SECTION 5

REPETITIVE TRAINING GUIDELINES

2501. Training Guidelines. The overall objective of repetitive training is sustained readiness. Appendix A details repetitive exercise requirements and periodicities for each ship type/unit to maintain M1 readiness. The following additional guidelines are provided for the deployment and interdeployment periods. Repetitive exercises are conducted once initial training in specified exercises is completed. They are intended to maintain proficiency in skills required for each mission area. These exercises are not intended to dictate battle group requirements during deployment/post-deployment fleet operations. Repetitive exercises would normally be demonstrated in the course of routine fleet operations.

a. It is also intended that ships conducting the repetitive exercise syllabus in this manual take advantage of participation in inport training evolutions (EWEXs, LINKEXs, BFTT, and embedded/on board, etc.) to assist in meeting repetitive training requirements.

b. Determination of the interval between repetitive exercises is based on a trade-off between the desire to maintain crew proficiency and the fact-of-life limitations in dedicated underway/operational periods as well as, in some cases, the availability of training ordnance allocated for Surface Force training.

c. As described in Chapter 6, Sections 1 and 2, repetitive exercises have varying periodicities (deadlines) within which they must be performed to maintain M1 readiness in a particular training event.

d. Proficiency Training. Having worked up to a high level through the basic, intermediate, and advanced phases of training, the ship monitors training proficiency and C/M-ratings principally by carrying out operational tasks, participating in theater commander scenario-based exercises, and conducting repetitive training exercises contained in Appendix A.

(1) Although significant formal school training cannot be conducted during extended operations away from training facilities, prospective personnel gains should be carefully reviewed during CART Phase I (see Section 2 of this chapter), to develop a formal school training plan for the subsequent interdeployment or overhaul period, as applicable.

(2) Shipboard training teams are of primary importance to self-sustained readiness. The training received by shipboard training teams must be used to maintain or improve the ship's readiness throughout the employment cycle.

(3) Crew turnover acts to degrade team skills, often rapidly. A ship or unit may at any time in the operating cycle repeat a training exercise/evolution previously conducted during an earlier stage of the syllabus to refine basic skills. ATG trainers are often available, upon request, to assist in the conduct of the exercise.

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