i3 Waypoints - Finalist Presentation and Announcement of Winner

And the winner is…

The i3 Waypoints broadcast stream with the finalist presentations and awarding of the winner’s trophy is now live below.

Be the first in your command to view the final entries and announcement of the winner by Vice Adm. John B. Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force.

i3 Waypoints is an approach to inventing: innovate something entirely new; improve on something already established; or integrate several ideas, products or processes rendering the former completely obsolete. Mustin introduced the annual competition to fast-track transformative ideas from across the Navy directly to the highest levels of the Navy Reserve, without filters or bureaucratic barriers.

One-hundred and seven submissions were received over a five-week period. Five final entries were ultimately chosen and presented to a panel hosted by Mustin during a taped session at Fort George G. Meade, Md., June 28. The other panelists were retired Vice Adm. Andrew “Woody” Lewis; Mr. Bruce E. Mosler, chairman, global brokerage of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.; Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Tracy L. Hunt and 2021 Reserve Sailor of the Year Chief Yeoman (Select) Jasmyn Phinizy.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gJdF2Rhec10

Chief of Navy Reserve Hosts i3 Waypoints Final Panel

i3 Waypoints Update

VADM John B. Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force, announced the finalists for the inaugural “i3 Waypoints” initiative. In total, 106 i3 Waypoints submissions were received and reviewed by a team led by RADM John A. Schommer, Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command. Five finalists were selected and presented their ideas before a panel of senior Navy Reserve, military, and industry leaders led by VADM Mustin and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Tracy L. Hunt on June 28, 2022. A winner was selected, but more than one idea may be implemented. VADM Mustin also announced that i3 Waypoints will be an annual event, so keep your ideas at the ready for when the idea portal opens up next fiscal year. The video-recorded idea presentations will be available for streaming July 11, 2022, here on the Navy Reserve website and Navy Reserve social media platforms. Below are the i3 Waypoints 2022 finalists:

LT Brian Adornato, Naval Sea Systems Command, Surge Maintenance Sacramento: “Create a New Category of Personnel: Civilian Technicians”
LCDR Jonathan Calhoun, Navy Reserve U.S. Fleet Forces Maritime Operations Center: “Leverage Mobile Technology to Streamline Mobilization”
CDR Bobby Hsu, OPNAV Director of Navy Staff: “Official Navy Reserve YouTube Channel”
CDR Scott Mericle, Navy Reserve C2F N5: “Improve Active-to-Reserve Transition”
CDR Sarah McGann, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-9) & LT Josh Didawick, OPNAV N1: “New Policy for Reserve Retirement Education Across the Career Continuum”

i3 Waypoints was introduced as a way to fast-track transformative ideas from across the Navy directly to the highest levels of the Navy Reserve, without filters or bureaucratic barriers. i3 Waypoints is an approach to inventing: innovate something entirely new; improve on something already established; or integrate several ideas, products or processes rendering the former completely obsolete. Sailors and civilians on the front lines of challenges and roadblocks in their daily lives are invaluable sources of ideas for change. i3 Waypoints challenges the entire U.S. Navy – from Selected Reserve, Training and Administration of the Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, Active Duty and civilians, in all ranks, rates and grades – to propose new or better ways for the Navy Reserve to operate.

i3 Waypoints Background

As the Navy Reserve aggressively transforms and modernizes, pivoting from two decades of land-based, non-maritime contributions, to instead laser-focus on warfighting readiness to address today’s security environment and strategic competition in a maritime domain.

This transformation includes across the board changes, from shifting capabilities and capacity to critical strategic needs, to our approach to warfighting and mobilization readiness, our force mobilization processes and day-to-day operational and administrative processes.

You, our Sailors and civilians, who are on the front lines of challenges and roadblocks in your daily lives, are invaluable sources of ideas for change.

i3 Waypoints challenges the entire U.S. Navy – from Selected Reserve, Training and Administration of the Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, Active Duty and government civilians, in all ranks, rates and grades – to propose new or better ways for the Navy Reserve to operate.

i3 Waypoints Submitting Your Idea

Submitting Your Idea

The process to submit your transformative ideas is simple. For more information, to review the terms and conditions and to submit your idea visit the i3 Waypoints CAC-enabled portal at:

https://flankspeed.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/I3Waypoints/SitePages/i3_home.aspx

The portal will accept ideas from April 13 through May 22, 2022. NOTE: You may be prompted to login using your Flank Speed credentials.

Fast-Track of Ideas

All submissions will go directly to an initial review panel, which will select finalists to present their ideas to a panel of senior Navy Reserve, policy and industry leaders, including Vice Adm. Mustin and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Tracy L. Hunt. The presentations will be videotaped and aired following the event.

And a winner will be selected, although we may choose several ideas to implement.

We look forward to seeing – an implementing – your ideas!

