Naval Base Service Boat Team: Sailors Step Up to the Command Seat

Naval Base Service Vessel Team

Optimizing the Selection and Training Mechanism for Sergeant Captains—

Seamen Step Up to the Command Seat

By | Ge Hanqiang, Wu Huanqing

On a scorching summer day, the heat rises in a military port.

“Prepare the tow line,” “slow push”... At the command seat of a tugboat in the naval base service vessel team, First Class Sergeant Li Peng continuously issues multiple commands as the 10,000-ton support ship slowly moves within the military port and finally docks steadily.

Upon learning that the tugboat was commanded by a seaman, the captain of the support ship gave a thumbs up. “In our unit, there are many ‘soldier captains’ like Li Peng.” The team leader said that over the years, sergeant captains have commanded tugboats to send destroyers, landing ships, amphibious assault ships, and other warships to the ocean and bring them back to the military port, uniquely contributing to the People's Navy's journey into the deep blue.

When discussing the growth path of sergeant captains, the team leader opened up. After the adjustment of the military structure, the number of officers for auxiliary vessels significantly decreased. Moreover, with the continuous launch of new vessels, the task load for the tugboats in this team surged, making “last-minute notifications and immediate deployments” the norm. To fill the gap in the number of captains and ensure continuous task execution, this team, as one of the first pilot units in the naval theater, began exploring the delegation of some tugboat command duties to sergeants.

“In the early stages of the pilot program, we mainly selected captains from the navigation and communication specialists who have long worked in the command room.” The team leader explained that captains must not only master professional knowledge such as vessel maneuvering and basic navigation but also understand command and coordination, bearing heavy responsibilities and pressure. “The navigation specialists have worked in the command room for years, are proficient in navigation and communication, and are familiar with the entire ship's operational processes, possessing the basic qualities of a commander, making training them more efficient.” he said.

Under this guidance, Li Peng and other seamen who have worked on deck for years could only look longingly at the command seat. “Watching my comrades from the navigation specialty step up to the command seat, I felt envious, but it also felt uncomfortable.” Li Peng recalled that for a period, the work enthusiasm of sergeants from non-navigation specialties like seamanship and mechanical engineering was affected.

To inspire more sergeant backbones to grow and succeed, the base adjusted the selection range for sergeant captains: expanding from navigation specialists to all ship specialties. Furthermore, under the unified coordination of the base, the team optimized the selection criteria for “soldier captains”: shifting from merely pursuing “quick adaptability” to assessing “development potential,” emphasizing motivation and comprehensive military literacy, with applicants required to pass a preliminary examination, and only those with top scores could participate in subsequent selections.

As soon as the news was released, Li Peng was the first to sign up. In the preliminary examination, he successfully passed thanks to his rich experience in vessel maneuvering and solid military literacy. Along with him, several sergeants from non-navigation specialties like mechanical engineering were also selected.

Transitioning from a technical backbone of a single specialty to a captain proficient in various specialties requires matching capabilities. “During my first chart operation, I was completely lost.” Li Peng admitted that due to his long-term work in seamanship, basic skills for captains such as chart operations, navigation calculations, and wind pressure corrections became his weaknesses, which is a common challenge faced by all non-navigation specialty sergeants.

To address this, the team implemented a “school training + on-the-job training” model, sending Li Peng and other non-navigation specialty sergeants to concentrated training at schools, focusing on key courses such as navigation theory, vessel maneuvering, and chart operations. At the same time, experienced senior captains were designated as mentors to provide “one-on-one” guidance to help non-navigation specialty sergeants fill their gaps. Second Class Sergeant Wang Baobiao, one of the first senior sergeant captains in the naval theater, served as Li Peng's mentor, employing a unique teaching method.

“Generally, as long as there are no operational emergencies, I will not intervene.” Wang Baobiao said he advocates allowing candidate sergeant captains to think independently and make decisions in complex situations, encouraging them to experience being “ants on a hot pan” to comprehensively hone their emergency command abilities.

During a nighttime towing training, the sea conditions were quite complex, with significant changes in airflow pressure differences. Li Peng, independently commanding the tugboat operation, was sweating due to his lack of experience and was overly nervous, unable to make a decision for a long time. Wang Baobiao stood silently beside him until the support ship was about to deviate from its course, at which point he gently reminded, “Pay attention to airflow pressure corrections.” It was through repeated training at these “critical points” that Li Peng ultimately passed the assessment, obtaining the qualification certificate for independent command, growing from a seaman to a candidate sergeant captain.

To enhance the job competency of candidate sergeant captains, the team established various mechanisms covering training, assessment, and appointment based on the principle of “solidifying the foundation, balancing specialties, and expanding comprehensively,” carefully setting up modular teaching content for deployment command, training organization, and other topics to help them continuously strengthen their job competency foundation.

“Reform and restructuring have broadened the stage for soldiers.” Now, Li Peng has grown into a sergeant captain capable of independent command. In his navigation log, he records the details of each task and insights on emergency handling. Behind him, batches of non-navigation specialty sergeants from seamanship, mechanical engineering, and other fields are following this path, stepping into the bridge and moving towards the command seat.

“Sergeant captains commanding vessels through wind and waves is a new change brought about by reforming and strengthening the military.” The team leader introduced that currently, all tugboat captains in the team are sergeants, with over 40% coming from non-navigation specialties. Under the leadership of the “soldier captains,” they have successfully completed tasks such as towing assistance, sea patrol, and emergency rescue, with one tugboat being recognized as an advanced unit in equipment management, and two tugboats being honored as advanced units in the “Four Iron” category.

Source: PLA Daily