WEBVTT 00:01.775 --> 00:03.232 - [Leader] Are you, are you ready? 00:03.232 --> 00:05.159 - [Crowd] Are you, are you ready? 00:05.159 --> 00:07.517 (leader continues cadence) 00:07.517 --> 00:09.209 (crowd follows cadence) 00:09.209 --> 00:11.280 (leader continues cadence) 00:11.280 --> 00:13.710 - Recruit Training Command is the quarterdeck 00:13.710 --> 00:15.450 of the United States Navy. 00:15.450 --> 00:18.350 Every enlisted Sailor begins their Naval career here. 00:18.350 --> 00:20.180 And our mission is fairly simple. 00:20.180 --> 00:23.180 It's to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, 00:23.180 --> 00:26.370 physically fit Sailors ready for follow-on training 00:26.370 --> 00:28.202 and service to the fleet. 00:28.202 --> 00:31.570 - Out of the bus into the building, move it! 00:31.570 --> 00:32.403 While doing so, 00:32.403 --> 00:34.470 to instill in them the highest values of 00:34.470 --> 00:36.962 honor, courage and commitment. 00:36.962 --> 00:39.490 (military cadence) 00:39.490 --> 00:42.010 Our training environment is controlled chaos. 00:42.010 --> 00:44.620 And while it may not seem like that to the recruits, 00:44.620 --> 00:47.193 each and every event has meaning and purpose. 00:48.260 --> 00:49.730 When the CNO released his strategy 00:49.730 --> 00:51.790 for maintaining maritime superiority, 00:51.790 --> 00:54.800 he instructed us to instill in our young Sailors, 00:54.800 --> 00:57.710 the four attributes of integrity, initiative 00:57.710 --> 00:59.503 accountability and toughness. 01:00.950 --> 01:02.700 Toughness was something we really wanted 01:02.700 --> 01:04.910 to instill in our young Sailors. 01:04.910 --> 01:08.992 The million-dollar question was how were we gonna do that? 01:08.992 --> 01:11.720 (military cadence) 01:11.720 --> 01:15.620 - We all knew that, yes, we need tough Sailors, right. 01:15.620 --> 01:19.440 We had incidences of missiles being fired at ships, 01:19.440 --> 01:23.610 collisions and yet while we had a lot of very heroic Sailors 01:23.610 --> 01:26.270 step up and do what they needed to do 01:26.270 --> 01:27.490 to get through that situation, 01:27.490 --> 01:31.360 unfortunately, we have a lot of incidences of our Sailors 01:31.360 --> 01:32.900 not being able to cope. 01:32.900 --> 01:35.250 That stress level gets really high. 01:35.250 --> 01:37.310 When you're in a fight, flight or freeze 01:37.310 --> 01:39.693 and we can't afford to have our Sailors freeze. 01:41.370 --> 01:43.280 - The Navy's top Admiral has ordered 01:43.280 --> 01:45.990 a one-day worldwide safety review 01:45.990 --> 01:49.930 after a destroyer collided with a civilian oil tanker. 01:49.930 --> 01:52.332 - So while I was on board the USS Johnson McCain, 01:52.332 --> 01:53.860 We were in Singapore. 01:53.860 --> 01:56.360 We sustained a collision at sea. 01:56.360 --> 01:58.490 I was immediately thrown from my chair 01:58.490 --> 02:01.030 while standing the electrical plant. 02:01.030 --> 02:01.950 As a Damage Controlman, 02:01.950 --> 02:04.070 it's something that we trained for, all the time, 02:04.070 --> 02:05.890 never been in that kind of situation. 02:05.890 --> 02:09.540 But I didn't hesitate. 02:09.540 --> 02:11.140 I wanted to go straight to what was happening 02:11.140 --> 02:13.590 so that way, we could figure out what was going on 02:13.590 --> 02:15.263 and fix the situation. 02:17.600 --> 02:21.260 Some people were unable to actually operate. 02:21.260 --> 02:23.700 They just went into a corner and sat there 02:23.700 --> 02:25.587 and then when we were, "What are you doing, 02:25.587 --> 02:26.650 "we need your help?" 02:26.650 --> 02:29.440 They wouldn't move, wouldn't operate, whatsoever. 02:29.440 --> 02:31.400 Some took a little bit of time 02:31.400 --> 02:33.480 to make their initial reactions. 