The Command Spouse Leadership Course (CSLC) and the Command Master Chief / Chief of the Boat Spouse Leadership Course (CMCSLC) is an intense one-week, executive-level course for spouses of Commanding Officers, Command Master Chiefs, Chiefs of the Boat, and Command Senior Chiefs en route to their first command tour. Prospective Navy Leadership Spouses are extended official Department of the Navy funded orders in conjunction with their active-duty spouses to attend the course at the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center. Conceived in 1997 by Senior Navy Spouses and supported by Naval Services FamilyLine, this spouse leadership course runs in conjunction with the Naval Leadership Courses conducted in Newport, RI. In 2020, the CSLC and CMCSLC courses merged in an effort to provide Navy leadership spouses with one collaborative educational offering. Working and learning together, sets the foundation of the Command Support Team format.
The CSLC/CMCSLC provides spouses of prospective COs and CMC/COBs with an in-depth program that enriches their knowledge of the choices and contributions they make as a leadership spouse. Based on personal values and preferences, each spouse develops a personal vision statement and, together with their active duty member, develops a Command Tour Charter. Additionally, the CSLC/CMCSLC course involves dynamic exercises as well as supplemental materials to highlight skills in leadership, management, and communication that will benefit the Command Couple, the Command, the Command families, and the community that supports the Command. Through the guidance of the instructors and a mentor team of experienced command spouses, the course addresses some issues likely to arise during the Command tour and provides ideas on ways to positively impact the command environment, communication, and support among the Command, families, and others. Topics such as Ombudsman, Family Readiness Groups, support resources, Navy organization, and crisis response are addressed to prepare the leadership spouse for the command tour.
The true beauty of the course instruction is that it is uniquely designed to provide content for thoughtful conversations for the prospective couple throughout the week. Some of these discussions may include: How are you both going to approach the dilemmas and challenges presented during this upcoming Command tour? How will you handle your personal finances during the Command tour with the known and unanticipated expenses associated with Command? As a couple, how are you going to manage and balance the 24/7 pressures and the responsibility of Command or CMC/COB tour with your family, extended family, work, church, or other volunteer responsibilities? How are you both going to respond if there is a crisis or Command mishap? How do you envision supporting Command events and celebrations? What roles do you expect each other to play in the various aspects of Command, and how involved do you expect each other to be at the command and at home. Additionally, how does it change with deployment, with a mishap, with the birth of a baby, illness of a family member, and/or your promotion at work, etc.?
