Modernizing Navy Training: From “Pong” to Call of Duty

Updating Steelworker and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training in an Agile, Remote Environment.
Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD)
Capability for
Advisory and Assistance Services

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is modernizing accession training for two mission critical Navy communities, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Steelworker (SW), as part of the Sailor 2025 Career Training Continuum (CTC). This effort strengthens operational readiness by transforming legacy, instructor heavy training into modern, interactive, technology enabled learning products that better prepare Sailors for high-risk missions in contested environments. Chickasaw Federal supports this transformation by designing, developing, and delivering next generation instructional solutions aligned to Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) standards.

Our Approach

Chickasaw Federal assembled a multidisciplinary team including Instructional Systems Designers, Graphic Artists, Technical Editors, Project Managers, and Subject Matter Experts to modernize and elevate Navy training across seven courses. Working closely with NETC, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), and NAWCTSD, our team delivers design, development, and testing for:

  • Instructor Facilitated Interactive Training (IFIT)
  • Self-directed Interactive Training (SDIT)
  • Structured On the Job Training (SOJT)
  • Performance Support (PS)

Using Agile development methods, the team integrates real world equipment, advanced simulations, and interactive learning environments that mirror field conditions, reinforcing complex tactics, decision making, and technical proficiency while complementing hands on training.

Accomplishments

Chickasaw Federal’s work has significantly modernized training for both communities, replacing outdated materials with immersive, high fidelity learning experiences that better reflect today’s operational realities. By embedding realistic tools, environments, and scenarios into the curriculum, the program enhances learner engagement, retention, and readiness. 

Key achievements include:

  • Fully redesigned Steelworker course content from the ground up
  • Introduced a welding simulator to enable safer, repeatable virtual training
  • Developed an interactive 3D underwater mine model that allows EOD students to explore, manipulate, and analyze realistic components
  • Advanced three courses to final close out and delivery, while progressing the largest course in the program
  • Delivered a scalable training model aligned with NETC standards and modern instructional best practices