Crew endurance training in the united states navy: Lessons learned from senior leadership, prospective commanding/executive officers, and department heads

Abstract

The Crew Endurance Team at the Naval Postgraduate School led a 3-year project to develop and deliver crew endurance and sleep hygiene training to support the US Navy’s implementation of circadian-based watchbills. As part of this effort, 16 training sessions were delivered to 362 active-duty service members (ADSMs) of the USN, including senior Navy leaders (n=249), prospective commandingIexecutive officers (PCOIPXOs) (n=30) at the Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) and students (n=83) attending SWOS Department Head School. Overall, responses from all audiences were positive indicating a high level of satisfaction with the training. We identified the need to expand two parts of the training: stimulants and sleep-promoting medications, and tips for sleeping in military environments. We will continue to tailor the training to the specific needs of ADSMs. We continue to train military audiences to increase awareness of the critical importance of sleep for operational performance and resilience.