02:33.480 --> 02:35.290 Eventually, they were able to get into the fight 02:35.290 --> 02:38.030 and then there were the select few that actually 02:38.030 --> 02:39.480 there was no hesitation, 02:39.480 --> 02:42.030 immediately just started doing what they know 02:42.030 --> 02:43.717 or knew what they had to do. 02:43.717 --> 02:46.010 (gunshots) 02:46.010 --> 02:49.770 - The emotions are one of the most important things 02:49.770 --> 02:54.770 that run while during in a tense situation like that. 02:54.860 --> 02:57.620 Having the ability to fall back on training 02:57.620 --> 02:58.453 and things like that 02:58.453 --> 03:02.390 is almost second nature when you're in a combat zone. 03:02.390 --> 03:04.630 I understand that everything's chaotic, 03:04.630 --> 03:08.320 it's unpredictable, there's a million things going on, 03:08.320 --> 03:11.070 but the one thing that you need to be able to control 03:11.070 --> 03:14.120 and have a grasp of, is your own emotions, 03:14.120 --> 03:16.290 because if you can't keep those in check, 03:16.290 --> 03:19.043 you're gonna become a liability for everyone around you. 03:20.290 --> 03:23.450 - With the way that the world is currently going 03:23.450 --> 03:28.450 and these heightened threats from greater world powers, 03:28.880 --> 03:30.390 we need tougher Sailors. 03:30.390 --> 03:35.287 And it was very noticeable on the night of August 2017 03:36.410 --> 03:37.860 during that collision at sea. 03:40.260 --> 03:42.680 - And so, I figured where do we start? 03:42.680 --> 03:46.070 Well, the best and most logical step is to start 03:46.070 --> 03:48.450 where our Sailors first come in and the Accession part 03:48.450 --> 03:50.120 and that's Recruit Training Command. 03:50.120 --> 03:52.880 So that's the first place that we sought about 03:52.880 --> 03:55.573 instilling toughness within our recruits. 03:55.573 --> 03:58.656 (gentle piano music) 04:02.226 --> 04:03.476 - New recruits. 04:04.910 --> 04:06.870 Then they start to commit 04:06.870 --> 04:08.400 to buying in, to the concept. 04:08.400 --> 04:10.560 - This program at RTC first started 04:10.560 --> 04:13.814 when Admiral Bernanke at Naval Service Training Command 04:13.814 --> 04:17.610 locked a Navy SEAL, a Chaplain and a Clinical Psychologist 04:17.610 --> 04:20.400 into a room and said, hey figure it out. 04:20.400 --> 04:21.490 Get after toughness. 04:21.490 --> 04:22.850 How do we create a program 04:22.850 --> 04:25.150 based on the body, mind, soul approach? 04:25.150 --> 04:26.270 And that's what we've done. 04:26.270 --> 04:30.550 We believe we've found toughness at the intersection 04:30.550 --> 04:33.857 of mental, physical and spiritual strength. 04:33.857 --> 04:36.940 (gentle piano music) 04:42.290 --> 04:44.180 - Have them be doing the mindfulness exercises 04:44.180 --> 04:45.232 to strengthen that part of your brain 04:45.232 --> 04:46.330 that allows you to that. 04:46.330 --> 04:48.330 Both mindfulness and performance psychology 04:48.330 --> 04:51.163 have a wealth of evidence supporting them. 04:52.330 --> 04:55.280 They were shown to increase self-regulation 04:55.280 --> 04:57.550 and also increase performance. 04:57.550 --> 04:59.030 Mindfulness in particular, 04:59.030 --> 05:01.930 has been shown to strengthen the part of our brain 05:01.930 --> 05:04.850 that is in charge of rational thinking, 05:04.850 --> 05:07.160 slowing down our emotional process, 05:07.160 --> 05:09.633 careful planning and problem-solving. 05:15.640 --> 05:17.460 - What makes someone tough? 05:17.460 --> 05:19.210 What are some of those characteristics? 05:19.210 --> 05:21.320 - I think toughness is the result 05:21.320 --> 05:24.720 of having a person of both character and competency. 05:24.720 --> 05:28.510 We must know the skills sets required to complete our jobs, 05:28.510 --> 05:31.960 regardless of designator or rating. 05:31.960 --> 05:34.040 And we must be people of character 05:34.040 --> 05:36.390 who are rooted in honor, courage and commitment 05:37.420 --> 05:39.970 and exhibit things like integrity, toughness 05:39.970 --> 05:42.380 and initiative and accountability. 05:42.380 --> 05:44.863 And when we do that, toughness is the end result. 05:52.070 --> 05:54.660 - It's easier said than done in many cases. 05:54.660 --> 05:56.140 But before you get into 05:56.140 --> 05:59.350 a potentially contentious engagement... 05:59.350 --> 06:02.032 - It brought a SEAL into Warrior Toughness 06:02.032 --> 06:04.130 because we're the main action arm 06:04.130 --> 06:06.060 in terms of boots on the ground 06:06.060 --> 06:08.380 where the folks, our communities, are the ones 06:08.380 --> 06:11.641 that have been facing combat for the last almost 20 years. 06:11.641 --> 06:13.610 I said, no, by bringing a SEAL in, 06:13.610 --> 06:15.030 it maintains that credibility 06:15.030 --> 06:17.490 to say, yes, these are the things that we've used. 06:17.490 --> 06:20.390 We've used performance psychology in our community. 