KBAR: Naval Special Warfare's Edge on
Advancement
KBAR: Naval Special Warfare's Edge on
Advancement
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Menzie Naval
Special Warfare Command Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Special Warfare Sailors around the world will be
receiving an early Christmas present to help them
prepare for the next advancement exam thanks to a
new leap in technology.
Special warfare operators (SO) and special warfare boat operators (SB)
received personal digital assistants (PDA) last
week. The distribution of the PDA's are part of a
new knowledge based academic resource program
(KBAR), developed by the Naval Special Warfare
Center for SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-craft
Crewmen (SWCC).
The program, which is the first of its kind in the Navy, is meant to help
SEALs and SWCC manage their careers and study for
advancement despite rigorous training schedules,
extended deployments and hostile conditions.
"It's our job to develop special warfare operators," said Capt. Thomas S.
Carlson, commanding officer, Naval Special Warfare
Center for SEAL and SWCC. "The PDA will help make it
easier for our guys to be competitive and get time
to study."
The KBAR program was developed by the Center for SEAL and SWCC after the
SO and SB ratings were created in October 2006.
Currently, study material is accessed by SEAL and
SWCC operators online. The PDA will compliment the
online study material, especially for operators in
the field and those who don't have immediate access
to computers.
"Having the PDA gives our guys immediate access to online material that
our guys would spend hours looking for," said Lt.
Oscar W. Simmons, command information officer, NSW
Center for SEAL and SWCC. "By having the PDA, our
guys have immediate access to study material and
career management tools."
Prior to the KBAR program, the center had developed an online portal for
Sailors to access study material from an online
database. The portal helped Sailors reduce countless
hours searching for study material however, it
didn't help those who didn't have access to
computers or those operating in the field. To remedy
this problem, the center developed KBAR.
Starting with 35 personal digital assistants to use as a test platform,
the Center selected 60 members of the SEAL and SWCC
community to test the PDA and provide feedback after
three months. After several months of testing and
positive feedback coming back from the field, the
Center went forward with KBAR to provide a PDA to
all naval special warfare Sailors studying for
advancement.
"I was promoted to chief using this device to study," said Chief Special
Warfare Boat Operator (SWCC) Michael Palmer, who was
one of the PDA testers. "When I got to use it, I
thought it was the greatest thing since sliced
bread."
In August 2007, the Center purchased 898 PDAs to distribute throughout the
community.
"I had problems finding study materials online," said Special Warfare
Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Tim Wood, PDA tester.
"Having the Center for SEAL and SWCC centralize the
information and put it on a file onto my digital
assistant was huge. I could plug it into my laptop
and study whenever I wanted to."
The current PDAs being distributed are an upgrade to the original PDAs
tested. The updated models come with wi-fi internet
capability, Bluetooth capability, USB access, and a
camera that allows operators to videoconference from
around the world. It also allows Sailors to log on
to Navy Knowledge Online, check their My Pay
accounts, and view their email.
"What a better way to start a SEAL or SWCC operator in the right direction
than to give them a tool that helps their career
development," Carlson said.
Carlson believes KBAR will be a model for the rest of the Navy to follow
and believes that all Sailors will one day be given
a PDA.
"I personally think the Navy is going to like this idea. It's going to
work well, and become cheaper as time goes on,"
Carlson said. "I think as people in the Navy take a
look at this program, they are going to want it.
Even if they don't want the device itself, the fact
that we have stayed electronic in our rating manual
is something people are going to gravitate toward."
For more information on Naval Special Warfare visit
www.seal.navy.mil.
For more news from Naval Special Warfare, visit
www.navy.mil/local/nsw/ .
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