By Javier Chagoya

Lt. j.g. Caroline Brown, left, and Lt. Maribel Challburg, right, brief their co-authored thesis to senior Navy personnel policy makers including the bureau's top decision maker, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Bill Moran, via video-teleconference in the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy (GSBPP) conference room, March 10.

"Our thesis project, titled 'Resilience Amongst Naval Recruits,' hypothesizes that we can improve recruit resilience in Boot Camp through interventions," explained Brown. "Our research, conducted with surveys and interviews with recruits, found that programmed interventions can help reduce turnover and attrition in a Sailor's first term."

Brown and Challburg applied three structured intervention scenarios in their research – positive self-talk exercises, division discussions, and appreciative guided conversations. Along with positive enablers Recruit Division Commanders incorporated into the eight-week training, the students measured realized affects in recruit resilience using quantitative and qualitative analysis.

"We found resilience is far more dependent on positive social interactions and relationships than previously thought," explained Brown.

Following Brown and Challburg's brief, Moran congratulated Brown for being chosen as the recipient of the CNP Award for Excellence in Manpower Systems Analysis.

"I only found out yesterday that I was selected, so I feel humbled and honored that Vice Admiral Moran was not only able to hear the research we conducted, but his personal congratulations means a lot too," she said.

Brown, who also received the Navy League Award for Highest Academic Achievement, will be seeing a lot of the CNP following her graduation next week, working directly for N134, the Navy's Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity directorate.