DAHLGREN, Va. – The Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) transferred Boatswain’s Mate (BM), Surface / Seaman Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks, and Deck Mission Area training to Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC) April 1. 
 
“This official transfer properly aligns deck training to SWSC’s mission as lead for navigation, shiphandling and seamanship training,” explains Capt. Dave Stoner, commanding officer, CSCS.  “This initiative also allows us to focus solely on warfighting training.  CSCS is the only training command that trains every individual surface navy warrior in the maintenance, operations, and tactical employment of surface combat systems. Our contribution to the fleet is confident and competent warfighters who are prepared for all phases of training and ultimately to fight and win tonight.”
 
The overall effort was led by Lt. Ryan McClain, CSCS’ deck limited duty officer and deck systems lead. 
 
“CSCS and SWSC started working together and preparing for this transition in June 2020,” McClain said.  “It involved the transfer of all course of instructions, personnel qualification standards, instructors, staff, facilities, technical training equipment and devices, information technology assets, and all associated funding.  Our goal was to accomplish this by October 2021.  Great cooperation between two professional organizations allowed us to complete this early.  I cannot begin to describe the hard work that hundreds of civilian and military personnel have contributed to accomplish this six months earlier than originally planned.” 
 
Capt. Christopher Alexander, commanding officer, SWSC, and his staff are looking forward to working with the many BMs, including McClain, who now align under his command.
 
“This is a win-win situation,” Alexander said.  “We welcome the deck team coming onboard SWSC.  This transition now allows us to cover every aspect of navigation, seamanship, and shiphandling training.  It also allows our teammates from CSCS to focus their efforts on the critical mission of combat systems training.”
 

This was truly a team effort across the training community.
 
“I greatly appreciate the collaboration between CSCS, SWSC and the Naval Education and Training Command staff to facilitate this necessary transfer,” Stoner said.  “We have improved training as a whole and in turn, our Sailors will become more effective warfighters for the high-end fight.  However, we will miss our dedicated shipmates who have provided world-class deck training since the inception of CSCS in 2004.”  
 
CSCS is a global organization that consists of 14 learning sites / detachments located throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, Japan, and Spain.  Approximately 1,500 instructors train 36,000 Sailors a year.  CSCS’ mission is to train the fleet so that our Navy can fight and win! 
 
For more information on the Boatswain's Mate community, visit
https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/bm-rate/home
 
For information on the Center for Surface Combat System, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/CSCS/  
 
Visit CSCS on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Surface-Combat-Systems/1480366868885239