By MC2 Michael Ehrlich

Director of the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group (CNO SSG) retired Vice Adm. James P. Wisecup, center, is pictured, Aug. 24, with the recently-selected NPS students who will become CNO SSG Director Fellows. The SSG provides an opportunity for Navy officers to work directly for the CNO on some of the biggest issues facing the Navy.

Wisecup interviewed candidates with NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ronald A. Route and Dean of Students Capt. Matthew Vandersluis. Wisecup, a former Fellow himself, described the "spark" that he was looking for in SSG candidates.

"For me as the Director of the SSG, I want people who aren't afraid to stick their nose into a problem, say this is a problem, and this is how we can solve it," explained Wisecup. "In the end it would be hard for me to lay out a laundry list of qualities, which is part of the reason that I travel out here to meet these people myself. I can meet with them, President Route and the faculty who help us make these decisions."

One of the selectees for this year's SSG is Lt. Andres Otero, studying in NPS' Department of Systems Engineering. He described the impact he is hoping to have on the Navy and how being a Director Fellow will have an impact on his career.

"I think it's a great opportunity to be able to apply real time engineering in a process where the military generally lags," said Otero. "This experience will replace every elevator conversation for the rest of my career. No one is going to ask me about what I did on the Enterprise as a nuke, they are going to ask me about CNO SSG."

This year's SSG 35 Director Fellows (and alternates) from NPS are U.S. Navy officers Lt. Luis Aybar, Lt. Owen Brooks, Lt. James Carbaugh, Lt. Cmdr. Drew Hall, Lt. j.g. Allison Hogarth, Lt. Kyle Kendall, Lt. Karl Kjono, Lt. Andres Otero, and Lt. Cmdr. Nate Robbins.