet,” by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat-ready warfighters.
For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow the command’s social media: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NETCHQ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/netc_hq