In 2017, 17 U.S. Navy sailors died in collisions involving its ships. Congressional investigations identified inadequate training in the foundational skills of seamanship as one of the likely causes for the collisions. The Navy is revising training methods for more than 75 percent of its occupations. Most of the training curriculum is hands-on work with simulations and interactive courseware with 20 percent being lecture. For example, during bootcamp the Navy has reduced the amount of time new recruits spend in the classroom and instead focus more on experiential learning to simulate conditions aboard a ship in war or peacetime. Recruits now participate in 177 hours of hands-on training during the eight weeks at boot camp, an increase of 17 hours. Officers in charge of bootcamp divisions of approximately 88 recruits evaluate their division’s weaknesses and use time to have them practice skills such as tying knots to anchor a ship rather than participate in online learning. The training involves doing multiple repetitions of the skills to ensure they are retained. Recruits spend two days on a life-size replica of a deck of a ship. The recruits practice tying lines, relaying orders, getting a ship underway, and bringing it back to port. During practice, instructors ring a bell every time recruits make a mistake. To graduate, recruits must pass an all night test in a simulator designed like the deck and hull of a warship. There are explosions to deal with, leaking pipes to repair, and fires to extinguish. The Navy is also providing specialized training after sailors finish boot camp.
