BRNC forges links with US Naval Academy

A delegation from Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) has attended the 2020 annual US Naval Academy (USNA) Leadership Conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

The conference, entitled “Invest in Your People: The Power of Mentorship”, aimed to look at the part mentorship plays within a leadership role. More than 400 participants from over 45 military and civilian colleges attended. The BRNC delegation comprised a mix of staff and cadets.

Commander David Preece, Commander Training at BRNC said: “The conference at Annapolis serves as a great opportunity to learn about the US Naval Academies approach to teaching leadership both through practical applications in the field, and in a theoretical sense in the classroom. These engagement activities between the Royal Navy and the US are always a great way to share experiences and learn from one another.”

The conference was run by the USNA cadets and attracted an impressive line-up of keynote speakers that included successful CEO and author Bob Chapman, ex-Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Admiral James Stavridis, and Director of the FBI, The Honourable Christopher Wray.

The audience also had a chance to interact with several panels including a Medal of Honour recipient panel titled “Mentorship on the Battlefield”. 

In between sessions in the lecture theatre, the representatives from the Royal Navy had the opportunity to discuss their own ideas and principles of leadership, mentoring and coaching with the delegates from industry and other military colleges in the US through the breakout sessions.

Sub Lieutenant Ollie Bennett, who completed his initial training at BRNC last year, said:  “The conference allowed us to discuss the similarities and differences between various military and civilian educational institutions in the US. It was very interesting to learn that despite national boundaries, the core principles behind successful leadership remained unchanged and mirror the core principles of leadership within the Royal Navy.”