Daytona Beach, Florida - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson visited Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to deliver opening remarks at the Navy Primary Prevention and Human Factors Advanced Professional Development Training Summit in Daytona Beach, Monday.

The five-day training summit serves as a train-the-trainer session to equip command climate specialists, sexual assault prevention and response officers, inclusion and diversity officers, alcohol and drug control officers and other key Navy personnel with the skillset to identify vulnerabilities within a system.

“Our mission is evolving to meet the needs of our Navy, and it’s up to us to bring the most value to our customers – Sailors, civilians and families,” said Behavior Development and Performance Branch Head Capt. T.J. Dixon. “We will emphasize a higher standard of excellence as a developmental organization focused on prevention, as we continue to mature our critical response capabilities.”

According to Dixon, this advanced training provides a baseline of information for participants to take back to their respective commands and communities to prepare for future culture of excellence efforts.

“Our training this week is focused on laying a foundation to enhance our inclusive and diverse Navy team by promoting positive behavior, healthy norms and role modeling what right looks like across our Navy,” said Dixon.

Participants are being trained on foundational primary prevention and human factors process information that will be delivered with the supporting tools and resources for sustainment at the unit level.

“The Navy has developed this foundational training through a collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), other federal organizations, academia and industry to ensure that our Navy team is building prevention capacity to implement comprehensive, research-informed strategies that drive healthy Sailor choices, increase signature behaviors and promote positive cultural norms overall,” said said Dr Monique Clinton-Sherrod, the Navy’s expert for primary prevention.

According to Clinton-Sherrod, the training summit supports the desire of the Navy to achieve warfighting excellence by empowering and tapping into the energy and capability of its actively inclusive teams to maximize their collective potential.

“This is a human business,” said Adm. John Richardson. “Don’t pass up an opportunity to come together as a team. Don’t pass up leadership opportunities, and don’t outsource them to a PowerPoint. If you have an opportunity to come together as a team, to increase belonging, do it.”