The annual Eurasia Partnership Senior Noncommissioned Officer (EP SNCO) Leader Development Symposium offers NATO member and partner-nation SNCOs an opportunity to assemble and discuss perspectives, techniques, and programs used to address common challenges military leaders face. This past September, 30 SNCOs representing 11 nations—Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Finland, Georgia, Montenegro, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States—attended.
Each country was sponsored by a department on the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa staff or a local command. Sponsors received their guests as they arrived in Naples, Italy, and attended all functions to assist with any questions or concerns. Marking its fifth year in 2017, the symposium has allowed attendees to develop and cultivate relationships. Several members have attended for multiple years and look forward to the continued growth in relations among participating nations.
Delegates provide updates on the current situation in their countries, the structure of their militaries, and their navies’ current focus areas and challenges. Interestingly, all participants face similar challenges when it comes to leading sailors, including retention, training, leadership development and education, civilian certifications and licensing, arduous duty, incentives, motivation, and initiative. No matter the socioeconomic state of the nation, these are common concerns SNCOs must address and provide advice on to their commanders.
The SNCOs’ willingness to learn and to see, solve, share, and provide feedback to one another strengthens their bond. Their shared experiences facilitate opportunities to reach beyond “we’ve always done it this way” and approach issues with creativity and innovation.
In addition to the classroom environment, the 2017 symposium added a physical training event—a 1.5 mile fun run—and a staff ride to visit the Abbey and Polish cemetery at Monte Cassino, the site of a series of Allied assaults against Axis forces during World War II. Participants were given background information on Monte Cassino the day before. During the visit, displays emphasized U.S. Navy core values in this historical context:
• Honor in taking a tactical pause for the armies to clear the battlefield of the dead and wounded
• Courage to fight on Hangman’s Hill with virtually no chance of victory while cutoff from logistical support
• Commitment to the mission displayed by the Polish forces, who fought until the bitter end
There were stimulating conversations among these leaders, all of whose countries have seen a measure of combat over the past two decades. Each nation has been involved in conflict/combat in support of the global war on terror, and some, such as Ukraine, have faced combat in their homelands.
The interactive briefs, physical fitness event, and staff ride created a connection among the SNCOs. On the final day, gifts were exchanged, along with phone numbers and emails, prior to the culminating event, the Khaki Ball, where the SNCOs had the opportunity to witness the celebration of the Navy’s youngest chiefs entering the chiefs’ mess.
The symposium is structured so SNCOs can walk away with techniques, tools, ideas, and points of contact that will be immediately usable in their service to country. Its timing is intentional, to show the young chiefs—and remind the seasoned ones—that we must be continuous learners, seeking every opportunity to obtain useful knowledge and improve.
Being assigned to forward-deployed naval forces offers a chance to build enduring relationships and partnerships, as we are encouraged to do in the purple line of effort in “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority.” I was proud of the efforts of our international SNCO community and left the symposium with no doubt the 2017 event was successful in enabling lifelong bonds among the leaders who participated.