Sailors in a number of rates now have the opportunity to take three “C” School courses focused on surface ships’ upgraded steering gear technology.

Surface Warfare Engineering School Command (SWESC) Great Lakes is offering Electricians Mate’s, Machinist’s Mates, and Interior communications electrician third class petty officers to master chief petty officers Surface Steering Gear Electrical and Surface Steering Gear Mechanical “C” schools.  Surface Steering Gear Common Core “C” School will be available for Electronics Technicians and Enginemen.

“The courses were created so Sailors can gain the knowledge and skills needed to safely operate and maintain steering gear systems.,” said Senior Chief Engineman Tasha Locklear, leading chief petty officer for SWESC Auxiliary Department. “Sailors will learn the upgraded modernized technology that allows the transfer control the steering gear to multiple consoles in case of emergencies onboard DDG51 class ships.”

The upgraded modernized system uses software applications to communicate via various Ethernet Local Area Networks (LAN) and the ship’s Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System (GEDMS) used to supply rudder position data to rudder angle indicators throughout the ship.  This electrical signal that represents the position of the rudder converts linear motion via hydraulics into rotational force to change the position of a rudder.  The courses cover each operating evolution and maintenance action in accordance with official instructions, Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) Command technical manuals and references, and the Ships' Maintenance and Material Management system, under limited supervision and during all conditions of ship readiness, in-port and underway.

“Upon successful completion of the ‘C’ School courses Sailors will be able to perform preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and corrective maintenance procedures on the steering gear systems using required technical references, special tools, and common hand tools” Locklear said. “They will become better technicians, self-reliant and confidant while maintaining steering gear systems.”

ETs and ENs will learn hydraulic theory, operate, and perform basic troubleshooting procedures on steering gear systems, regardless of ship class in the Surface Steering Gear Common Core course.

The Surface Steering Gear Electrical Pipeline course will provide personnel with the knowledge and skills required to safely operate, troubleshoot, and maintain steering control subsystems at the organizational level.

Surface Steering Gear Mechanical Pipeline course will provide personnel with the knowledge and skills required to safely operate, troubleshoot, and maintain, at the organizational level, surface ship steering gear.

Sailors who successfully complete the Surface Steering Gear Electrical and Mechanical courses will receive Navy Enlisted Classifications 748B or U68A.

“This has been an outstanding Navy team effort, SWESC has worked with NAVSEA, TYCOMS, OEM and Fleet Units gathering all the real time information required to deliver the correct training to the fleet technician’s, ensuring the fleets sustainability,” said SWESC Great Lakes Commanding Officer Cmdr. Shawn Gibson. “I can say with certainty, that after visiting fleet concentration areas that the training coming out of our Surface Steering Gear ‘C’ School courses are definitely needed now.”

The implementation of the SWESC Great Lakes “C” School courses is part of the MyNavy HR Sailor 2025 initiative to improve and modernize personnel management and training systems to more effectively recruit, develop, manage, reward, and retain the force of tomorrow. 

A pillar of Sailor 2025, Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL) delivers a modernized learning continuum that aligns training with fleet requirements and warfighter needs.  The Surface Steering Gear courses serves as an example of how traditional classroom instruction is changing offering measurable improvements to a Sailor’s ability to learn and to retain the knowledge and skills required to be successful at a given point in his or her career. The long-term vision of RRL is to take that kind of modernized training to the point of need in the fleet at the waterfront.

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