THE WATCH STAFF
Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) leaders are taking part in an intensive four-week course with regional and United States partners that is designed to build defense capacity through strategic thinking.
The Strategic Leaders International Course (SLIC) of the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS) is a four-week, in-residence offering that provides senior military leaders and government officials with new perspectives, methodologies and opportunities for addressing complex challenges. It runs from June 2 through June 30 at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
The SLIC participants are introduced to systemic strategy design through work in national identity, systems thinking, data analytics, design thinking, negotiation strategy and public interest communications. The curriculum is a mix of interactive discussions, case studies, lectures, hands-on exercises and a collaborative capstone project derived from the common interests of participating countries and the U.S.
Among the Bahamian leaders participating were Capt. Carlon Antwan Bethell, commander of the Communications Branch whose responsibilities include the RBDF’s Operations Command Center and force cybersecurity. Bethell, in his role as a class leader, presented U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon a token of appreciation, pictured above, after a roundtable discussion on issues affecting countries in the Western Hemisphere. Bellon is the commander of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South.
The SLIC also hosted Ivory Reinert from the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Reinert, pictured, briefed senior leaders from the Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana and Panama on the differences between weather and climate and how the changing environment affects global security and warfighters.
The course also supports the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and recognizes the “incredible momentum, moral legitimacy, and powerful potential that drive the WPS strategy,” according to a course overview.
NAVSCIATTS trains special operations forces from U.S. partner nations as well as combat support and combat service support forces in tactical, operational and strategic areas. The school’s courses are delivered through in-residence and mobile team training. NAVSCIATTS also serves as U.S. Special Operations Command’s premier security force-assistance training asset.
IMAGE CREDIT: MICHAEL WARRELMANN/ NAVSCIATTS