06:20.390 --> 06:22.670 We have adopted a warrior mindset, 06:22.670 --> 06:24.030 so we can speak to that, 06:24.030 --> 06:25.157 so we can translate that. 06:25.157 --> 06:26.670 And so when people say, yeah, 06:26.670 --> 06:28.453 there's a SEAL who's gonna talk about 06:28.453 --> 06:30.080 what it means to be a warrior people. 06:30.080 --> 06:32.580 Like, yes, he should know what he's talking about. 06:33.430 --> 06:36.194 - Mental toughness is as important as physical toughness. 06:36.194 --> 06:37.560 It's important to Chief, 06:37.560 --> 06:38.990 it's important to Petty Officer, 06:38.990 --> 06:40.900 it's important to you and try to train the command. 06:40.900 --> 06:44.540 We've all rolled out our first products 06:44.540 --> 06:46.280 and our first thing that came out 06:46.280 --> 06:48.280 was recruit toughness which came out 06:48.280 --> 06:52.500 early in the fall of 2017. 06:52.500 --> 06:54.600 - Feel overwhelmed while you're on watch, 06:54.600 --> 06:57.560 while you're waiting for your turn to man the nozzle 06:57.560 --> 06:59.830 as you're about to combat a fire? 06:59.830 --> 07:01.170 You'll do these techniques 07:01.170 --> 07:03.170 so that you're more focused on the here and the now 07:03.170 --> 07:05.760 instead of thinking about what could happen. 07:05.760 --> 07:08.660 - We know that these skills work from research, 07:08.660 --> 07:10.190 from many different areas 07:10.190 --> 07:12.380 including other parts of the military, 07:12.380 --> 07:15.310 in athletics, particularly with elite athletes, 07:15.310 --> 07:20.310 top CEOs and large corporations also use these skills. 07:20.840 --> 07:22.128 What we needed to know is are these skills going to work 07:22.128 --> 07:26.150 here at Recruit Training Command? 07:26.150 --> 07:27.920 And so, we did our own research. 07:27.920 --> 07:30.230 We did three different pilots 07:30.230 --> 07:33.774 where we had divisions who got the training 07:33.774 --> 07:36.810 and divisions who did not get the training. 07:36.810 --> 07:38.550 The divisions that didn't get the training 07:38.550 --> 07:41.950 were essentially told to be quiet for about 10 minutes 07:41.950 --> 07:43.720 because we wanted to be sure 07:43.720 --> 07:46.300 that we were measuring the effects of the program 07:46.300 --> 07:50.540 and not just 10 minutes removed from training as it is. 07:50.540 --> 07:51.720 - Maybe some of you planned 07:51.720 --> 07:52.810 to see it for the first time. 07:52.810 --> 07:54.030 - In the classroom component, 07:54.030 --> 07:57.760 we're learning the attributes of initiative, integrity, 07:57.760 --> 08:00.600 toughness and accountability through didactic, 08:00.600 --> 08:03.130 through conversation, through the use of "C" stories 08:03.130 --> 08:04.050 and through reflection. 08:04.050 --> 08:05.620 - Good morning, welcome to toughness training. 08:05.620 --> 08:06.750 This is lesson one. 08:06.750 --> 08:07.820 I'm Chaplain Anderson. 08:07.820 --> 08:11.170 - I was introduced to the toughness program 08:11.170 --> 08:13.623 right when we moved to our ship, ship six. 08:14.560 --> 08:15.610 It was the first week 08:16.470 --> 08:19.690 and we had our Chaplain come in, sat us all down 08:19.690 --> 08:22.526 and just kind of introduced himself, 08:22.526 --> 08:24.650 let us know his role. 08:24.650 --> 08:25.890 - And at first, I was thinking, 08:25.890 --> 08:30.450 I was like like dang, why do we have to do this? 08:30.450 --> 08:33.990 Like how am I really gonna have to apply this 08:33.990 --> 08:35.920 to anything that we're doing in Boot Camp? 08:35.920 --> 08:36.870 - My initial reaction is, 08:36.870 --> 08:39.150 I was very confused. 08:39.150 --> 08:42.460 I didn't expect that to be part of the toughness program. 08:42.460 --> 08:46.670 I thought that toughness would be physical toughness. 08:46.670 --> 08:49.222 - Then the Chaplain started explaining it to us 08:49.222 --> 08:51.170 and I was like okay, 08:51.170 --> 08:52.003 this might be... 08:52.003 --> 08:53.780 This is getting a little interesting, 08:53.780 --> 08:55.240 I'm gonna be open-minded about it. 08:55.240 --> 08:56.900 - But the first time that we actually tried it, 08:56.900 --> 09:01.100 we sat down and our Chaplain had us hold our breath. 09:01.100 --> 09:02.552 - Within about a minute or so, 09:02.552 --> 09:04.350 everybody stopped holding their breath 09:04.350 --> 09:06.120 because they can't do it anymore. 09:06.120 --> 09:09.050 And then he told us to do it again. 09:09.050 --> 09:12.220 But he said this time, don't let your mind wander. 