Naval Education and Training Command: Warrior Toughness

Every U.S. Navy Sailor, enlisted or officer, could face life-threatening situations from combat or casualty. Each and every one needs to have the ability to persevere and perform under both immediate danger and long-term stress, both on the job and at home.

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. WT combines performance psychology skills with character development, and teaches the Warrior Mindset, whose concepts were initially developed by members of the Naval Special Warfare community.

Designed to increase the Navy’s warfighting capabilities, 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 curriculum is now incorporated across all Navy accessions at Officer Training Command Newport, the United States Naval Academy and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. WT will improve the performance of Sailors under stress and throughout their everyday lives, building lethal warfighters ready for the next mission.

Video by Sara Barger

MHSRS Award Winner: Dr. Thomas Davis

Defense Health Agency

Aug. 14, 2023 | 3:46

Dr. Thomas Davis, over nearly 30 years of federal service, has made remarkable contributions to the Military Health System, combat casualty care and transplant research, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, the Naval Medical Research Center, and the former Naval Medical Research Institute. His contributions have lead to major breakthroughs in combat-related wound healing and heterotopic ossification pathophysiology understanding, modeling, prediction and treatment, as well as substantive contributions to the field of human transplant research and immunotolerance. Both his academic productivity and his mentorship have paved the way for the next generation of military investigators.