CORONADO, Calif. (August 23, 2021) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday talks with Sailors following a combat swimmer demonstration at the combat training tank during a visit to Naval Special Warfare Command and the San Diego region today. During the visit, Gilday spent time with NSW personnel to discuss assessing and selecting leaders with character, cognitive and leadership attributes, strengthening the NSW force and their families, and integrating NSW with the Fleet. Naval Special Warfare is the Nation’s premier maritime special operations force – a highly reliable and lethal force – and is uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and deliver all-domain options for Naval and Joint Force commanders. U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Tobias Levene.

CNO visits Naval Special Warfare Command
Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday visited Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) Headquarters and NSWC’s Naval Special Warfare Group One as part of a visit to the San Diego region Monday, August 23.
During the visit, Gilday spent time with Rear Adm. H. W. Howard, III, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, and NSW operators to discuss NSW's assessment and selection for leaders with the character, cognitive and leadership attributes required for highly complex and high-risk missions the Nation asks of its naval commandos.
Gilday received a brief on how NSW is using the newly formed NSW Leadership Assessment Program (NLAP) for officer and senior enlisted advisor command selection, mental health performance programs, and family support and transition programs to improve the readiness and resiliency of the total force.
NLAP is NSW’s newest approach to increasing officer and enlisted selection precision, individual development opportunities, and officer & enlisted leader pairing decisions. Among other criteria, the program consists of peer and subordinate assessments of leader candidates; physical, psychological and writing assessments; and double-blind interviews that assess participants’ leadership potential and mitigate cognitive biases that can adversely impact selection decisions.
“I fully support the transformative approach that Naval Special Warfare has taken to identify individuals with the cognitive, character, and leadership attributes necessary to command in today’s Force,” said Gilday. “The NSW Leadership Assessment Program (NLAP) not only assesses for these attributes but also provides candidates with the feedback they need so they can improve and succeed going forward. Providing our Sailors mentorship and training at every level will help ensure a ready force for our Navy tomorrow.”
During his visit, Gilday also toured the human performance training center at the Silver Strand Training Complex, a state-of-the-art facility that brings together the physical and mental resources to develop a more resilient and high-performing Naval Special Warfare force.
“Without a doubt, readiness is all about our people. We know that diverse teams outperform those that are not. And we know esprit de corps, particularly within small units, is incredibly important to our combat effectiveness,” said Gilday. “The high-performing and highly-reliable Naval Special Warfare teams I’ve met here place great emphasis on core values of warfighting, character and ethics, and it makes me proud to serve with these Sailors.”
The tour concluded with a visit to Naval Special Warfare Group One’s combat training tank where naval commandos train to conduct high-risk combat diving evolutions. The force is placing a renewed emphasis on missions that only NSW can do on, under, and above the sea. The combat training tank improves the training and readiness of NSW operators to carry out highly complex undersea missions that extend the reach of the Joint Force and the intelligence community.
“It was my honor to share with CNO Gilday how the NSW community is urgently transforming for peer adversary strategic competition and in ways that increase Joint Force survivability and lethality in crisis and conflict. We recognize the complexities of the future operating environment, and continue to assess, select, and train a force ready to deliver distinctive options that undermine adversary confidence, increase diplomatic leverage, and create access for the Joint Force,” said Howard. “NSW is focused more closely than ever on the Fleet and the Joint Force to deliver creative dilemmas that strengthen all-domain integrated deterrence and provide irregular warfare options that efficiently and effectively help solve the hardest national security problems.”
Naval Special Warfare is the Nation’s premier maritime special operations force – a highly reliable and lethal force – and is uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and deliver all-domain options for Naval and Joint Force commanders.

CORONADO, Calif. (August 23, 2021) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday talks with Naval Special Warfare Group One physical therapists about the human performance resources available to Naval Special Warfare personnel during his visit to Naval Special Warfare Command and the San Diego region today. During the visit, Gilday spent time with NSW personnel to discuss assessing and selecting leaders with character, cognitive and leadership attributes, strengthening the NSW force and their families, and integrating NSW with the Fleet. Naval Special Warfare is the Nation’s premier maritime special operations force – a highly reliable and lethal force – and is uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and deliver all-domain options for Naval and Joint Force commanders. U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Tobias Levene.

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