09:12.220 --> 09:15.990 Focus on the different parts of your body that are hurting 09:15.990 --> 09:19.150 and just focus, try to focus on a simple thing. 09:19.150 --> 09:20.110 - Once you're finished with it, 09:20.110 --> 09:22.620 you take that deep breath of fresh air 09:22.620 --> 09:24.660 and you feel your entire body 09:24.660 --> 09:27.070 get completely relieved of that pain, 09:27.070 --> 09:29.990 and you feel good about it. 09:29.990 --> 09:31.570 And he was just saying that 09:32.490 --> 09:35.500 you're gonna go through stuff that hurts 09:35.500 --> 09:37.110 and you're gonna push through it. 09:37.110 --> 09:38.440 But once you complete it, 09:38.440 --> 09:40.550 then you're gonna have that sense of relief. 09:40.550 --> 09:42.600 - Once we were done doing the breathing motions, 09:42.600 --> 09:44.950 the inhale, hold, exhale, 09:44.950 --> 09:47.920 I felt very good about it. 09:47.920 --> 09:50.490 I thought it was such a smart thing to do. 09:50.490 --> 09:51.920 I didn't expect it at all, 09:51.920 --> 09:53.540 and it helped so many people 09:53.540 --> 09:55.490 which I also didn't expect. 09:55.490 --> 09:57.470 - The most successful recruits today 09:57.470 --> 09:59.020 will be the ones that are prepared, 09:59.020 --> 10:00.157 not just their body but their mind. 10:00.157 --> 10:02.110 - What Warrior Toughness does, 10:02.110 --> 10:04.876 is it allows Sailors to use mental reps and sets, 10:04.876 --> 10:09.020 to be prepared to perform specific tasks 10:09.020 --> 10:10.470 that they may be competent at. 10:10.470 --> 10:13.100 But do them under extreme circumstances 10:13.100 --> 10:14.580 and stressful situations. 10:14.580 --> 10:18.460 - If you sit back before your actual event, the evolution, 10:18.460 --> 10:19.900 for example the pool, 10:19.900 --> 10:22.333 and you picture everything that you're gonna do, 10:23.290 --> 10:25.560 you try to gather all your senses. 10:25.560 --> 10:28.240 Try to get that image as closely 10:28.240 --> 10:30.520 to what you're gonna be practicing today, 10:30.520 --> 10:32.320 it's gonna make it ten times easier. 10:32.320 --> 10:34.010 - You're going through these mental reps and sets 10:34.010 --> 10:35.360 on a daily basis 10:35.360 --> 10:36.850 to ensure that you fully understand it. 10:36.850 --> 10:38.203 It's very low stress 10:38.203 --> 10:41.060 and it just focuses on going over the same evolution 10:41.060 --> 10:42.453 over and over again. 10:44.020 --> 10:47.310 Just-in-time is before I walk in the room, 10:47.310 --> 10:48.730 so I'm starting to feel the stress level, 10:48.730 --> 10:50.020 elevate a little bit. 10:50.020 --> 10:52.580 I do some just-in-time exercises so that 10:52.580 --> 10:55.493 I can confirm that I'm ready to go execute that task. 10:56.480 --> 10:59.710 - Whenever you feel like you need to recalibrate, 10:59.710 --> 11:00.920 you will do so. 11:00.920 --> 11:02.653 You don't have to ask permission. 11:03.660 --> 11:05.250 You could be standing on the toe line 11:05.250 --> 11:06.400 awaiting further instruction 11:06.400 --> 11:09.670 and you can do your recalibrate exercise right there. 11:09.670 --> 11:11.610 - One of the things I rely on the most 11:11.610 --> 11:14.280 with the toughness program is the recalibration technique. 11:14.280 --> 11:15.960 And it's really a bridge between 11:15.960 --> 11:18.200 the physical manifestation of stress 11:18.200 --> 11:20.670 where your breathing gets elevated 11:20.670 --> 11:22.430 and you start getting excited about something 11:22.430 --> 11:24.310 and the ability to focus. 11:24.310 --> 11:25.990 So it's not taking a timeout 11:25.990 --> 11:27.610 or it's not exiting the situation 11:27.610 --> 11:29.680 to gather your thoughts and come back in, 11:29.680 --> 11:32.730 but it's the ability to reel time, 11:32.730 --> 11:34.860 be able to bring back the focus 11:34.860 --> 11:36.680 and get through an adverse situation 11:36.680 --> 11:39.030 without any time lost. 11:39.030 --> 11:42.321 - The recalibrating is something I think everyone should do. 11:42.321 --> 11:44.840 It's really helped me, 11:44.840 --> 11:46.730 it's really helped my fellow shipmates. 11:46.730 --> 11:49.890 - It's not something that I'm always thinking about. 