Instructors and regional subject matter experts from Naval Post Graduate School (NPS) embarked ships from the George Washington Strike Group to provide Regional Security Education Program (RSEP) briefs to the crew and embarked staffs, June 20-25.
“RSEP is a program developed by the [chief of naval operations] to provide leaders and crew of deploying ships and squadrons a better understanding of their regional security environment,” said Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet. “These individuals are our nation’s leading thinkers in geopolitics for the Asian-Pacific region. I am happy that we are able to provide the chance for our Sailors to further their knowledge level, specifically through courses that focus on our current area of operations.”
The program is designed to help U.S. forces understand the threat environment in which they will operate as well as help them complete missions and achieve objectives by enhancing their situational awareness and understanding of the history of conflict in each region.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are going to be a Marine with boots on ground in Afghanistan or you are just visiting China, the idea is that you go ashore knowing what the cultural sensitivities of the region are,” said Loeffler.
According to the NPS website, the mission of NPS is to provide relevant and unique advanced education and research programs to increase the combat effectiveness of commissioned officers of the naval service to enhance the security of the U.S.
[mappress] Press Release, June 26, 2014; Image: Wikimedia