Important dates:
13 April - 22 May: Submission Period
23 May – 2 June: Initial review period
3 June: Notification to all entrants, including finalists
28 June: Taped presentation at Fort Meade, Md.
11 July: Winner announced via taped broadcast

NEWS | Oct. 7, 2024

Ready on Day One: Training Reserve Sailors for the Fight Ahead

By Lt. j.g. Loren Mullen, NR 7th Fleet Public Affairs

Strategic competition is placing new demands on the Navy Reserve to enhance warfighting readiness and ensure Reserve Sailors are ready on day one to support Fleet commanders at a moment’s notice.

How the Navy Reserve trains to fight what may come in the future is essential to overall readiness at the Operational Level of War (OLW). Standardizing essential training and creating more advanced development opportunities at the OLW has been a primary focus for Capt. Kyle Powers, Navy Reserve OLW Force Design Training Lead. Over the past year, Powers has led the charge in reviewing and developing a curriculum to enable the Navy Reserve to meet the current and future demands of maritime warfare around the globe, with a focus on the Maritime Operations Center (MOC).

“We're looking for ways to review the overall OLW training pipeline,” said Powers. “My job is to lead a dozen or so people who are spearheading new ways that we can handle training, modifications that we can recommend to current curriculum, and how we can get creative with funding when necessary.”

A core focus of the OLW Training team is developing a comprehensive curriculum that addresses the unique needs of Reserve members at the operational level, added Powers. While sailors across the fleets rely on experience gained at the tactical level, Powers noted, “At the operational level of war… you're overseeing a broader set of assets,” and it’s the role of the fleets to both coordinate and bring the assets to bear.

However, while active-duty sailors train daily in a warfighting environment, Reserve training capacity is different – and Reserve members are often dispersed. To sharpen and hone Reserve training, Powers and the OLW Training team developed the Navy Reserve OLW Training Continuum Instruction (COMNAVRESFOR) 3500.1. Powers said the instruction specifically created “a standard but flexible pathway for people to get the training they need” and “recognize the courses that have been taken in a stackable way that still leads to the final training outcome that we're looking for.” As a result, Reserve members will be better prepared and more
proficient for exercises and real-world events.

A recent example is the MAKO training series. In 2021, the Navy Reserve’s Strategic Depth Assessment pointed to a critical need for experienced MOC watchstanders. With Reserve members comprising up to half of the staff at Fleet commands, the Chief of Navy Reserve prioritized MOC training and created a series of MAKO training events. Each event mimics real-world scenarios and gives Reserve members hands-on experience with maritime operations and the MOC.

“MAKO events provide a really big training opportunity,” said Powers. “[Sailors] go out, sit in their watch station in the MOC with a scenario that has been built and products that are pulled from their own fleet so that they're using the actual products that they would use when they're downrange.”

Today, MAKO not only provides practical experience but aligns with OLW training efforts in the classroom. Previously, sailors in a MOC or operational-level maritime staff billet who needed to complete required MOC training would attend a full-time five-week Maritime Staff Operators Course (MSOC) at the Naval War College.

This significant time demand posed a challenge for reservists who also maintained full-time employment in a civilian capacity as well as Reserve unit responsibilities. One of the solutions to increase Reserve sailor access to MOC training while balancing these competing time commitments was the creation of the Maritime Headquarters Staff Course (MHSC) at the Naval War College.

“The MHSC course created a distributed learning opportunity to deliver high quality MOC academics and fundamentals so that people going to a MOC unit would have a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities,” said Powers. The three-week course provides OLW practitioners with a foundation in the design and processes of the MOC, allowing sailors to obtain the same academic knowledge while balancing civilian commitments. “The MHSC course was born out of a need to get a broader baseline training to those who operate in the Maritime Operations Centers across the fleets,” he added.

Through a combination of coursework, on-the-job training, and practical exercises such as the MAKO series, OLW training “makes each person within the chain more effective because you know exactly what the goal is,” said Powers. “The Chief of Navy Reserve sent out the order with the release of the Navy Reserve Fighting Instructions. The rapid advancements we have made in how we train across the board at the OLW to increase Reserve capability and remain ‘ready to fight tonight’ with our active-duty counterparts is our response.”

To learn more about the Navy Reserve OLW Training Continuum, please visit https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/ or refer to COMNAVRESFOR 3500.1.

About i3 Waypoints

Calling All Visionaries: Submit your ideas to the Chief of Navy Reserve

Vice Adm. John B. Mustin, Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force, launched i3 Waypoints to fast-track transformative ideas from across the Navy directly to the highest levels of the Navy Reserve, without filters, administrative friction or bureaucratic barriers along the way.

i3 Waypoints is an approach to inventing: Innovate something entirely new; improve on something already established; or integrate several ideas, products or processes rendering the former completely obsolete.