11:49.890 --> 11:51.744 It's something that's kind of in the back of my head. 11:51.744 --> 11:54.780 - It just allows me to slow my breathing 11:54.780 --> 11:56.900 and focus on the task at hand 11:56.900 --> 11:59.940 so my mind is not wandering everywhere 11:59.940 --> 12:04.940 and I'm not just like drawing a blank 12:05.360 --> 12:09.160 or I'm not just super nervous or super anxious 12:09.160 --> 12:11.913 and making mistakes that shouldn't be made. 12:13.410 --> 12:14.570 - When you get to the fleet, 12:14.570 --> 12:16.550 and I'm sending you this recruit 12:16.550 --> 12:19.730 and he makes that slight pause, let him recalibrate. 12:19.730 --> 12:20.610 Let him find his center, 12:20.610 --> 12:21.751 let her find her center. 12:21.751 --> 12:23.300 Know that that's what we're teaching them. 12:23.300 --> 12:24.520 We're teaching them to recalibrate, 12:24.520 --> 12:26.840 find themselves and look inside themselves 12:26.840 --> 12:30.070 and know that okay, this is a stressful situation. 12:30.070 --> 12:31.530 They taught me that there's an alpha fight, 12:31.530 --> 12:33.840 but this is a natural alpha fight. 12:33.840 --> 12:35.740 I know that right now my heart is racing, 12:35.740 --> 12:38.060 my hands are clinching and I'm scared. 12:38.060 --> 12:39.010 I'm gonna recalibrate. 12:39.010 --> 12:41.180 I understand the feelings that I'm going through. 12:41.180 --> 12:43.413 Then I'm gonna go ahead and attack the situation. 12:45.520 --> 12:47.327 - Recruits are now asking, 12:47.327 --> 12:48.640 "Can we do an exercise?" 12:48.640 --> 12:49.980 the day prior to the PRT. 12:49.980 --> 12:50.813 And you see them breathing. 12:50.813 --> 12:52.970 You see everybody's bought in. 12:52.970 --> 12:56.620 While it may not seem beneficial at first to some people, 12:56.620 --> 12:57.920 it's another outlet. 12:57.920 --> 12:59.770 It's another way to deal with those issues. 12:59.770 --> 13:02.470 It's another way to deal with being mindful 13:02.470 --> 13:04.940 and understanding what that means. 13:04.940 --> 13:07.320 There's toughness in these exercises. 13:07.320 --> 13:08.680 This one that we're gonna be doing 13:08.680 --> 13:12.180 is called PMR plus mental scan. 13:12.180 --> 13:14.130 - The best way that I can equate this program 13:14.130 --> 13:15.610 to a tangible resource 13:15.610 --> 13:19.040 is we're bottling and synthesizing experience. 13:19.040 --> 13:20.710 So from the recruit standpoint 13:20.710 --> 13:22.130 or the Junior Sailor standpoint 13:22.130 --> 13:24.260 or just somebody that's young in life, 13:24.260 --> 13:26.230 we're able to provide them techniques 13:26.230 --> 13:29.350 to be able to get through situations and persevere 13:29.350 --> 13:32.030 and come out on the other end with better after action 13:32.030 --> 13:34.320 and reflection and the ability to move on 13:34.320 --> 13:35.823 and learn through a process. 13:36.770 --> 13:38.410 - So I've been stationed at Recruit Training Command 13:38.410 --> 13:40.020 for almost three years now 13:40.020 --> 13:41.750 after graduating "C" school. 13:41.750 --> 13:44.120 I've been able to be here for all the changes 13:44.120 --> 13:45.770 that Admiral Bernanke put through 13:47.660 --> 13:49.250 and seeing the different type of recruits 13:49.250 --> 13:51.670 that we had in the beginning to how we have now. 13:51.670 --> 13:54.210 - [Leader] Get your sleeves down, get your sleeves down. 13:54.210 --> 13:57.320 - To see that they're actually utilizing it, 13:57.320 --> 14:00.290 it's a whole nother recruit from what we had 14:00.290 --> 14:01.601 two, three years ago 14:01.601 --> 14:02.684 - Go, go, go! 14:04.521 --> 14:06.280 - Right after that, 14:06.280 --> 14:10.420 we established our first Recruit Division Commander 14:10.420 --> 14:11.530 quality of life survey 14:11.530 --> 14:13.100 And what that revealed was that 14:13.100 --> 14:16.410 our RDC's were under a huge level of stress. 14:16.410 --> 14:19.570 They'd work almost a hundred hours a week 14:19.570 --> 14:22.420 and go home and try to be effective parents 14:22.420 --> 14:23.940 and spouses in the home. 14:23.940 --> 14:25.830 And that created a lot of stress. 14:25.830 --> 14:27.630 And so we said, you know what, 14:27.630 --> 14:30.370 these RDCs, they need these tools as well, 14:30.370 --> 14:32.310 okay, because maybe there's not, you know, 14:32.310 --> 14:33.560 they're not being shot at 14:33.560 --> 14:36.290 and they're not in a high-stakes situation 14:36.290 --> 14:37.580 in a tactical sense 14:37.580 --> 14:39.230 but they're facing a lot of stress 14:39.230 --> 14:40.510 and they need these tools as well. 14:40.510 --> 14:43.520 So we developed RDC "C" school curriculum 14:43.520 --> 14:45.424 a few months later. 