Change coming to Navy ‘A’ schools

The Navy will pull the trigger on radical changes to the way it trains its enlisted personnel. Gone will be the days of long, upfront technical training – or ‘A’ schools, which could take years and have been the only trade-training they get across an entire Navy career. The new changes will include a shorter training after boot camp that will be whittled down to the needs to succeed for that first tour. Sailors will get to the fleet sooner with far less preparation than traditional ‘A’ schools. Additional training will be spread over a sailor’s career, coming in blocks, and each time a sailor returns to sea. The new model will make enlisted training more closely resemble that of officers. The Navy calls it Ready Relevant Learning, and considers it a critical piece of the ratings modernization effort. It starts this year for several ratings, including Logistics Specialist (LS). By 2020, a majority of Navy’s 87 ratings will be training sailors under the new format. The biggest change may be the decision to transfer responsibility for most of the training to the fleet, instead of to most enlisted training being overseen by the Pensacola, Fla.-based headquarters of the Naval Education and Training Command. NETC’s oversight ends after a sailor completes ‘A’ schools and heads to the fleet on a first sea tour, says Rear Adm. Mike White, the NETC commander who has helped spearhead development of the new custom career paths. The concept of “block zero" training during initial rate training on their way to sea, White said. Block one would occur during that sea tour, block two would be during a second sea tour, and so forth. (Source: Navy Times 02/19/17) Central Mississippi Note: Naval Technical Training Center at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., is the Navy's only 'A' school for the Logistics Specialist (LS) rating.