UNCLASSIFIED//

ROUTINE

R 171632Z DEC 20 MID611000140056T

FM COMSUBFOR NORFOLK VA

TO ALSUBFOR

INFO COMNAVSEASYSCOM WASHINGTON DC
COMNAVPERSCOM MILLINGTON TN
COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI
COMSUBLANT NORFOLK VA
CTF 88

BT
UNCLAS

MSGID/GENADMIN/COMSUBLANT NORFOLK VA/-/DEC//

SUBJ/2020 DIVISION OFFICER SYMPOSIUM - SITREP NUMBER ONE// GENTEXT/RMKS/1. The 2020 Division Officer (DO) Symposium took place virtually from 27-30 October 2020. Thirty-nine DOs and post-DOs from the continental United States (CONUS) and Hawaii met to provide their recommendations to senior Submarine Force leadership concerning five lines of effort (LOEs): Warfighting Readiness, Leadership and Mentoring, Quality of Service, Detailing, and Inclusion and Diversity. These LOEs were developed from feedback provided in the 2019 Submarine Junior Officer Survey. Commander, Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR) and Commander Submarine Force, U.S.
Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) would like to thank the participants and facilitators who volunteered their time to provide their perspectives on how the Submarine Force can improve.

2. Each day began with an all-hands meeting to set the stage for each LOE, and then participants split into small groups for in-depth discussion. Throughout the symposium, participants worked to identify ready solutions in a small group format and vetted these ideas with support from symposium facilitators. On the final day, each LOE leader presented their consolidated findings and recommendations. This SITREP is an initial report of broad findings. Associated solutions and recommendations will be further developed and promulgated in a series of follow-on SITREPS and briefings to the Submarine Force.

3. The key objectives and findings from each LOE are described
below:
A. Warfighting Readiness. The objectives of this LOE were to identify ways to balance administrative requirements with operational readiness/warfighting and to identify barriers to accessing warfighting products. Key findings included:
(1) Collateral duties create numerous time constraints that take away from operational readiness/warfighting.
(2) Some tours do not allow DOs to experience the warfighting aspect of submarining due to insufficient at sea time.
(3) DOs desire more time leading their watch teams and fighting the ship.
(4) Tactical and professional training resources should be consolidated and promulgated to the ship in a more efficient manner.
B. Leadership and Mentoring. The objective of this LOE was to identify actionable approaches to improve or sustain positive onboard climates. Key findings were:
(1) DOs are challenged to find consolidated products to educate them on DO tour expectations and help prepare them for their first sea tour and their professional careers.
(2) Officers would benefit from formal, continuous training on effective mentorship throughout the submarine officer training continuum.
(3) DOs on shore duty receive little to no exposure to current fleet operations.
(4) Submarine culture workshops and command climate surveys are valuable and should be continued, with culture workshops performed more frequently. Commands should strive to make these processes transparent and ensure the crew understands the results.
(5) DOs would benefit from improved mentorship from CPOs and serving DHs.
C. Quality of Service. The objectives of this LOE were to ensure the satisfaction DOs derive from their hard work is commensurate with the importance of the submarine mission, to identify means to improve recognition and career fulfillment, and to identify best practices to improve in-port quality of service. Key findings were:
(1) DOs desire more opportunities to be empowered and contribute at higher levels within the command.
(2) The Submarine Force should look for ways to reward and incentivize DO performance.
(3) A more selective DH screening process could result in higher DO performance.
(4) Operational experience is highly desired to feel satisfied as a submariner.
(5) Watchbill manning and duty cycles are the greatest challenges to in port work-life balance.
D. Detailing. The objectives of this LOE were to solicit feedback on the revised shore assignment process, to solicit feedback on the revised Department Head (DH) sea detailing process, to explore and develop additional retention incentives, and to explore and develop alternate career path options. Key findings were:
(1) Geographic stability is an important factor for detailing.
(2) More transparency in the detailing process and better communication with the detailer is desired.
(3) Commands and detailers should work to protect DO tour lengths (PRDs).
(4) PCU and prototype manning requires continued focus.
E. Inclusion and Diversity. The objectives of this LOE were to identify barriers to inclusion and diversity across the Submarine Force and to discuss means to attract and retain the best talent from our diverse nation. Key findings were:
(1) Recruiting efforts should be evaluated to increase diversity within the Force.
(2) CMEO programs are constrained in their ability to develop and foster solutions.
(3) Continued idea sharing with other submarine forces and navies can improve gender integration.
(4) DOs need to be empowered to affect cultural change within a command.

4. Four guest speakers delivered remarks during the symposium.
VADM Caudle (COMSUBFOR) and ADM Grady (Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces
Command) discussed Warfighting Readiness and framed follow-on group discussions on the first day. RADM Converse (COMSUBPAC) and VADM
(ret) Bruce Grooms shared their unique experiences and introduced the inclusion and diversity topic to DOs on the third day of the symposium.

5. Shaping the Submarine Force for the challenges of great power competition requires ongoing effort and thoughtful solutions to innovate within the Force and retain talented warfighters for tomorrow????????s challenges. We are committed to listening to feedback and implementing improvements, and we look forward to discussing our actions in response to this symposium. Continue to engage your leadership and pass recommendations to your chain of command.

6. The results from two additional symposia, hosted by Commander, Submarine Group SEVEN and Commander, Submarine Group EIGHT, for DOs in their respective areas of responsibility, will be included in future DO symposium SITREPS.

7. Early in 2021, we will provide a subsequent SITREP detailing some of the specific initiatives that are being taken to address the key findings described above.

8. From the depths, we strike! VADM Caudle and RADM Converse send.//

BT
#1051
NNNN