14:45.424 --> 14:48.720 - High standards of honor, courage and commitment. 14:48.720 --> 14:50.430 - As the name "toughness" first came out, 14:50.430 --> 14:51.540 I was a little bit concerned 14:51.540 --> 14:53.780 that we're actually heading in that direction 14:53.780 --> 14:55.700 because it's an immediate turnoff. 14:55.700 --> 14:58.600 Well, if I'm engaging in development and toughness 14:58.600 --> 15:00.130 then I must not be tough enough. 15:00.130 --> 15:01.930 I thought anecdotally, 15:01.930 --> 15:04.430 it was just gonna be another Navy initiative 15:04.430 --> 15:06.060 that progressed through 15:06.060 --> 15:07.190 and people just talked about 15:07.190 --> 15:09.295 but there was really no substance behind it. 15:09.295 --> 15:12.190 (military cadence) 15:12.190 --> 15:13.870 - First thing that went through my mind is, 15:13.870 --> 15:15.970 this is crazy, it's ridiculous, 15:15.970 --> 15:18.010 it's just another thing that the Navy is trying to do. 15:18.010 --> 15:21.040 Maybe part of 2025, I was the adversary, 15:21.040 --> 15:23.786 I was completely against it 15:23.786 --> 15:24.619 but you know what? 15:24.619 --> 15:26.050 Now, I'm a believer. 15:26.050 --> 15:28.037 So when those thoughts come in your head, 15:28.037 --> 15:29.530 "I'm tired" 15:29.530 --> 15:31.007 think of it more as, 15:31.007 --> 15:34.037 "I have a feeling that I may be tired. 15:34.037 --> 15:36.200 "I have a thought of fatigue." 15:36.200 --> 15:38.860 because you're stepping out and you're focusing. 15:38.860 --> 15:40.440 - As I became more involved in it, 15:40.440 --> 15:42.550 I saw the results in other people, 15:42.550 --> 15:44.160 particularly in my life, 15:44.160 --> 15:48.450 the goal-setting aspect and being able to stay on target 15:48.450 --> 15:50.230 through a sustained period of time, 15:50.230 --> 15:52.991 being able to to take that hit and keep going 15:52.991 --> 15:56.520 and focus on the day-in and day-out grind. 15:56.520 --> 15:58.623 That was incredibly important to me. 15:59.630 --> 16:02.670 - Chief, this is 4LCPO (speaker's voice faint) 16:02.670 --> 16:05.470 - Shortly after I started using all the tools 16:05.470 --> 16:07.330 that we were giving through these classes 16:07.330 --> 16:10.980 in order to apply Warrior Toughness to my personal life 16:10.980 --> 16:12.820 and at work as well. 16:12.820 --> 16:15.130 I am now 26 weeks pregnant 16:15.130 --> 16:17.880 and I use Warrior Toughness all the time. 16:17.880 --> 16:21.260 I recalibrate and I'm able to take a hit 16:21.260 --> 16:23.400 and keep on going without a hindrance 16:23.400 --> 16:25.507 of having to dwell in the situation. 16:25.507 --> 16:28.424 (military cadence) 16:30.739 --> 16:33.280 - When I'm tired, when I'm frustrated 16:33.280 --> 16:36.130 and I've been trying to train these recruits 16:36.130 --> 16:37.743 for almost 18 hours, 16:39.490 --> 16:42.050 it really takes a lot out of me personally. 16:42.050 --> 16:44.490 There are gonna be times where 16:44.490 --> 16:46.160 you kind of feel like you're at the end of your rope. 16:46.160 --> 16:48.432 You're past that point. 16:48.432 --> 16:50.930 You're physically and mentally exhausted 16:51.810 --> 16:56.550 but what I always use as a training tool for me 16:56.550 --> 16:59.973 are, you know, some of the basics of recalibration. 17:01.060 --> 17:03.018 I take that second and I stand back 17:03.018 --> 17:06.930 and I think about what I did 17:06.930 --> 17:10.513 versus how I'm going to train that recruit. 17:12.910 --> 17:16.200 - I would say that it's worked for a lot of RDC's 17:16.200 --> 17:18.710 and it's worked for a lot of recruits. 17:18.710 --> 17:19.680 It's worked for us 17:19.680 --> 17:21.900 and being an RDC is a very stressful job. 17:21.900 --> 17:24.620 We work a lot of hours but at the same time, 17:24.620 --> 17:27.410 we have to ensure that we're healthy 17:27.410 --> 17:29.130 and that we're able to continue going 17:29.130 --> 17:30.270 and that's where taking a hit 17:30.270 --> 17:33.163 and being able to keep on going kind of comes into play. 17:37.350 --> 17:39.440 - From when I push my first five divisions 17:39.440 --> 17:42.780 to when we're toughness was introduced to myself, 17:42.780 --> 17:44.350 being able to be mindful, 17:44.350 --> 17:45.900 knowing when I'm getting upset, 17:47.040 --> 17:48.430 knowing that I have a decision to make 17:48.430 --> 17:50.590 and being able to make that right decision 17:50.590 --> 17:53.470 or now I just got out of a meeting 17:53.470 --> 17:55.630 and I'm completely upset about what's going on 17:55.630 --> 17:57.861 and as Chiefs, this is what we do. 17:57.861 --> 18:01.970 But how do I take that and not snap on my Sailors? 