Encl. (1) to COMDTINST 3500.2
How the CEM implementation process is executed depends on the personality and
makeup of the WG. The following example demonstrates a very systematic, objective,
and deliberate action plan.
This WG began by establishing specific objectives to focus and coordinate their actions.
Their objectives were:
Be willing to fail; try new things
Learn to recognize signs of endurance risk use the RFA for clues
Show ties between OPTEMPO and endurance
Mesh the "research" on endurance with "real life" aboard a cutter
Create a system and climate at the unit that maximizes endurance
Maintain mission orientation don't focus so much on endurance issues that we
forget why we are here
Better define what we expect of watchstanders
Establish "bag limits" people should know the limits and respect them
Keep the crew informed of what we are doing
In addition to the objectives, the WG identified potential barriers that could jeopardize
the success of their efforts. These barriers included:
Having enough qualified people aboard impact of SPEAR process
Tradition holding onto ideas "because we've always done it that way"
Mission requirements
External environment weather, tasking from Operational Cdr, etc.
Internal environment our own willingness to try new things
Resistance to change
Individual/departmental rivalries
Lack of communications (spawns rumors and misinformation)
Lack of support
Lack of information/current research on endurance
Bad information
The WG realized that while some of the barriers are beyond their control (e.g., SPEAR
process), the unit owns most of the barriers and needs to work to overcome them.
With the objectives and barriers as a foundation, the WG used their RFA results to begin
exploring controls. The RFA showed a high incidence of all the core risk factors, so the
WG focused their attention on controls to improve sleep. The WG knew from reading
the COMDTINST, and parts of the online CEM Guide, that sleep is most restorative if:
(1) it is taken in a continuous period of 8 hours in duration, (2) it occurs at approximately
the same time each day, and (3) it is not disrupted by noise, temperature, light, bedding,
etc. Using this information, the WG brainstormed a list of potential controls that could
improve sleep. These controls were categorized into short-term (ST), those that could be
implemented virtually immediately; and long-term (LT), those that required additional
study or resources.
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