ABOARD USS OAK HILL, Atlantic Ocean
– Peruvian Sailors embarked aboard USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) for
Southern Partnership Station (SPS) ’09 successfully
completed three weeks of leadership training facilitated by
members of the Expeditionary Training Command (ETC), Reserve
Component June 22.
Capt. Brad Williamson, SPS ’09 Mission
Commander and Commander, Destroyer Squadron TWO, gathered
Oak Hill officers and embarked foreign personnel in the
ship’s wardroom to congratulate the Sailors and present them
certificates of completions.
The Sailors completed the “Train the Trainer” and “Senior
Enlisted Leadership Principles” courses– the same many E-6s
in the U.S. Navy complete. The courses are designed to
expand leadership and management understanding and give them
the confidence to be better instructors. The ultimate goal
was to help make them more effective leaders.
“We wanted to give them the tools we give our
own chiefs’ mess to make them better leaders,” said Senior
Chief Operations Specialist (EW) Jeffrey Callaghan, leading
Chief Petty Officer for ETC, reserve component. “The courses
emphasize taking care of your people first, mentoring, and
leading. We also talked about getting to know your people,
being intrusive leaders, and giving them recognition for
their work.”
Recognizing your junior personnel seemed to be a topic that
stuck with the Peruvian Sailors.
“When we talked about the “Sailor of the Quarter” and
“Sailor of the Year” programs and giving your Sailors
recognition,” said Callaghan, “it is something they seemed
anxious to try and implement back at their divisions, and
maybe it is something that will have a positive impact and
catch on within their commands.”
“One of the recommendations I will make when I return is
that we recognize our subordinates’ performances more,”
stated Petty Officer 1st Class Ricardo Wilfredo
Lima Perez, Peruvian Navy. “I think that would have a
positive impact with our Sailors.”
Both courses were tailored to allow the Sailors to share
their ideas and thoughts on leadership as well. It allowed
the facilitators and students to talk about the differences
in their respective Navies.
“Whenever you take a class like this, you always
learn something new,” stated Perez “The energy is positive
and it is about sharing ideas.”
During Southern Partnership Station ’09, Oak
Hill Sailors, embarked foreign personnel, and subject matter
experts from ETC have taken the opportunity to improve their
partnerships, not just by training with each other, but by
getting to know one another by having serious discussions.
“We’re not just looking to give instruction on what we know
and how we do things,” said Callaghan, “We’re looking to get
information from them as well. The course opened my eyes to
what other navies have to offer. Being aware of the
partnerships we have out there and how partner navies work
benefits all of us.”
Oak Hill is currently on a three-month Southern Partnership
Station ’09 deployment, a combined naval and amphibious
operation with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay.
Oak Hill is also supporting U.S. Marine Forces South
multinational amphibious exercise Southern Exchange. Oak
Hill is expected to return to its homeport in Little Creek,
Va., in late August.