18:01.970 --> 18:03.520 How do I filter that down? 18:03.520 --> 18:05.570 These might be my fault and all these things 18:05.570 --> 18:06.930 that we're learning right now. 18:06.930 --> 18:08.249 It definitely helps with that. 18:08.249 --> 18:10.416 (cadence) 18:14.070 --> 18:16.338 - Just being able to identify 18:16.338 --> 18:18.800 physically what you're going through 18:18.800 --> 18:21.200 when you're actually in that moment, 18:21.200 --> 18:24.620 just to understand physically what the recruit or your wife 18:24.620 --> 18:26.890 or your son might be physically going through, 18:26.890 --> 18:28.460 just to understand that 18:28.460 --> 18:32.650 and be able to take a step back and then re-engage. 18:32.650 --> 18:34.733 Just that little moment where okay, 18:35.710 --> 18:37.400 this is not General Quarters, 18:37.400 --> 18:39.260 this is a CHARLIE fire, 18:39.260 --> 18:41.140 let me secure the power for one minute right now. 18:41.140 --> 18:43.070 - When you get out of the fleet, 18:43.070 --> 18:46.710 we need you to be able to do your jobs well under pressure. 18:46.710 --> 18:48.100 We need you to be able to do your jobs 18:48.100 --> 18:50.110 while you've got a ton of different distractions 18:50.110 --> 18:51.660 coming at you from a hundred different directions. 18:51.660 --> 18:54.360 - One of the things I hear the most out of the skeptics 18:54.360 --> 18:57.290 is "Well, it's good for the recruits." 18:57.290 --> 18:59.380 Well, the fact is it's good for you, too. 18:59.380 --> 19:02.030 If you're gonna be training something to your people, 19:02.030 --> 19:03.660 you need to be brought in 100% 19:03.660 --> 19:06.640 because they're looking to you for guidance and direction 19:06.640 --> 19:08.130 and if it's something that you believe in, 19:08.130 --> 19:09.460 they're gonna believe in it, too. 19:09.460 --> 19:10.740 And all you're doing is helping 19:10.740 --> 19:12.779 and driving that force home a little bit better. 19:12.779 --> 19:16.210 (military cadence) 19:16.210 --> 19:20.160 - After we conducted our first several classes 19:20.160 --> 19:23.060 of the RDC school curriculum, 19:23.060 --> 19:25.020 we immediately started creating pilots 19:25.020 --> 19:27.300 that we could have study and control groups 19:27.300 --> 19:29.650 to measure the data and statistics 19:29.650 --> 19:31.410 because without that, 19:31.410 --> 19:33.890 then we really haven't proven that anything works. 19:33.890 --> 19:35.100 - So the research showed us 19:35.100 --> 19:36.290 that we were able to find 19:36.290 --> 19:38.460 statistically significant differences 19:38.460 --> 19:40.690 meaning that this was not by chance 19:40.690 --> 19:42.570 and it had to do with our training, 19:42.570 --> 19:45.067 that the recruits that got the Warrior Toughness training 19:45.067 --> 19:47.542 were able to do better on their PFA, 19:47.542 --> 19:50.010 they were able to do better on inspections, 19:50.010 --> 19:52.770 they were able to do better on their firefighting assessment 19:52.770 --> 19:54.960 and they also took less time to train 19:54.960 --> 19:57.468 which meant that they get to the fleet faster. 19:57.468 --> 20:02.160 - We have taken assets and people organic to our command 20:02.160 --> 20:04.770 and we have applied that to the whole person, 20:04.770 --> 20:06.510 mind, body and soul. 20:06.510 --> 20:10.180 So what we have, is a program that addresses 20:10.180 --> 20:13.830 what hits we will take mentally, physically and spiritually, 20:13.830 --> 20:16.140 and then understanding and being aware 20:16.140 --> 20:19.040 of what our resources are of strength and resilience 20:19.040 --> 20:20.530 to get through that. 20:20.530 --> 20:24.140 Warrior Toughness is not a resiliency program, 20:24.140 --> 20:25.750 it is a toughness program. 20:25.750 --> 20:29.340 We are ahead of the curve, ahead of the incident. 20:29.340 --> 20:31.950 So we are being more proactive 20:31.950 --> 20:34.485 and building ourselves into tougher people 20:34.485 --> 20:35.970 and the resilience piece 20:35.970 --> 20:37.920 is what happens after the hit. 20:37.920 --> 20:39.790 - Similarly, it does the Navy no good 20:39.790 --> 20:42.620 if these techniques are only helpful in Boot Camp. 20:42.620 --> 20:44.380 So we're also tracking the Sailors 20:44.380 --> 20:46.217 who participated in these studies 20:46.217 --> 20:48.780 throughout their first enlistment. 