AMC(AW⁄NAC) Shawn Horigan teaches a Plebe how to properly fold a flag at morning colors. USNA photo by MC2 Chris Lussier.

The relationship between the junior officer and senior enlisted in the Fleet and Marine force is critical to Sailor and Marine development and mission accomplishment. For Midshipmen, that relationship starts at the Naval Academy with the Senior Enlisted Leaders (SEL) of Bancroft Hall. The SELs are E-7 and above Sailors and Marines, assigned to each Company within the Brigade, responsible for mentoring and training the Navy and Marine Corps’ future officers.

From a deckplate perspective, SELs are responsible for room and uniform inspections, tracking all academic and physical fitness progress, and basic day-to-day administrative responsibilities for their Midshipmen. Their role in Midshipman development often extends far beyond the normal workday.

‘‘If I see that one of my Midshipmen is struggling academically, it’s my responsibility to engage my Midshipman leaders and figure out what the problem is to help them solve it,” said Senior Chief Interior Communications Electrician (SW⁄AW) Jeffery Carlsen, 13th Company SEL. ‘‘It starts to give them ownership of the decisions that they make.”

The SELs come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from Hospital Corpsmen to Yeomen, from Operations Specialists to Boatswain’s Mates. Between the broad range of Fleet experience combined with the Marine force knowledge from the Gunnery Sergeants, Midshipmen are exposed to many leadership styles.

‘‘If I give them as much of the basic junior officer knowledge from the enlisted perspective that I can, then it gets them better prepared to take over a division,” said Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic (AW⁄NAC) Shawn Horigan, 9th Company SEL. ‘‘If they take half or even a third of what we give them, and soak that up and run with it, they would be extremely successful.”

Prospective SELs are carefully screened before being selected, first by submitting an in-depth application package containing performance evaluations covering their last five years of service. All packages are reviewed by a committee of six senior SELs, headed up by Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) (SW⁄NAC) Shannon Howe, Brigade SEL. The committee then forwards their recommendation to the Command Master Chief for final approval or disapproval.

From there, the candidate reports to Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill., where they must successfully complete Recruit Division Commander (RDC) School, an intense six-week program focused on basic military knowledge, drill and physical training. Only after they have graduated from RDC School do they report to the Naval Academy.

SELs can work anywhere from 50 to 70 hours a week, as most of their interaction with the Midshipmen takes place beyond regular class hours. Although their duties often require long hours away from home, SELs believe their impact on the individual Midshipmen is worth the effort.

‘‘I like teaching them and then seeing that light bulb come on, seeing them get the bigger picture,” said Horigan. ‘‘Any time you’re teaching somebody, and you see that learning process growing, it gives you a little bit of that personal satisfaction.”

The Company and Battalion Officers also appreciate the senior enlisted perspective in the training process.

‘‘Having been in the Fleet, you can see the benefit of what the Chiefs bring to the equation,” said Cmdr. John Fuller, 4th Battalion Officer.

Because the professional relationship between junior officers and senior enlisted is considered critical throughout the Navy and Marine Corps, the history of the Chief Petty Officers and Gunnery Sergeants is now included in Reef Points, which states that the senior enlisted ‘‘are a critical link in the chain of command, ensuring active communication between their junior Sailors and senior officers to maintain mission readiness.”