The Center for Service Support’s (CSS) Human Resources Center of Excellence (HRCOE) completed the latest iteration of their Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) Commanding Officer Seminar at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, Feb. 13, 2025.
 
The seminar, which forms part of the Human Resources Officer School (HROS) Seminars, saw seven Human Resources Officers (HRO) complete a four-day training to prepare them for future leadership roles at MEPS across the United States.
 
“Across the MyNavy HR enterprise, the MEPS is one of the very first touch points we make with our Sailors,” said Cmdr. Abaigeal Hillyard, HRCOE’s deputy director. “This seminar is not only a critical investment in the continuing education of our HR professionals, it’s an invaluable opportunity for these prospective commanding officers to learn from other officers and senior enlisted leaders who have led in a MEPS and to build networking relationships that will ensure they thrive in command, showing up on day one prepared to support each future warfighter that walks through “Freedom’s Front Door”.”
 
The Navy’s HR community created the HROS to provide ready, relevant learning to officers headed into critical HR roles; preparing them for the roles and responsibilities of each billet while lessening the learning curve upon arrival at their new jobs. Current MEPS commanding officers serve as instructors for the course sharing their firsthand experiences and expertise with the soon-to-be commanders.
 
"It's important to have current MEPS leaders teach the seminar to ensure prospective MEPS commanders attending the seminar receive accurate and up-to-date information on policy, procedures, and operational challenges before stepping into their roles,” said Capt. Chris Carmichael, commander, Western Sector, U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command (USMEPCOM). “This course is like having cheat codes for a video game, commanders that are able to attend this seminar take command with perspectives and tools that put them ahead of their peers that didn’t receive the same training opportunity.”
 
With 65 MEPS across the country, HRCOE’s Seminar allows future MEPS commanders to align their capabilities and build their knowledge base laying the foundation for each of them to uphold USMEPCOM’s standards of excellence. The latest iteration of the seminar was instructed by three current MEPS and Battalion Commanders covering a broad range of topics including USMEPCOM’s Mission, Organizational Structure, Stakeholders, Regulations, Daily Operations, the Organizational Inspection Program, Civilian Hiring and Management, Military Personnel Management across services, and best practices.
 
"As a new MEPS commander, this course was incredibly valuable,” said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Nash, Indianapolis MEPS’ commander. “There were several times the class and instructors engaged in discussions covering various situations outside of the curricula, and it became a group mentorship session on how to navigate some of the challenges of being a commander. The instructors shared lessons learned from their own experiences allowing us to incorporate those successes and controls much earlier in our tours; this is simply one of the most immediately applicable and useful courses I’ve ever taken.”
 
As part of CSS, HRCOE was established in 2007 by the Chief of Naval Personnel to serve as a focal point for the HR community to further deliver expertise in defining, recruiting, developing, assigning, and retaining a highly skilled naval workforce. The HROS delivers timely, progressive development to groom officers for success in our most challenging MyNavy HR assignments by working closely with the Officer Community Manager (OCM) and detailing shop to target the right officers with the right training at critical career points. Current seminar topics offered include: CVN Training Officer Seminar, MEPS Seminar, N1 Seminar, Transient Personnel (TPU) Seminar, and Transaction Service Center/Regional Support Center Seminar.
 
CSS provides Sailors in the Naval Administration, Chaplaincy, Command Support Program Management, Human Resources, Logistics, Maintenance Coordination, Media, and Security Management communities the necessary professional skills, knowledge, and education to support the fleet’s warfighting mission.
 
To learn more about the Navy’s HR community follow here: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Detailing/Officer/Pers-44-Staff-RL/Human-Resources/.
 
To learn more about CSS follow here: https://www.netc.navy.mil/CSS/.