20:48.780 --> 20:51.070 - Toughness and finding ways 20:51.070 --> 20:53.090 that you can manage your energy. 20:53.090 --> 20:55.380 - Performance psychology, sports psychology, 20:55.380 --> 20:58.050 character development, these have all been proven 20:58.050 --> 20:59.770 hundreds of thousands of years 20:59.770 --> 21:01.805 but now we've taken it and put into a package 21:01.805 --> 21:04.500 that we have proven through statistics 21:04.500 --> 21:07.170 that we actually have developed something that works 21:07.170 --> 21:08.520 And what we need now, is obviously 21:08.520 --> 21:11.830 to figure out that formula for exportation into the fleet. 21:11.830 --> 21:13.640 - As this begins to evolve, 21:13.640 --> 21:16.090 again we've piloted this really well in 21:16.090 --> 21:17.100 Recruit Training Command 21:17.100 --> 21:19.236 and we've seen great success thus far. 21:19.236 --> 21:20.600 The next big step, 21:20.600 --> 21:22.440 that deliberate approach to Warrior Toughness 21:22.440 --> 21:25.580 and rolling this out and not getting ahead of ourselves, 21:25.580 --> 21:27.820 not creating cynics by getting it out there 21:27.820 --> 21:29.080 too far, too fast 21:29.080 --> 21:32.230 and not really understanding what it is that the program is 21:32.230 --> 21:34.310 and what it entails. 21:34.310 --> 21:36.937 The next step is really to take it into that "A" school, 21:36.937 --> 21:39.170 "C" school pipeline of training 21:39.170 --> 21:41.350 so that Sailors are continuously exposed 21:41.350 --> 21:43.926 to what they first already gotten in RTC. 21:43.926 --> 21:45.711 And then once we get it out there, 21:45.711 --> 21:47.930 I think the next logical step would be 21:47.930 --> 21:48.763 to include it as a part 21:48.763 --> 21:51.240 of the Chief Petty Officer development pipeline 21:51.240 --> 21:52.920 and then eventually we'll get this to the point 21:52.920 --> 21:54.700 hopefully, in the farther future 21:54.700 --> 21:57.247 where in all of our ships station squadrons and units, 21:57.247 --> 22:00.393 it's even taught and reinforced at the unit level. 22:01.640 --> 22:02.473 - In the year I've been here 22:02.473 --> 22:04.870 as the Command Master Chief at Recruit Training Command, 22:04.870 --> 22:07.470 I've seen Warrior Toughness not only affect recruits 22:07.470 --> 22:10.670 but affect our Sailors and our Staff in positive ways. 22:10.670 --> 22:12.710 Morale and performance is improved. 22:12.710 --> 22:13.543 It works. 22:13.543 --> 22:15.480 We're building people of competence and character 22:15.480 --> 22:17.460 at all pay grades. 22:17.460 --> 22:19.450 As a Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief, Master Chief 22:19.450 --> 22:21.440 you kind of think you got it figured out. 22:21.440 --> 22:23.060 What I love about Warrior Toughness is 22:23.060 --> 22:25.730 it's opened my eyes to a new way of doing business 22:25.730 --> 22:28.760 and shown us a better way of building winning teams. 22:28.760 --> 22:31.030 - We spent the first part of World War II, 22:31.030 --> 22:32.070 learning these lessons, 22:32.070 --> 22:33.800 how to deal with acute stress, 22:33.800 --> 22:35.210 how to manage, you know, 22:35.210 --> 22:37.310 losing some of your crew 22:37.310 --> 22:39.760 as a ship encounters the enemy 22:39.760 --> 22:41.860 and to push through that to get to success, 22:41.860 --> 22:43.820 to bring that ship either to victory, 22:43.820 --> 22:45.540 sending the other ship to the bottom 22:45.540 --> 22:47.730 or bringing that crew home or both. 22:47.730 --> 22:50.100 So learning those lessons now, 22:50.100 --> 22:53.890 having our Pearl Harbor moment without having a Pearl Harbor 22:53.890 --> 22:55.290 by getting ahead of this training 22:55.290 --> 22:58.490 and using the things we know about character 22:58.490 --> 23:01.130 and about stress and the psychology 23:01.130 --> 23:03.220 and how all these things play together 23:03.220 --> 23:04.816 to ensure that our Sailors are prepared, 23:04.816 --> 23:07.850 we need this because this will keep Sailors alive, 23:07.850 --> 23:09.600 this will keep crews together, 23:09.600 --> 23:12.300 this will keep ships and squadrons and units functioning 23:12.300 --> 23:14.585 and it will lead us to victory 23:14.585 --> 23:17.168 (upbeat music)